ClaudioN

No, I mean V6882. This is Form 78 from http://www.airhistory.org.uk/Hurricane/download.html: 22MU 8-10-40 422Flt 15-10-40 10MU 22-10-40 229Sq 20-11-40 Hit starter battery taxying Speke CA 16-1-41 Sgt CM Wesson safe 56OTU 6-5-41 Bounced on landing u/c collapsed Sutton Bridge CA 31-7-41 Sgt EP Greenhow safe AC 15-8-41 43GDA 56OTU 7-9-41 135Sq 10-10-41 56OTU 6-11-41 Heavy landing Tealing AC 29-7-42 Sgt TW Hawkins safe ros 56OTU 5-9-42 RNAS St.Merryn 14-9-42 CB 23-11-42 Morrisons riw 25-11-42 10MU 23-2-43 52MU 3-4-43 'Myrtlebank' 3-5-43 India 19-6-43 151OTU Failed to switch tanks e/f belly landed 3ml E of Risalpur CB 19-4-44 F/O ML Misra (IAF) safe 144RSU SOC 31-7-44

I made a high-resolution scan, e-mail on its way. Anyway, it is not hooked. The caption must be in error and the subject looks more like Y1C (or Y1G?).

Just a thought... the Key photo clearly shows a Hurricane doing ADDL (an almost perfect three-point landing -- demonstrating "how it should be done"?). It would not be unusual if a sequence of photos of this aircraft, said to be P2859, existed so that further details might be discovered. Right now, I realised I do have the original magazine, Aeroplane Issue No 537, Vol. 46, No. 1, January 2018. The same photo shown in the Key Aero on-line feature by Matthew Willis is published there on page 60, as wide as the page, enabling more minute details to be seen. The aircaft appears to have full letter-number-letter yellow codes, unit code being 'Y1' ahead of the roundel, which is consistent with No. 759 Sqn. at Yeovilton. Individual letter is partly hidden by the tailplane in the three-quarter rear view, but it does appear to have a "closed" shape at the top. My feeling is it could be 'D', with the horizontal line at the bottom poorly (or not at all) visible in the Aviation World photo. This might be a consequence of the typical undulations in the Hurricane fabric-covered rear fuselage. If the two photos show indeed the same aircraft, it might be P2859:Y1D. For a similarly marked Sea Hurricane Mk. IA, formerly with MSFU and handed over to the FAA earier in April 1942, see this: V7438:Y1C.

The 19 possible Sea Hurricane Mk. IC listed in the Aviation World article all went though General Aviation between February and May 1943. Of these, 10 were returned to MSFU, which then handed them over to 59 OTU in May-June 1943: N2599, N2630, P3620, V6867, V6957, V7170, V7683, W9279, W9315, Z4936 others went to 59 OTU either directly, or through a RAF Maintenance Unit. I'd suggest that allocation to GAL in the February-May 1943 period can be a sufficient criterion to find aircraft participating in a (supposed) Mk. IC modification programme. On this basis I found 7 more, none of which eventually went to 59 OTU: V6990, V7129, W9224, W9313, Z4846, Z4852, AE965 This would make a total of 26 aircraft, that seemingly still had useful service life as trainers in late 1943-early 1944, in preparation for D-Day and the following air operations.

This is a very interesting document outlining work to be carried out by GAL. Thank you for sharing. Among the numbers found in Mason, the ones that did catch my attention are an "initial group" of 35 Sea Hurricane Mk. I (possibly converted by Hawkers), followed by a contract with GAL for 214. I do not know whether these figures can be trusted, but they would provide a total of 249 Mk. IA and Mk. IB conversions. The number of 160 Mk. IB given in the AvWorld article wouls leave a total of 89 Mk. IA, both appearing reasonable. Thank you, I forgot about Argus refit. I used the term "accelerator" between quotation marks to differentiate from "catapult", that on carriers is usually understood as a tail-down launch. I did not know that even tail-down "catapults" were offcially called "accelerators" by the Royal Navy. One tends to forget about Pretoria Castle, as she mostly operated as a trials carrier but, again, you are right here. Regardless of what can be said about the photo, we may perhaps consider what it does show, which is rather unusual. I agree with you that it should more approprietaly be called Hurricane Mk. I (hooked). The serial P2859 is also mentioned in a Key Aero feature on the Sea Hurricane, just scroll down. How they got to conclusions about the serial number, I have no idea. From what little is visible, the two thin (yellow?) vertical bars may well suggest 'H' as an individual letter but, for that matter, it could be 'M' as well. Overall, the style makes me think of No. 768 Sqn that, however, is not reported among the units P2859 served with. The aircraft was sent to Hawkers for 'repair in works' on October 26, 1942 and is only next recorded with 762 Sqn from January 4, which might have left enough time to also fit the tail hook ("please, while you are at it...?"). The final '9' in the serial is unclear and could be a '3' instead, but not a '7', I'd say. However, only P2859 is recorded in Sturtivant.

