D-Day Spitfire and Hurricane

[dylan the rabbit]

What marks of these two little blinders would you consider to be the most in use around D-Day? I'm hankering to build a couple of invasion stripe birds.

By my reckoning, it was the around the Mk 8 Spit and the Mk 4 and 5 Hurricane.

I could just build my Typhoon, but that's not really what I'm after!

Only problem is, I've only got a vb, ix Spit, and a mk2 Hurri to play with...

Vot to do?

Cheers,

Nick

[Ken]

What marks of these two little blinders would you consider to be the most in use around D-Day? I'm hankering to build a couple of invasion stripe birds.

By my reckoning, it was the around the Mk 8 Spit and the Mk 4 and 5 Hurricane.

I could just build my Typhoon, but that's not really what I'm after!

Only problem is, I've only got a vb, ix Spit, and a mk2 Hurri to play with...

Vot to do?

Cheers,

Nick

[Ken]

You can use the Hurricane as some were used for courier purposes in and out of Normandy after D-Day

[Edgar]

Hurricanes:- 1449 Flight, St. Mary's, Isle of Scilly, flew Mk.II Z2985, Z5307, BE173, (IIB) BN114, HV839, (XII) JS340, JS383;

309 Squadron, (all IIC) LF331(G), LF335(Z), LF342(Y), LF620(A), LF633(T), LF650(J), LF658(E), LF685(O), LF695 "B", LF699(L), LF705(K), LF647 (?); LF363(F) was not flown in June, but flew ship protection patrols in July.

1697 Flight Transport Command (MW340 & MW339 were the first a/c to land in France, on 10th June.) MW367 "B" was another, with LF770, LF773, LF774, MW335, MW336, MW338, MS359, MW360, MW361, MW367, PG546. Most seem to have carried no codes, or even individual letters, just stripes, and all appear to be IIC.

Spitfires:- there were VB, VI, VII, IX, XII, XIV, plus PR versions, and some Seafires, on ship gunfire spotting. There were no VIIIs in the U.K.

Edgar

P.S. Sorry, but a flaming emoticon insists on replacing a capital "b", after LF695 & MW367, so I've had to add "

[dylan the rabbit]

Hurricanes:- 1449 Flight, St. Mary's, Isle of Scilly, flew Mk.II Z2985, Z5307, BE173, (IIB) BN114, HV839, (XII) JS340, JS383;

309 Squadron, (all IIC) LF331(G), LF335(Z), LF342(Y), LF620(A), LF633(T), LF650(J), LF658(E), LF685(O), LF695 "B", LF699(L), LF705(K), LF647 (?); LF363(F) was not flown in June, but flew ship protection patrols in July.

1697 Flight Transport Command (MW340 & MW339 were the first a/c to land in France, on 10th June.) MW367 "B" was another, with LF770, LF773, LF774, MW335, MW336, MW338, MS359, MW360, MW361, MW367, PG546. Most seem to have carried no codes, or even individual letters, just stripes, and all appear to be IIC.

Spitfires:- there were VB, VI, VII, IX, XII, XIV, plus PR versions, and some Seafires, on ship gunfire spotting. There were no VIIIs in the U.K.

Edgar

P.S. Sorry, but a flaming emoticon insists on replacing a capital "b", after LF695 & MW367, so I've had to add "

You star! Thankyou.

So, if I were to use say, a Revell Hurri, I wouldn't have to worry about using codes. Just roundels?

I also have a Revell vb Spit, which I could use in clipped wing form. Again, no codes or letters?

Cheers,

Nick

[Edgar]

Sorry, folks, my ***** server cut me off, as I was writing this, so I had to start again

Edgar

[Edgar]

So, if I were to use say, a Revell Hurri, I wouldn't have to worry about using codes. Just roundels?

I also have a Revell vb Spit, which I could use in clipped wing form. Again, no codes or letters?

For the Transport Command Hurricane, you should be O.K., but not the Spitfire; being on the Squadron strength, code letters should have been worn, but, sometimes, the stripes obliterated them. The BBMF's AB910 flew, on D-Day, with 402 Squadron, and, in 1994, was repainted in those colours. The codes were only partially visible, according to the repaint. 64, 118, 130, 234, 303, 345, 350, 501, 504, 611 Squadrons also flew the V, but D-Day photos are like the proverbial hens' teeth.

Edgar

[dylan the rabbit]

Beware the Revell AG 1/72 Spit Vb! Look at the wing root undersides - no gull-wing!

Cheers,

Chris.

I never checked it.. Just read on SMAKR that it was a pretty ok kit... I'll check it out.

