Special High Altitude Spitfires

[M20gull]

A question related to BS342.  In this topic there is discussion of a photo of BS342 from an old book(I’ve just ordered a used copy) and reference to an airframe I have not come across: MA399.  In Spitfire the History this is referred to as a FIXT. Does this mean anything?  On the Spitfire production database there are 17 IXTs, which one might interpret as tropical IXs.

[M20gull]

I think I may have misread a serial number.  MA399 may be one of the IXs that flies with 238 Squadron.  On 18.9.43 238 squadron received 6 Spitfire IXs, four of which were held as a detachment at Aboukir and two at El Gamil.  On 25.9.43 the detachment moved to Idku.  On the ORB the two IXs at El Gamil are MA407 and MA456 (no suggestion that these are anything special).  MA407 was rendered Cat II on 29.9.43 in wheels-up landing at El Gamil.  There are three IXs mentioned in the detachment: BS342, MA478 and one that I had read as MA599 but could easily be MA399 given the quality of the scanning.

 

@cdk' s post in this topic says "I have a small book titeled - Supermarine Spitfire - written by Peter Moss. On page 60 is a picture showing a line of four Mk IX. The caption say " Four Spitfire Mk.IX Bs in the Middle East-unit unknown- with Aboukir filters and extended wing-tips of local manufacture. ...". The picture is not in very good quality but it shows BS342, coded R, with the cowling in the RR conversion with the small bumps. The wing show the 20 mm cannon, but not the stups for the unused cannon bay. If the machine guns are installed are not visible in the picture. The wing extension looks to me not so pointed as the factory applied ones. The filter under the cowling is much in shadow, but it looks more like a Aboukir then the small one for the early Mk IX.

I agree with you that this is not a really B wing. I suppose that this are weight reduced Spits, eventually with only the cannon armament and have something to do with catching the high flying Ju86 recon birds. The caption says also that BS342 and MA399 are wrecked in accidents during November 1943."

 

The "small book" is the one that I have ordered.  I presume that the "Four Spitfire Mk.IX Bs in the Middle East-unit unknown" could be the four on detachment (as they include BS342).  Three are identifed from 238's ORB, one unknown.  There is a stock photo of BS342 which is presented in the DK decals High Altitude set.  The stock photo certainly looks like standard high altitude scheme.  AZ Models did model BS342 but described as Italy, October 1944 which cannot have been correct if it was wrecked in November 1943.

 

In October one of 238's IXs is a total loss and P/O FO Hawkes was killed.  Four more are transferred to 274. In November 238 has two listed: MA484 and MA479 (again no suggestion these are special). 274 does not mention Mk IXs in October or November.  [Edit:  274 is mentioned in 238's ORB; the absence of any reference in 274's ORB made me look further.  In 74 Squadron's ORB for October "Two days after arriving at Idku (25.10.43) four Spit IXs were taken over from 238 Squadron".  So this looks like a mistake in 238's ORB and should say "74" not "274".   74 do not bother with serial numbers in their ORB so not much help.]

Edited March 6, 2021 by M20gull
Correction of 274 reference

[M20gull]

I should have been more patient with 74 squadron.  It's only in October they do not have serial numbers.  In November it's a different subject:  BS342, MA455, MA399, EN399, EN843, MA435, LZ894 are all listed.

[M20gull]

Just to finish off the details with 74 Squadron, there is reference further up to two wrecks in November.  MA399 spun into ground during aerobatics Mustabig on 4.11.43. The pilot, Sgt JG Gray, was killed and buried at Aboukir 2 days later.  BS342 was scrambled on 13.11.43 and had engine trouble flying at 16,000ft.  The pilot, F/Sgt Harris, managed to get the plane down to 1,000ft when it caught fire. He carried out a successful landing at Mariut before the undercarriage collapsed and suffered slight burns.  
 

BS342 is of interest, not just because of the fact that it appears in a photo and seems to be a special Spitfire with extended wingtips, Aboukir filter and possibly reduced armament. It is apparently in the high altitude scheme, unusual for a IX.  With BS343 it seems to have been specially earmarked for the Middle East.  It seems to have spent two months at 47MU before leaving the UK on its journey that ends in Egypt in April 1943.  This is just in time for it to be put to good use against the Ju86s.  103MU damage 2 Ju88s in June but no serials are recorded for these ops.  BS342 is the plane used by Harold Victor Freckelton to help shoot down the Ju86 claimed by four pilots (2 from 103MU and 2 Hurricanes from 80 Squadron) on 2.7.43.