Aviation World arrived in my mailbox and... there it is, a photo of a Sea Hurricane that I believed could not exist! Of course, it did. P2859 has no catapult spools, no padded headrest for the pilot (lack of this particular feature is VERY clear) and a Rotol propeller, in spite of the tailhook. As the de Havilland propeller unit is said to be required for CG balance reasons, I suggest that lack of the rear pair of catapult spools was enough to restore balance in this particular configuration. This seems to be proved by the fact that Shuttleworth Collection's Sea Hurricane Mk. IB Z7015 with catapult spools is also flying with a Rotol propeller and spinner, but its tailhook is a non-operational lighter structure. My Sea Hurricane spreadsheet agrees with Table D in the article by Dr. Jon Leake, with minor details: as noted in Table D, R4078 was transferred to the Royal Navy in March 1942, so it cannot be part of the 30 training machines handed over in September 1942. The thirtieth Hurricane is V6882, which is not listed by Sturtivant. I do find it in my spreadsheet, which means it has to be information kindly provided by @Geoffrey Sinclair. Previously operated by No. 56 OTU, it reportedly went to St. Merryn on September 14; for RCAF 325, transfer to Royal Navy Deposit Account at No. 5 MU is recorded on 6 September, although it went to No. 761 Sq. in October 1942. Thus, all 30 machines went to the Royal Navy between September, 6 and September, 18. The timing is consistent with preparations for Operation Torch. I think the existence of a Sea Hurricane Mk. IC can no longer be in doubt. By this I mean the RAF version, like V6741 and N2630. When MSFU was disbanded and its Hurricanes passed on to No. 59 OTU, these would indeed have only been Mk. IA and Mk. IC. This was a transfer among RAF units: there would be no Mk. IB, as this was a strictly Royal Navy variant. A few ex-MSFU Sea Hurricanes also went to No. 318 Sqn. on its formation in March 1943. What about the Mk. IC (RN), like Dr. Leake calls it. By September 1942 the Mk. I was no longer in the Fleet Air Arm front line. On all the Fleet Carriers having "accelerators", that required catapult spools, Seafires had replaced the Sea Hurricane. HMS Argus, as well as all auxiliary (escort) carriers, had no "accelerator". In particular, after Operation Torch HMS Argus resumed her role as training carrier, with fighter deck-landing training carried out by No. 768 Sqn., that included Sea Hurricanes in its complement. Would it make sense to have a "hooked" Hurricane Mk. I, which seems a more suitable designation? Deck landing training can be rather wasteful, so having even a few more machines with a tail hook could make sense. In this form, the work would be exactly the same involved in fitting hooks to the Canadian-built Mk. IIBs. The Admiralty report on preparations for Operation Torch clearly states that Hawerks undertook to fit the hooks but, because of the work involved, were unable to also take 30 Mk.IIB aircraft back again to fit the 30 sets of cannon wings that the Navy had been able to obtain. The work was carried out instead by RAF MU "Harlow", that I assume to be No. 13 MU Henlow. How many "Mk. IC(RN)", viz. "Mk. I (hooked)" existed? Probably just a few, less than ten and it is likely in this case, IMHO, that no designation was officially introduced.

RAF Germany machine, possibly 20 Sqn. I still have it clearly in my mind, but... to many magazines, maybe?

In my understanding, these were all part of a batch of 30 Mk. I Hurricanes transferred from the RAF to the Admiralty in September 1942, probably as trainers in preparation for Operation Torch. Unfortunately, I am unable to find the exact reference at the moment. I am still waiting for my copy of Aviation World to arrive, as it takes some time to get here, so I am unable to comment on the rest. The analysis by Geoff Sinclair seems sound to me, leaving 19 aircraft at most. With dwindling numbers of CAM ships still in service, they may have been adequate. Still, the timing of the Mk. IC introduction to service remains odd, as MSFU ceased operations within months. Because of the cannon armament, handing over the unused aircraft to a Typhoon OTU can make sense.

