Field Applied Light Blue - 1 Sqd. Hurricanes in France, April/May 1940

[mark.au]

I guess this is a balance of probability/opinion kind of question.  

 

If we assume, as some reports suggest, that No.1 Sqd experimented with a light blue underside on their Hurricanes in France in April/May 1940, would they have applied it meticulously with a hard [masked] edge or would they have applied it with less rigour leaving some overspray?

 

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by mark.au
Clarity

[Troy Smith]

without a photo we don't know.  We don't actually know that 1 sq did this,  see links below.

 

There are examples of soft edged overspray when Sky undersides were introduced, from 17 Squadron and 85 Squadron,  I can find the photos if you like,   but there is debate that 1 Squadron did this, the source quoted is from Paul Richey's Fighter Pilot book, BUT the information about blue undersides and makeshift armour were not in the first published edition..let me see if i can find the discussion...

 

OK, here

from here is the reference to Fighter Pilot,  and the discussion that follows.

HTH

[mark.au]

Hi Troy, I chased this up after reading that this may have happened and found this site... 

 

http://www.catkillers.org/97thEngr/history-The-Little-Known-Airfield-Vassincourt.pdf

 

On page four, the following...

 

“At that time, the RAF’s Hurricanes were marked with black and white undersides for identification purposes but No. 1 Sqn also suggested painting them in camouflage like the Luftwaffe, and this was also rolled out.”

 

This article also mentions the armour and the story of its adoption.  I’m not sure of, and can not verify its original source of course, but in conjunction with the other suggestions it’s intriguing and would certainly make for an interesting model.  

 

 

[Troy Smith]

38 minutes ago, mark.au said:

This article also mentions the armour and the story of its adoption.  I’m not sure of, and can not verify its original source of course,

it mentions Paul Richey's book as the source.

 

The thread I linked, @Graham Boak mentions the armour plate,  and how hard it is to cut, and that this was in the pipeline for fitting. 

This does not mean that Richey is lying, but that details can be confused,  and regarding the underside colour,  as other thread I have linked show, Blenheims were being painted underneath in sky like colour, and the influence and work of the PRU unit is also to be borne in mind.

 

  One thing I can say.  I have not seen a photo of a Hurricane in France where you can see clearly the underside that is in anything other than the specified RAF scheme of the time, either split B/W or the factory scheme with aluminium nose and tail.

OK, here are a load of photos showing the undersides

Note link to the LEMB thread on captured Hurricanes

 

HTH

 

[mark.au]

Thanks Troy.  I missed the reference to Richey’s book.  Unfortunately I cannot get into the LEMB thread as I don’t have permission apparently.

 

Looking through the pics you included in the linked thread I follow your point, and despite it making for an interesting model to paint the underside some kind of blue, based on the accumulated evidence it would seemingly be a bit too much of a punt to do so.

[dogsbody]

LEMB has been closed to new members for a few years now. The site is still open to members.

 

If you have Luftwaffe questions, you can join this forum: https://luftwaffe-research-group.org/

 

A lot of LEMB members are there as well as most, if not all of the information.

 

 

Chris