266 sqn Typhoons 18 April 1944

[stevehnz]

On the above date, two Typhoons from 266 sqn were instrumental in bringing down a Ju188 from 2/KG66 which had strayed off course on a positioning flight & appeared over the Isle of Wight & the Solent. This aircraft crashed near to Exbury house close to the Beaulieu River & the incident was later fictionalised by Nevl Shute in his 1955 book "Requiem for a Wren" I'd rather like to model one of these Typhoons but unsure as to the identies of the aircraft involved & whether or not they would be 3 or 4 blade props, big or small tail planes. According to "The Exbury Junkers" the two Typhoons in question were flown by Flt Lt Sanders & Flt Sgt Dodd.

Can anyone help me on this? My references, including "The Exbury Junkers" by John Stanley are short on specifics in this area, as are web searches. Thanks.

Steve.

Edited August 31, 2014 by stevehnz

[Chris Thomas]

On the above date, two Typhoons from 266 sqn were instrumental in bringing down a Ju188 from 2/KG66 which had strayed off course on a positioning flight & appeared over the Isle of Wight & the Solent. This aircraft crashed near to Exbury house close to the Beaulieu River & the incident was later fictionalised by Nevl Shute in his 1955 book "Requiem for a Wren" I'd rather like to model one of these Typhoons but unsure as to the identies of the aircraft involved & whether or not they would be 3 or 4 blade props, big or small tail planes. According to "The Exbury Junkers" the two Typhoons in question were flown by Flt Lt Sanders & Flt Sgt Dodd.

Can anyone help me on this? My references, including "The Exbury Junkers" by John Stanley are short on specifics in this area, as are web searches. Thanks.

Steve.

Away from refs at the moment but if no one else has come up with an answer by then, I may be able to help c. 10 Sept.

CT

[stevehnz]

Hi Chris, thanks for that, if no-one else has chipped in by then, that will,be just fine.

Steve.

[Ivor Ramsden]

The squadron ORB gives Sanders' aircraft as MN953 and Dodd's as JR183. It doesn't give the individual letters.

[stevehnz]

Thanks Ivor, hopefully that might enable someone to ID them as 3/4 blade props etc & maybe even code letters.

Steve.

[Ivor Ramsden]

I think JR183 would still have had a 3-blade prop and car door. MN953 would have had a 4-blader and bubble canopy. There are people on here who know a lot more than me about Typhoons so maybe they'll comment.

[Rabbit Leader]

Steve,

Although I'm sure that Chris will pin-point these Tiffy's down exactly, by my reckoning I would say MN953 is a 4 blader with Tempest tailplane, whilst JR183 is a 3 blader with the smaller (original) tailplane.

I don't see any dates mentioned above - knowing this will also give you a clue as to the appropriate (or the more likely) colour schemes worn.

Cheers .. Dave

[Ivor Ramsden]

Dave, we're talking about 18th April 1944. It's easily missed because it's in the title, not in any of the posts.

[Rabbit Leader]

Dave, we're talking about 18th April 1944. It's easily missed because it's in the title, not in any of the posts.

Well aren't I a dumb twit?

Something tells me that this date may be a bit early for MN953? however I do not have any Typhoon production details to compare this too.

Now MM953 might be a better fit?

Our good friend Mr. Thomas will sort us out in a few days time.

Cheers .. Dave

Edited September 1, 2014 by Shar2
Swearing not allowed, even disguised

[Ivor Ramsden]

MN953 is what the ORB says. It appears again on several other dates in April as does MN981. There does appear to be a bit of confusion between MN and MM serialed aircraft on some days but MN953 is always MN953.

Of course this doesn't prove anything and maybe the ORB is consistently wrong. It wouldn't be the first time!

Pause, interrupted by rustling of paper .....

Ah, you got me thinking so I've just looked at Richard Townshend Bickers book "Hawker Typhoon, The Combat History" and he lists MM953 and MM981 as 266 Sqn aircraft, whereas MN953 and MN981 weren't, so it looks like you're right and the ORB is wrong. Life's never simple, is it?

I think MM953 and JR183 would both be 3-bladers with a bubble canopy, early tail and faired exhausts.

Edit:

Darn! What have I said? I meant to say 953 would have a bubble canopy but I think JR183 would have still had a car door unless it had been updated.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Ivor Ramsden

[stevehnz]

Thanks all, some more unravelling of the puzzle. "The Exbury Junkers" has a picture dated one month after the incident in question, of the Southern Rhodesian PM presenting a Typhoon to 266(Rhodesia) sqn. Typhoon ZH-G is in evidence & probably the presentation aircraft but only its rear half, while an anonymous aircraft further away on the airfield appears to have a 3 bladed prop with Black spinner which I'd guess to be correct seeing as this sqn was in the 2nd TAF by then & indeed would have been so on the 18th April being based at Needs Ore Point airfield near the Beaulieu river mouth as they worked up toward D-day.

Steve.

Edited to confess to being thick. Mention of 2nd TAF above gave the neurons a jolt & I dug out my copy of 2nd Tactical Airforce vol1 where I found on page 92 confirmation that it was indeed MM953 & JR183, still no codes though .

Edited September 2, 2014 by stevehnz

[Rabbit Leader]

That would seem to confirm the serials, 3 bladed props and early Tailplanes I think Steve.

It however, does open up discussion about the canopy type so we cannot discount one or both still having the Car Door version.

Are you building both? One of each sounds nice. Wouldn't it be great to see Airfix come out with the earlier version to park along side their lovely 1/72 kit.

Cheers.. Dave.

[stevehnz]

I'd happily build either if I could find a code, car door or not. I totally agree that a kit of the earlier version would be everso nice to have, gotta have hope Dave.

Steve.