Just my take on Sea Hurricane variants, as posts by @Geoffrey Sinclair pretty much summarize information that can be inferred from the MSFU ORB. His original posting in December 2022 can be found here. Mason's "The Hawker Hurricane", 1990 (RAF Museum) edition, shows three related Sea Hurricane photos. The one on page 123 is of Sea Hurricane Mk. IA Z4852, then on page 127 there are photos of Sea Hurricane Mk. IC V6741 and a similar photo of a Sea Hurricane Mk. IIC NF717, both credited to Sidney Camm Collection. Details of mark, engine and date are clipped out in the book, but all three photos have them, as shown for V6741 posted above by @Troy Smith. Mk. IA Z4852 can be found in the IWM collection: SEA HURRICANE (HAWKER) MARK IA. Image: IWM (MH 6469) IWM Non Commercial License The IWM credits it to one R. S. Punnett Collection, about which I am totally ignorant, but the part of it that can be accessed on line turns out to be a rather broad collection of seemingly "official" photos of a variety of British aircraft. For the Mk. IIC, the unclipped photo of NF717 is found in World War Photos. Taking V6741 as representative of the Mk. IC configuration, what appears is that ALL Sea Hurricane Mk. I are characterized by catapult spools and by the associated padded headrest for the pilot. In my opinion, any Hurricane having no spools and headrest is merely a Hurricane in naval hands (and there were many). For the shorter-nosed Mk. I with the Merlin III, fitting of the tail hook mandated the use of the heavier deHavilland propeller unit (with pointed spinner) for CG balance reasons. Mk. IA Z4852 is also fitted with this propeller, which is remarkable as several other photos show that MSFU aircraft (Mk. IA) mostly used the Rotol propeller (longer spinner) offering somewhat better performance. It seems fair then to assume that any Sea Hurricane Mk. I is: "a Hurricane modified with fittings and airframe strengthening enabling launch from British-style accelerators". Sub-variants: A - additional fittings (some minor, several non-visible but important) for use on CAM ships; either deHavilland or Rotol propeller B - tail hook and deHavilland propeller unit, for use on carriers C - tail hook, deHavilland propeller unit and cannon armament, for possible use on carriers NOTE: I believe there was no 'plain' Sea Hurricane Mk.I: the mark number should always include a proper suffix, i.e., Mk. IA, Mk. IB, Mk. IC. The three photos of Z4852, V6741 and NF717 show exactly the same date of April 1943, which I believe can be trusted. Then, NF717 whould have been fresh out of factory (possibly Kingston), with delivery to the FAA in May. V6741 also appears to be "fresh" out of the latest conversion it underwent in its life, and Z4852 appears in pristine condition (freshly overhauled?) as well. Whereas V6741 is variously recorded with both FAA and RAF, Z4852 never was with any FAA unit. Emphasizing current RAF ownership, both aircraft are displayed with 8-inch fuselage serials, whereas NF717 has 4-inch serials and the 'Royal Navy' title above. Lack of catapult spools and the padded headrest on the MK. IIC is evident, motivated by the intended use on escort carriers, that had no "accelerators". Trusting "official" designations reported in administrative records may be dangerous, IMHO, as there were so many 'Sea' Hurricanes in RAF hands, as well as 'plain' Hurricanes in FAA service. "If the Navy operates it, it has to be a 'Sea' Hurricane", this might seem an easy way to sort out the issue at the time. Actually, the Sea Hurricane Mk. IA was operated in larger numbers and for a longer time by the RAF (MSFU). Interestingly, the FAA Aircraft inventory as of 25 September 1943 quoted by @Geoffrey Sinclair carefully distinguishes between Hurricane and Sea Hurricane Mk. I. Designations Hurricane IIC (hooked) and Hurricane IIB (hooked) are used instead for what, seemingly, were Sea Hurricanes.

There's always an exception... 36 inch roundels above wings are correct for a Royal Navy Canberra T. Mk. 22

Most photos clearly show that there were two small rectangular openings on the gun tray sides. RAF FIGHTER COMMAND. Image: IWM (HU 106283) IWM Non Commercial License THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES IN NORTHERN IRELAND, 1920 - 1980. Image: IWM (HU 107160) IWM Non Commercial License Quickboost seemingly interpreted these as two of the shell ejector holes. It is hard to find a clear underside view of a fighter Blenheim. The best one I was able to find in this page is not sharp enough to be positive about it, but this photo from IWM appears to show a modification allowing for ejected shell case deflection: ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, 1939-1943.. Image: IWM (ME(RAF) 1473) IWM Non Commercial License This suggests that case ejection slots are on the lower surface, but the side holes (vents?) are there as well, so it is probably correct to assume that the ejector hole layout shown in the CMK part is correct, and the side hole must also be there. HTH Claudio

