Update#2 - Aircraft and Vehicle Service Dates

[Kev367th]

I'll go with 3/44 for our current 18lbs boost Spit XIV.
But if Pyro does bring it in at 21lbs boost as was his intention, what we really need is a service date for that.
Be a little unfair to pit early 44 LW planes against a 21lbs Spit XIV.
Earliest I have seen is July 44, but allowing for deployment etc maybe Aug/Sep more realistic?

[mw]

Hiya Kev:

You know as much as anybody about this subject.  We know that 610's ORB states for 17 July 44 "The modification to take 21 lbs boost continues".  There's an ADGB doc showing that prior to mid Sept 1944, 610 Sqdn  had flown 1,119 hours at a maximum of +21 lbs boost.  Neil Stirling and I have been looking into this in an attempt to better understand the larger picture.  We've been working on a chapter on 150 Grade Fuel that hopefully puts things in context.  There's still some mysteries, but thats half the fun.

Mike

[mw]

Hello Dan:

I’ve scanned some pages from 91’s ORB for you.   Thought you might like a few 41 Sqdn Spitfire XII combat reports too.  Check your email  

You’ll note that Moffett’s log book is generally in good agreement with the ORB.  The one notable exception would be that the ORB records Moffett’s scramble of 25 March, 44 as being in Spitfire XIV  NH 710.  Morgan and Shacklady confirm NH 710 as being a XIV.  You’ll also see that all 91’s operational sorties during March and April were in fact with XIV’s.

You're certainly correct that 91’s tempo picked  up considerably with the move to West Malling in April.

Some other tidbits that may be of interest to others perhaps not as well versed in the subject:

29.2.44  “They reached Castle Camps at 12.25 hours and found some half a dozen Spitfire XIV’s waiting for us.”

7/3/44  “17 aircraft – 13 XIV’s and 4 XII’s start from Castle Camps”.

24/4/44 West Malling:  “The Squadron commenced their activities in this sector with two scrambles in the morning and one in the afternoon though with no results.”

Please understand that I’m not seeking to cross swords,  butt heads,  or undermine someone's previously stated postion (that I may be unfamiliar with), but to share info on a subject that we share a common interest in.  

A cursory look shows 41 Sqdn equipping with Spitfire XIIs in Feb. 43 and 91 in April 43.  You know off hand when either first flew ops?  I was a little surprised to see combat reports as early as April 43 for 41 Sqdn flying XIIs.


Mike
ps: I’d love to see a page or two from Moffett’s log book if you get around to it; you have my email.

[Guppy35]

Hi Mike,

I'll get the scanner going on Moffett's logbook soon.

41's first operational sortie with the XII was Joe Birbeck and F/S Stonier on April 3, 1943 when they were sent off to try and intercept an unidentified A/C believe to be a Ju88 recce bird.  They had no luck.  They were flying EN601 and EN609.  Don't know the codes on EN601 but EN609 was EB-Y.

This was while they were still transitioning to the XII.  41 moved to Hawkinge to replace 91 while they transitioned to the XII.  This was April 12-13th.  April 16, 1943 was the first sortie over the Channel when Ray Harries and Rex Poynton flew a recce of Dieppe.  Harries of course was 91's CO, so it's interesting that he flew it, although there were 41 pilots flying with 91 prior to that too as Reggie Hoare of 41 for example, was lost flying a 91 Spit Vb on one of those Recces.

91 Squadron returned to Hawkinge on May 21, 1943 and took over the Jim Crow sorties again.  And of course they had their first big engagement on May 25, 1943 when they claimed 5 190 fighter bombers from a group that was hitting Folkstone.  91 suffered no losses.

Interesting to note the difference in the ORB and Moffett's logbook.  Here's the page.  Note how he writes XII and then follows with XIV in the next slot below and that two rows down he notes flying DL-C and XIV.  If nothing else we know now that DL-C was NH710.  NH701 was DL-A, his usual XIV.

[mw]

Great stuff Dan, thanks for sharing.

[straffo]

Originally posted by Bruno
Sure they do, the Typhoon stood in for a Beaufighter (extreme example but relevant nonetheless)...

that's so ... 2000