The Fairey Firefly air combat record
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This might help with the WW2 part of its history
Armoured Aircraft Carriers
The origins and development of the Fairey Firefly fleet fighter, reconnaissance and strike aircraft.
www.armouredcarriers.com
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- #3
Thanks,was very helpful.This might help with the WW2 part of its history
Armoured Aircraft Carriers
The origins and development of the Fairey Firefly fleet fighter, reconnaissance and strike aircraft.
I've been able to find the following 11 kills :
Northern Sumatra Pankalan Brandan 4. January 1945 1x Ki-43 (Lt D. Levitt) 1x Ki-43 (Lt J.P. Stott/Lt Redding *shared)
South-East Sumatra Pladjoe 24. January 1945 2x Ki-43 (sqn 1770 Pilots?)
South-East Sumatra Soengi Gerong 29. January 1945 1x Ki-44 and 2x Ki-43 (sqn 1770 Pilots?)
North of Formosa Kiirun harbour 12. April 1945 2x Ki-54 (Lt Thomson) and 1x Ki-54 (Sub-Lt J.P. Stott) 1xKi54 (Lt B. Ward)
Northern Sumatra Pankalan Brandan 4. January 1945 1x Ki-43 (Lt D. Levitt) 1x Ki-43 (Lt J.P. Stott/Lt Redding *shared)
South-East Sumatra Pladjoe 24. January 1945 2x Ki-43 (sqn 1770 Pilots?)
South-East Sumatra Soengi Gerong 29. January 1945 1x Ki-44 and 2x Ki-43 (sqn 1770 Pilots?)
North of Formosa Kiirun harbour 12. April 1945 2x Ki-54 (Lt Thomson) and 1x Ki-54 (Sub-Lt J.P. Stott) 1xKi54 (Lt B. Ward)
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- #5
Hi,thanks for this info.
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- #6
Hi,again do you know roughly how many combat losses this plane had.Many Thanks.
In combat I can find 10, will list them in detail later if you wish.
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- #8
Hi,yes please many thanks for your help.
Steamed_Banana
Staff Sergeant
- 1,088
- Sep 29, 2025
Were there any losses in these engagements?
This is what I can find of losses regarding Fairey Firefly:
Losses During Combat Operations
- 1770 Squadron (Norwegian Coast, 1944):
- 24 June 1944: Lt Mackay and Sub-Lt Slater were lost at sea.
- 22 August 1944: The Firefly flown by Sub-Lts Wilson and Thomson was hit by anti-aircraft fire and was lost during an attack on the battleship Tirpitz.
- 1771 Squadron (Norwegian Coast, 1944):
- 26 October 1944: The aircraft flown by Sub-Lts R.M. Shaw and G.M. Smith crashed after being hit by enemy fire; the pilot died, while the observer was taken as a prisoner of war.
- 27 October 1944: The aircraft flown by Sub-Lts A.W. Waters and C.G. Weir crashed into the sea after sustaining damage; the pilot died.
- 1772 Squadron (Japan/Pacific, 1945):
- 10 August 1945: Sub-Lts G.D. Roberts and T.C.G. McBride were killed when their aircraft were hit during an attack on Koriyama airfield.
According to John Winton's "Forgotten Fleet" there was one Firefly loss during Operation Lentil (ditched near Indefatigable when it ran out of fuel). There were no Firefly losses during Operation Meridian I (one Firefly didn't launch due to a flap failure) and during Operation Meridian II, one Firefly from 1770 squadron was lost from 12 deployed.
Then during Operation Iceberg from 26th March to 25th May 1945 they were:-
Combat & flak - 2
Deck landing - 4
Other - 1.
Total - 7
Indefatigable's 1770 squadron had started the Operation with just 9 Fireflies. Replacements were able to be delivered by escort carriers of the Fleet Train, which carried mixed loads of aircraft types to fulfil the needs of TF 57.
During the July/Aug operations off Japan (i.e. by 1771 squadron on Implacable and 1772 on Indefatigable) losses were as follows:-
Write offs
Combat & flak - 7
Deck landing - 4
Other - 2
Total - 13
Repairable but replaced by CVEs
Combat & flak - 1
Deck landing - 0
Other - 2
Total - 3
Grand total - 16.
Each carrier began the operations with 12 Fireflies.
Then during Operation Iceberg from 26th March to 25th May 1945 they were:-
Combat & flak - 2
Deck landing - 4
Other - 1.
Total - 7
Indefatigable's 1770 squadron had started the Operation with just 9 Fireflies. Replacements were able to be delivered by escort carriers of the Fleet Train, which carried mixed loads of aircraft types to fulfil the needs of TF 57.
During the July/Aug operations off Japan (i.e. by 1771 squadron on Implacable and 1772 on Indefatigable) losses were as follows:-
Write offs
Combat & flak - 7
Deck landing - 4
Other - 2
Total - 13
Repairable but replaced by CVEs
Combat & flak - 1
Deck landing - 0
Other - 2
Total - 3
Grand total - 16.
Each carrier began the operations with 12 Fireflies.