 

We cannot be sure of the specification of BS342 in July and the photo is from September.  I think it is reasonable to assume that the armament and armour changes would have been made as they are consistent across 103MU’s involvement and there is no visible radio mast so this should be a Striker.  
 

The High Altitude scheme came in during June 1943.  I assume that BS342 would have left the UK in desert scheme as it was intended for the Middle East. Would this have been applied at the MU before departure?  The High Altitude scheme could have been applied in June or when it leaves 103MU on its way to 238 Squadron.

[M20gull]

I have not done an aside for a while. I was just reading about Bing Cross who was responsible for 103 MU in the summer of 1942.  This bio from rafweb seems not to be entirely accurate but does give a hint of his remarkable career. It is recorded on unithistories that his brother S/Ldr Ian Cross DFC took part in the Great Escape and was killed by the Gestapo. I think a copy of Straight and Level should be on my reading list.

[Graham Boak]

There are photos of an Aussie sq in the MR with Mk.IXs in the HA scheme with Aboukir filters.  They have appeared on this forum, possibly a while ago.

[M20gull]

16 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

There are photos of an Aussie sq in the MR with Mk.IXs in the HA scheme with Aboukir filters.  They have appeared on this forum, possibly a while ago.

I found this one https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235068573-spitfire-ixc-ma466-bq-s-451-sqn-raaf-172/

[M20gull]

There is more about the 2.7.43 action on http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=22194

 

I quote liberally below from that thread.

 

This confirms that F/L Harold Victor Freckelton (RAAF 402793) served with 145 Sqn 1941/42; 103 MU 1942 and also 452 Sqn in 1944/45. I have seen his record in 145 but not elsewhere.

 

He is one of four pilots (with his name misspelled) to claim a Ju-86P N of Alamein, on July 2, 1943 between 1505 and 1540. F/O J Hunter and P/O GT Pratley were with 80 Sqn (in Spitfire Vc E839 and EE840 resp); with F/O Freckelton and F/O Harold Rowland Rowlands of 103 MU, both in Spitfire IXs (serial unknown). Reference is the 80 Sqn ORB, and the Aboukir Station ORB (Air 28/9).

 

The initial attack was made by Freckelton at 1550, 42,300' NE of Aboukir; Spitfire IX BS342 (from his log book).  With 145 Sqn Freckelton also claimed a Bf 109 probable, 22/7/42 (this was later confirmed); Spitfire VB AB146/G

 

A book written by the late WK Watts DFC (One Airman's War) mentions this period and it appears that three Spitfire IX and pilots were detached from 451 to 103 MU. The pilots were F/O Watts, obviously F/O Rowlands and I think F/O A Arnel. Watts lists the aircraft he flew during the period 1-10 Jul 43 as EN399, JK980 and JL228. In the last Spitfire he intercepted a Ju86 at 42,800 about 20 miles NW of Benghasi. He fired three bursts but no strikes were observed.

 

I will look next at this last point about 451 Squadron.

[M20gull]

The previous post suggested that "three Spitfire IX and pilots were detached from 451 to 103 MU. The pilots were F/O Watts, obviously F/O Rowlands and I think F/O A Arnel."

 

As a poster on the topic suggested, the Spitfire IXs cannot have come from 451 Squadron as, at this time, it only operated Hurricanes.  A small number of Spitfire Vs were added in July but they were still flying Hurricanes in September.

 

The question of detaching pilots is a more interesting one.  All three of the pilots mentioned flew Hurricanes (and Vs) with 451 throughout July and August.  Clearly Rowlands and Watts flew IXs in July but those flights are not recorded on the 451 ORB.  The obvious option is that they flew for 103MU while still flying for 451.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Same photo, lots of sites have it.  Why BS342 tends to appear on decal sheets.

 

https://www.alamy.com/supermarine-spitfire-mkixc-bs342-238-sqd-1943-image69929307.html
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/spitfire2/spitfire-mk-ixc-bs342-238-sqd-1943/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/49487266@N07/8033933662

[Ed Russell]

16 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

There are photos of an Aussie sq in the MR with Mk.IXs in the HA scheme with Aboukir filters.  They have appeared on this forum, possibly a while ago.

