elger Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Dear all, I'm doing some preliminary research for a potential future project. I'm interested in a Mosquito FB.VI of 515 squadron at the end of June 1944. With no photo of the actual aircraft I'm interested in (let alone at the specific time that I'm focusing on) the big question for me at the moment are the invasion stripes. I'm trying to figure out what configuration of stripes this aircraft might have had around June 20th, 1944: full stripes, only underwing and lower fuselage, or no stripes at all. A google image search revealed that 515 Squadron Mosquitoes did carry invasion stripes on the lower fuselage in the summer and autumn of 1944. However, would anyone care to shed some light on a.) whether full invasion stripes were carried as of June 6th by this intruder/electronic counter measures squadron and b.) by which date in June full stripes (if they were carried) might have been removed so that only the stripes on the lower fuselage remained. C.), for bonus points, if a Mosquito in the summer of 1944 is seen with lower fuselage stripes, is it also likely that there are stripes remaining underneath the wing? Photos I find with google are rather inconclusive about this matter... - Elger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intruder503 Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 I may not shed any light on your question (in all honesty I may muddy the waters even more). From everything I've read, the upper portions of the stripes were removed on MOST operating aircraft by mid-August. This was done mostly because now that the invasion had been completed, the aircraft were being moved into other operations and the upper stripes were sticking out like sore thumbs. That being said, not all units acted quickly as other things took priority. I have seen a photo that shows a P-47 with only underwing stripes and nothing on the fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 To muddy it even more I've seen pics of beaufighters from the banff strike wing with just the lower fuselage stripes still intact (september 44)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 Elger ... i concur with my fellow modelers. Im actually in the planning stages of a Mk. VI myself. Not sure which squadron yet but from June-July '44 is my target. Im not sure with the RAF. But i believe the frag order to remove the uppers came around 3-4 weeks after D-day. Most were either removed or painted over to hide them. I would think the RAF order would probably come about the same time. Hope that helps a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Thomas Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 The official order for removal of upper surface D-Day stripes was dated 7 July 1944. It is likely that some aircraft that were operating from French bases before that had the upper surface stripes removed but 515 Sqn would not have been in that category. Full stripes for your Mossie on 20 June then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted August 2, 2017 Author Share Posted August 2, 2017 thank you all! most helpful. lovely how the muddy waters eventually become clearer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Elbert, if you can beg/steal/borrow/scan a copy of Martin Streetly's "Thae aircraft of 100 Group" you may well find some information there. I'm fairly sure, despite my catastrophically leaky memory, that at least one of the unit's aircraft was illustrated in the series of articles based on the book that appeared in Scale Models magazine in the late seventies or early eighties. Chris, thanks for confirming the date of the order to partially remove the stripes: I was fairly sure it was some time in July but, as you say, many squadrons had other priorities at the time and finding large numbers of eras with appropriate materials and equipment might not have been high up anyone's list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-21 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 A good book for No.515 squadron Mossie pictures try Confounding The Reich by Martin Bowman & Tom Cushing published by PSL 1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 thanks for the suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larumivi1951 Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 (edited) Her You have one photo: https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMjFlc7AKM0lcLltwJ66OYbz1QC-R9mr8_Jt31q/photo/AF1QipOI6q95ByyHLGIS8db9EVgXHPgb_XqCzALxH19to! Edited August 5, 2017 by larumivi1951 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 On 5-8-2017 at 5:48 PM, larumivi1951 said: Her You have one photo: https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMjFlc7AKM0lcLltwJ66OYbz1QC-R9mr8_Jt31q/photo/AF1QipOI6q95ByyHLGIS8db9EVgXHPgb_XqCzALxH19to! that link doesn't work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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