[dylan the rabbit]

I never checked it.. Just read on SMAKR that it was a pretty ok kit... I'll check it out.

See what you mean... Oh well. It doesn't look all that bad though.

[Leigh]

The Revell kit is a nice little number, possibly the nicest in 72nd after the Tamiya, but it lacks the gull wing. It is pretty easy to bash in an Airfix I or Vb wing though like I did here , or just use the the cockpit and undercarraige parts in summat else. At the price I've got a few solely for that purpose 2 Revells + 2 Airfix are still cheaper than 1 Tamiya

[Foxhound]

Here's a model of Hurricane Mk IIb I made last year

[-Neu-]

What marks of these two little blinders would you consider to be the most in use around D-Day? I'm hankering to build a couple of invasion stripe birds.

By my reckoning, it was the around the Mk 8 Spit and the Mk 4 and 5 Hurricane.

I could just build my Typhoon, but that's not really what I'm after!

Only problem is, I've only got a vb, ix Spit, and a mk2 Hurri to play with...

Vot to do?

The Mk IX is the proper version for this period.... it completely replaced the Mk V by this point and was common over the beaches. The Mk XII and the XIV are less common options, because the former only was in service with two squadrons, and the latter was only available in limited numbers and was quickly tasked to take down V1s.

For some inspiration, here's an Airfix 1/72 Mk IX from the 453 squadron (RAAF) I finished last week... Good luck

[Greenshirt]

Edgar has of course, a very accurate summary. More specifically, US Navy squadron, VCS-7 flew the Spitfire Vb on spotting duties over Normandy for the US battleships and cruisers.

Here's a pic of my recent Airfix Vb completed in those markings (since you said you have a Vb):

Tim

[Foxhound]

The Mk IX is the proper version for this period.... it completely replaced the Mk V by this point and was common over the beaches.

That's not entirely true

If you look at this

http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/rafu.html

You'll see that quite a few squadrons were still flying the Mk V

No 11 Group:

Deanland, Sussex (64 Squadron, 234 Squadron and 611 Squadron)

Horne, Surrey (130 Squadron, 303 (Polish) Squadron and 402 (RCAF) Squadron)

Friston, Sussex (350 (Belgium) Squadron)

No 12 Group

Digby, Lincs ('A' Flight, 504 Squadron)

Coltishall, Norfolk ('B' Flight, 504 Squadron)

No 13 Group:

Sumburgh, Shetlands ('A' Flight, 118 Squadron)

Skeabrae, Orkneys ('B' Flight, 118 Squadron)

No 85(Base) Group

Air Spotting Pool

HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent, Hants (23 Squadron and 63 Squadron)

[aw-boss man]

That's not entirely true

If you look at this

http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/rafu.html

You'll see that quite a few squadrons were still flying the Mk V

No 11 Group:

Deanland, Sussex (64 Squadron, 234 Squadron and 611 Squadron)

Horne, Surrey (130 Squadron, 303 (Polish) Squadron and 402 (RCAF) Squadron)

Friston, Sussex (350 (Belgium) Squadron)

No 12 Group

Digby, Lincs ('A' Flight, 504 Squadron)

Coltishall, Norfolk ('B' Flight, 504 Squadron)

No 13 Group:

Sumburgh, Shetlands ('A' Flight, 118 Squadron)

Skeabrae, Orkneys ('B' Flight, 118 Squadron)

No 85(Base) Group

Air Spotting Pool

HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent, Hants (23 Squadron and 63 Squadron)

Model Alliance sheet MA-204 2 TAF decal sheet has just been released. Available from The Aviation Workshop direct or via Hannants

Lots of nice schemes including Spitfires and Hurricane

[-Neu-]

That's not entirely true

If you look at this

http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/rafu.html

You'll see that quite a few squadrons were still flying the Mk V

I stand corrected! Though to be fair its six squadron out of forty, most of which were apparently tasked with air defence (minus the spotters)?

Edited December 23, 2010 by -Neu-

[Foxhound]

I stand corrected! Though to be fair its six squadron out of forty, most of which were apparently tasked with air defence (minus the spotters)?

I counted 9 squadrons not counting the 2 spotter ones

But as you said that's less than half

[-Neu-]

I counted 9 squadrons not counting the 2 spotter ones

But as you said that's less than half

Well, I doubt the squadrons No. 12 and 13 groups actually participated in D-Day being in Norwich and other parts North. Moreover most of the frontline Vb squadrons would be requipped with either XIV or IX within a month of D-Day's landing.