High Altitude scheme but engaged in low level ground support role. Despite 451's having some of its Spitfires in HA camouflage, that wasn't their main task - here's a quote from a comtemporary pilot's story -

I then flew to Corsica and 451 Squadron which was now under the command of the U.S. Tactical Air force who were flying "Liberator" bombers which were attacking bridges being used by the retreating Germans.

For the next 4 months we escorted them to their targets and as well our job was to do low level strafing on all forms of transport. In that period we destroyed or damaged 427 trucks including troop transports, 7 locomotives and 7 ships attacked. We also shot down 12 aircraft and destroyed many on the ground

[M20gull]

Another pilot from 451 Squadron that was also flying with 103MU during this period was F/O GH Purdy.  On 13.8.43 flying a Spitfire IX from Aboukir Purdy claimed a damaged Ju88 and this incident is described in 451's ORB.  Oddly the shared destruction of a Ju86 by Rowlands the previous month is not mentioned at all!

[M20gull]

Further up I quoted "Watts lists the aircraft he flew during the period 1-10 Jul 43 as EN399, JK980 and JL228".  These three aircraft all fly with 80 Squadron in the autumn of 1943.

 

At the end of August two 80 Squadron pilots are sent to El Gamil to collect JL228 (with JK641) and fly them to a new detachment at Bu-Amud.  In September 80 Squadron takes over the 103 MU detachment at Savoia with JK980 and EN399 and are given another 2 IXs to fly from Derna (MA504 and MA456).  On 15.09.43 Sgt J Stephen destroys a Ju 88 in EN399.  On 16.9.43 Ken Watts arrives from 451 as a flight commander.

 

JK641 is landed in flames on 12.9.43 and not seen again.

EN399 and JL228 join 74 Squadron in Cyprus in October.

JK980 and MA456 are returned to 103 MU in December.

MA504 is force-landed in October and will reappear in this story in 1944.

 

EN399 appears in a photo in the Ventura publicaton The Anzacs but I have not seen it (a copy of the book is on its way from the USA).  I understand that EN399 is interpreted as being in Natural Metal in this photo but not having seen it I cannot form a view.

JL228 I have not seen it anywhere to comment. (Googling it does produce the Italeri kit that models JL226 as high altitude colours in Italy, but it's not JL228).

JK980 is pictured on this thread.  No details about when or where it is taken. The DK Decals set interprets the colours as High Altitude fighter but this thread on KeyAero suggests possibly all over blue.  This was flown by S/Ldr JG West in October while it was at 80 Squadron.

MA456 is pictured on the Australian War Memorial site though at a later date with 451 Squadron and looking fairly standard.  The date 1943-03 is definitely wrong.

 

There is finally BS354 to consider.   The KeyAero thread refers to "the apparent BS354" as "modified in the Med for high altitude interceptor duties".  I have not come across it in that role yet. 

[M20gull]

Just picking up S/Ldr JG West's role.  This thread refers to " During August – October 1943, F/Lt Jeff "Shorty" West commanded the 103 MU detachment sent to 94 squadron at Savoia with special high altitude Spitfire IXs, claiming a Bf109G damaged on August 12 and one shot down on August 24".   94's ORB says "They are not attached to us but remain a detachment of 103 M.U.  Pilots remained temporarily with 80 squadron on this aerodrome."  Hence why West ends up with 80 Squadron when they take over this detachment in September.

 

Added link for a bio

Edited March 8, 2021 by M20gull
Added bio

[M20gull]

I was just going to add some bios for another couple of pilots and had another look at this photo on the Australian War Memorial site. I was going to share it because it includes Alec Arnel but then I noticed that it includes JA Cox who was lost on 2.4.43 and they are standing in front of a Spitfire V at Idku which should therefore be one of BP981, BP985 or BP987. Obviously no way of telling which one but it has a radio mast and a three-blade prop which should make it a Marker and therefore 981 or 987. Desert colours, red spinner?

 

Alec Arnel reached his 100th birthday last year and he features on page 58 of this magazine.  His POW experiences are nicely covered among other on this website though he cannot have sent the Christmas card in 1943 as he wasn’t captured until June 1944!