Reviving an old thread, but maybe with some useful information. Last week I came across Gordon Dennett's log book while searching for information about 1341 Flight in SEAC. From the list of aircraft he flew in, here are some 298 Sqn aircraft, all indicated as A. Mk. VII in RAF Form 78, if I understand correctly: PN260 V A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 SOC 28.11.1946 PN261 A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 written off January 1946. SOC 28.02.46 PN290 Z A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 SOC 28.11.1946 NA345 E A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 NA380 EE A. Mk. VII arr. ACSEA 02.09.1945 298 Sqn SOC 31.12.1946 NA393 C A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 SOC 28.11.1946 NA397 L A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 SOC 28.11.1946 NA402 X A. Mk. VII 298 Sqn July 45 SOC 31.12.1946 Information about 1341 (Radio Countermeasures) Flight appear to be almost non-existent, but from the above log book I get the following Halifax B.III serials: PN369 A arr. ACSEA 26.03.1945 SOC 11.04.1946 PN370 F arr. ACSEA 26.03.1945 SOC 13.06.1946 Mk. IIIA PN371 B arr. ACSEA 01.04.1945 SOC 11.04.1946 Mk. IIIA PN384 H arr. ACSEA 03.04.1945 Cat. Ac 18.04.45 retd to UK ? sortie in PN384 recorded in August 1945 PN381 B ? arr. ACSEA 11.05.1945 SOC 23.04.1946 sortie in PN381 recorded once as 'B' in the log book -- possibly PN371 mis-recorded ? PN382 D arr. ACSEA 11.05.1945 SOC 11.04.1946 Mk. IIIA PN443 K arr. ACSEA 02.09.1945 SOC 11.04.1946 Seemingly, the intended Flight establishment was 6 aircraft. Besides the three known IWM photos (C5455, C5456, C5458) and the accompanying captions, any additional information would be welcome. HTH Claudio

One more unit, No. 224 Sqn. reformed with Halifax Met. 6 on 1 March 1948 at Aldergrove. Air Britain "Squadrons of the RAF" (J.J. Halley) has a photo of a 224 Sqn radial-engined Halifax in standard bomber finish, probably later superseded by the Coastal Command grey and white scheme. Example: RG691:XB-A.

Sorry, I still managed to confuse things up. Generally speaking, Merlin 28 and 29 were Packard-built Merlin XX. The Merlin 29 had a US-standard propeller shaft and was fitted to the Mk. XII for use in Canada. The Merlin 28 had a UK-standard propeller shaft and was fitted to part of the airframes that were shipped to Britain and retained the designation Mk. IIB (Canadian). Almost as many Mk. IIB (Canadian) were shipped engine-less. On arrival, all Mk. IIB (Canadian) were fitted with the Merlin XX (for commonality, I suppose) and the Merlin 28's reportedly went to Lancasters. At this point, then, I assume they became simply Mk. IIBs. No Mk. XII

There have been rather extensive discussions about Canadian Hurricanes here on BM. Unfortunately, my skill with the search function is rather limited, so I cannot find out the link for you. As a very short summary, the Mk. X and Mk. XI were unofficial designations. Aircraft built in Canada were Hurricane Mk. I, Sea Hurricane Mk. I, Hurricane Mk. IIB (Canadian) and Hurricane Mk. XII. The 50 Sea Hurricanes were intended for 'Hurricat' operations by the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit, but were turned over to the RCAF shortly after the outbreak of war with Japan. Mk. I production suffered from the poor availability of several components, including the R-R Merlin Mk. III. Eventually, all Hurricanes serving with the RCAF in Canada were or became Mk. XII, respectively Mk. XIIB directly out of the production line, or Mk. XIIA if upgraded Mk. Is, refitted with the Merlin 29 but retaining the eight-gun armament. The Merlin 29 produced by Packard in the US characterized the Mk. XII. It was similar in all respects to the Merlin 28, but had a US-standard propeller shaft enabling fitment of a US-made Hamilton Standard propeller. Some Mk XII Hurricanes were sent to Britain engine-less, others had the Merlin 29 fitted, but these were replaced by Merlin XXs, with Merlin 29s reportedly going to Lancasters. Aircraft in the photo you mention are Mk. XIIB with the Canadian-designed spinner for the Hamilton Standard propeller. The tropical air intake is interesting: about 150 aircraft from the final production batch, that had become redundant to the RCAF HWE, were transferred to the RAF and delivared to SEAC, this may perhaps suggest an explanation. Best regards Claudio