Spitfire Mk. XVI in Germany After WWII?

Lucky13 · Nov 17, 2023

Growing more and more fond of the Spitfire Mk. XVI bubbletop as of late....
Which were the squadrons using it and where were they based in Germany after the war?

Wurger · Nov 17, 2023

For instance the Polish 302nd and 308th Squadron in Ahlhorn Germany 1946.

fubar57 · Nov 17, 2023

A start......BAFO stands for British Air Forces of Occupation
By the end of 1945 BAFO contained about 36 operational squadrons. Most of them
were RAF squadrons but a few Allied vuiits had not yet returned home. Airfields
which the RAF had used in the Low Countries and France during the final months
of war were handed back to Belgium, Holland and France and help in rehabilitating
them was freely given. This task was facilitated by the widespread use of
British aircraft and equipment by the Belgian and Dutch air forces throughout
the war, a policy which was continued as they reorganised themselves on their
own home stations after a long and traumatic absence.
Initially BAFO contained four group headquarters, obviously a top-heavy
organisation for a peacetime force but, nevertheless, necessary for a short
period in view of the formidable administrative and engineering tasks which
had to be tackled. If the work of the operational squadrons was virtually
completed, that of the staffs was far from over. 2 Group was largely a bomber
group and as such controlled a light bomber force of Mosquitos, 83 and 84
Groups had fighter and reconnaissance roles, their squadrons being equipped
with Vampire Is and Tempest IIs, the latter specialising in the ground attack
role. 85 Group possessed a handful of squadrons but was mainly a support
group controlling the mass of technical and administrative units needed to
meet the needs of the front line squadron