[M20gull]

The other pilot I was going to mention was Harold Rowland Rowlands who shared the Ju86 claim on 2.7.43. He left 451 in September 1943 to become a flight commander in 213 Squadron.  I guess he is in this picture from the AWM site along with other 451 officers.  He completed his operational tour on 1.3.44 and was posted to 203 Group, which I believe was a training group.  As recorded here he was killed in a flying accident on 25.3.44 and received the DFC on 25.4.44 (citation from the London Gazette)

Edited March 17, 2021 by M20gull
Typo

[M20gull]

i was not going to mention too much about Harold Victor Freckelton who had another 1/4 of the Ju86 on 2.7.43 because I have not found out very much. He flew with 145 Squadron in 1942, then with 103MU before heading to Australia with 452 Squadron where he appears in this atmospheric photo.

[elger]

As many others here I think I'm fascinated by this journey of discovery you are on. Perhaps I missed it, but do you have a goal in mind with all this research? Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying your summaries of the raw data as you encounter them, but I'm wondering if there's some kind of deliverable here: an overview of all these specially modified High Altitude Spitfires, including their colours and markings, of some kind perhaps?

[M20gull]

I started with the simple goal of researching another special high altitude spitfire to model after the pair of Natural Metal IXs that are languishing unfinished on my table. I wanted to find something different. When I realised the ORBs were currently free to download I started reading and just kept getting more absorbed by the breadth of the story. One of my other hobbies is online family tree research so digging around looking at data and extracting personal stories is something I already enjoy, this is just a different angle.

 

The more I found the more I realised I wanted it all in one place. Recognising that there was a modelling objective at the end made this forum a natural home.  As I get closer to the end of the story I have thought about an appropriate summary and it probably is going to be a list of the planes with my thoughts on colours and modifications. Remembering I am not an expert on Spitfires or modelling!

Edited March 10, 2021 by M20gull

[M20gull]

And on to another High Altitude Flight.  While searching I came across a reference on the SAAF forum: "sortie report from 6th October 1943. Two high altitude spitfires scrambled to intercept a high flying enemy recce a/c ... the Spitfires were from the high altitude flight, which was assigned to N° 1 squadron .. !! N° 1 squadron at the time was based in Gioia del Colle, Italy.”

 

The flight (temporarily attached to 1 SAAF) was led by Peter Cannam of 145 squadron and had 6 “modified” or “stripped” IXs which had machine guns, armour-plating and IFF removed – no more details.   They were tested to 42,000 feet.  As this is a SAAF ORB there is not much detail of the aircraft used but it does list pilots for each operation.  More than half of the pilots were not SAAF coming from a range of MTO Spitfire squadrons.  Fry and Savill who flew the 6 October op were from 92 squadron.

The sortie report does give the serial number for Fry's aircraft (MA565) and the aircraft code “6” with no squadron code.  There is no more data than that and nothing on the other five.

 

The interception was at 36,000 feet and was a Ju88, claimed as damaged.  Savill returned early from the mission with engine trouble so there is no report for him.  MA565 picked up some damage too.

 

The flight was attached to 1 SAAF in September at Lentini West (1 SAAF's first flight is 9 September), followed it to Gioia and Pelata before returning to Gioia on 7 November, when 1 SAAF took over its duties.   I don’t know where it went after that and I have not found any photographs.

 

This photo on the excellent SAAF photo site was interesting but I think it is more likely to be an VIII. [update: see next post giving more details]

Edited March 10, 2021 by M20gull

[stevehnz]

30 minutes ago, M20gull said:

I think it is more likely to be an VIII.

That is so according to this website JF421 AX-F.

Steve.

[M20gull]

I found a bit more on the 1 SAAF Spitfires on https://biltongbru.wixsite.com/ww2-saaf-heritage which I only realised today has log books on it.   I have browsed the log books for two pilots that flew the Modified IXs and one of them has a serial!

 

On 9.9.43 Lt. Frank A "Monty" Montanari flew MA251 and the comment is “Scrambled in special stripped Mk IX blue baby 25,000”.  I wonder if that is a hint on the colour, maybe all over PRU blue?  link here  It is very rare to see serials on the log books I looked at, mostly you just get the single code letter or number.

 

On 2.11.43 Lt. J R "Jack" Spencer flew a Modified IX but it is just listed as "5" link here 

 

[Update - ignore this we will come to it in 1944] And by way of a further tease there is this photo in the album for Lt. Cecil Golding which shows a Spitfire without much in the way of armament though as it has no cannons it cannot be one of this flight.  

Edited March 11, 2021 by M20gull
Ignore photo

[Graham Boak]

Possibly overall PRUB, but Medium Sea Grey is also blue, to a greater extent than the neutral grey so commonly seen on models.

[M20gull]

16 hours ago, M20gull said:

And by way of a further tease there is this photo in the album for Lt. Cecil Golding which shows a Spitfire without much in the way of armament though as it has no cannons it cannot be one of this flight.  

This can be ignored. I have come across the picture again referenced as one of the natural metal finish planes in 1944.

[M20gull]

I think I have exhausted the information on the 1 SAAF Modified IXs (though I will probably keep looking) so I am moving on to the 1944 Natural Metal Finish SHFs.  I have already posted on the vol-2-all-the-spitfire-questions-here topic and am going to reproduce that post (with some typos corrected) here with some additional comments in following posts.

 

In response to the thread amazing-resource-of-private-ww2-aircraft-photos-saaf-check-it-out I did some reading on the subject of the SHF IXs, especially of the Operation Record Books at the National Archives.  I looked at records for 91 and 213 RAF and 9, 10, 11 and 41 SAAF.  I have restricted comments here to modelling but would heartily recommend reading the ORBs for details of the running of squadrons during a fairly dull period.  There is discussion here as well.

 

There are 6 SHFs and this is referenced in 41's ORB for April when they get excited about being allocated 2 SHFs as there are only 6 in Middle East Command.  The other 4 are allocated to 213 and 94 squadron, the latter of whom are less than impressed as they arrive with no instructions, equipment or directions as to use!  213 are allocated MH931 and MH993.  No detail on the other four.  Looking at the ORBs and photos the 6 planes are:

 

MH931                  IX            CBAF     33MU 19-9-43 52MU 8-10-43 Charlton Hall 24-10-43 Casablanca 17-11-43 218Grp NAfrica 30-11-43 Middle East 21-6-45 REAF 29-3-46

MH993                  IX            CBAF     33MU 4-9-43 52MU 10-9-43 Crawford W Long 22-9-43 Casablanca 10-10-43 NAfricanASC 31-10-43 RHAF 27-3-47

MA504                  IXT          CBAF     33MU 13-6-43 222MU 22-6-43 Fort Vercheres 1-7-43 Casablanca 14-7-43 Middle East 1-9-43 80S 10SAAF 9SAAF 94S SOC 28-2-46

MA792                  IX            CBAF     9MU 18-7-43 47MU 30-7-43 SS732 5-8-43 Casablanca 18-8-43 218Grp NAfrica 30-11-43 Middle East SOC 31-10-46

MH946                  IX            CBAF     33MU 28-8-43 82MU 2-9-43 Empire Grebe 15-9-43 Casablanca 29-9-43 NAfricanASC 31-10-43 Middle East 21-6-45 Cv LFIX M66 24-7-45 RHAF 30-1-47

MJ227                   IX            CBAF     33MU 18-10-43 222MU 7-11-43 Fort George 4-12-43 Casablanca 22-12-43 Middle East 21-6-45 REAF 29-8-46

 

It seems that there are photos of five of them (other than MJ227), though I have not seen the photos of MH931 and MH993 in the rare book of Spitfires in the SAAF.  There is a lot of movement as squadrons come and go.  MJ227 ends up going back to Aboukir in June.  All of the planes are gone in November, presumably as the threat recedes.

 

Armament as stated in many places the SHFs operate in pairs, one with 20mm cannon, one with 0.5 Browning (the armourers in 9 SAAF are disappointed to lose the work on the 0.5s in November).  Looking at MH946 it seems to me that the Browning sits in the cannon bay, as with the earlier Mk Vs.  I think that the planes can be converted, e.g. MA504 which has cannon in some shots, not others and definitely has cannon in October

 

Radio only fitted to the machine gun versions, 41 squadron in June complain about not being able to communicate with the cannon versions.  I cannot see an aerial on any pictures of the SHFs but there must be one somewhere!

 

Wingtips the Aboukir MU had produced their own extended tips for the Mk V so could have done so for the IXs.  Certainly a couple of photos suggest extended tips but you cannot be sure everywhere.

 

Fuel In almost all operations the SHFs are recorded as having 30 gallon jettisonable British tanks which I assume means the slipper style.

 

Some asides:

• MA504's period in 80 Squadron was brief and ended with a forced landing on 15 Oct 43 after losing a tyre on take off

• two pilots of 41 squadron make it to 42,000ft on 24 Sept

• there is much reference to pilots having to complete decompression chamber tests to fly the SHFs, which are unpressurised

I'm happy for any comment, especially if I have missed anything.  I'm intending to model a pair but still not decided which