Your Spitfire XVI quiz question of the day.

[cobia38]

Oh my lord!  LOL    Talk about the ultimate epic whinefest this would produce....

      dont see why it would cause a whine in MW,after all it would just be another dead spit tumbling to the ground

[mantis]

If you like your plane to get kills for you then yes it is.....just like the F4U.

Spit16s are like a massage parlor, nice for a visit every once in a while but overall it's better for you to limit your time in them. I prefer hurri's and p47s, though I can't seem to get my aim down on the 37mm when I try it.

[Digr1]

Can you produce evidence that a Spitfire XVI actually engaged in air combat with German aircraft?

Wading through the histories of 602 and 603 Squadrons, both operating the XVI from November 44 until the end of the war, there are no encounters.  They drop lots of bombs on V2 and V-1 sites, but don't shoot baduns in the air outside of the just lifting off V-2 now and then.

I'm wondering if the Spit guys can find an example of the XVI downing a German aircraft.  I suppose the Polish Wings might have done it.  74 Squadron maybe, and possibly the Candians.  But so far there is little to indicate aircombat between the XVI and the Luftwaffe historically.

So my curiosity is up to prove once in for all if the Spit XVI actually shot another plane down.

first enemy plane shot down is credited to Squadron Leader Stevens, the CO of 603 Squadron.  On 16 October 1939 he, and 2 other Spitfires attacked some Junker 88s of 1/KG 30 over the Firth of Forth at Rosyth.  At the same time two other sections of 603 Squadron engaged and shot down a Heinkel He-111, later another of the Junker 88s was also shot down and later the same day, another Heinkel He-111 was shot down by 603 Squadron.  The Spitfire had opened its account against the enemy. On 29 November, a Heinkel He-111 was shot down at Haddington East Lothian. Credit for the kill went to Flying Officer Archie McKellar of 602 Squadron, although he was interrupted by three Spitfires from 603 Squadron.

[SIK1]

first enemy plane shot down is credited to Squadron Leader Stevens, the CO of 603 Squadron.  On 16 October 1939 he, and 2 other Spitfires attacked some Junker 88s of 1/KG 30 over the Firth of Forth at Rosyth.  At the same time two other sections of 603 Squadron engaged and shot down a Heinkel He-111, later another of the Junker 88s was also shot down and later the same day, another Heinkel He-111 was shot down by 603 Squadron.  The Spitfire had opened its account against the enemy. On 29 November, a Heinkel He-111 was shot down at Haddington East Lothian. Credit for the kill went to Flying Officer Archie McKellar of 602 Squadron, although he was interrupted by three Spitfires from 603 Squadron.

He's asking specifically about the spit XVI not spitfires in general.

[Banzzai]

FROM: 2nd Tactical Air Force volume three from the Rhine to Victory January to May 1945" Authors: Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas
Page 522

"Just before 18:00hrs No. 350 Squadron's Belgians pilots arrived to the east of Schwerin whilst undertaking an offensive patrol, and here 20 FW190s were spotted." Four of these were claimed shot down...It seems likely that their opponents were aircraft of I/JG11, which lost 5 FW190s to Spitfires in this area during the day (where is the 5th?); two more were lost by IV/JG3 and another two by I/JG1. So as we can see in the Schwerin area there were 3 units with Fw190 - I/JG11, IV/JG3 and I/JG1

Entry in this book about 421 Squadrons exploits that evening:
"On their fourth operation of the day , eight Spitfire Mk.IXs (in fact Mk.XVI's) from 421 Squadron left at 20:00hrs for the Schwerin area , where a lone Fw190 was seen, and was claimed shot down by three of the Canadian pilots jointly."

Time: 20:30hrs
Date: May 1, 1945
Location: Just north of Schwerin
Who: No. 421 RCAF Fighter Squadron based at B.154-Reinshalen
Aircraft: Spitfire Mk XVI
Pilots:
No.1 Flying Officer Ed Mann aircraft serial no. SM411/Coded AU-E
No.2 Warrant Officer Paul S. Murphy aircraft serial no. SM392/Coded AU-T
No.3 Flight Lieutenant K.L. Langmuir aircraft serial no. SM284/Coded AU-B

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

No. 421 Operational Record Book
National Archives of Canada
Record Group 24
Microfilm C-12295

May 1st Sortie from 20:00hrs to 21:10hrs

Armed Reconnaissance - Schwerin Area (Germany)
On this operation 33 M.F.T. were destroyed and 10 damaged. One FW190 destroyed shared by F/L K.W. Langmuir, F/O Ed H. Mann (AU-E/SM411), and W/O P.S. Murphy. Roads in area T.3550 to T4050 packed with M.F.T (motorized vehicles & tanks) when attacked, explosion force felt 800 feet up. 1 FW190 headed south at 200 feet, sighted and destroyed at 20:30hrs.

[Guppy35]

350 Squadron were Spit 14s.

I'm not asking as a reason to lose the Spit 16 btw.  I just got curious after going through the 602 and 603 histories.  The best bet would probably have to be the Canadians as they had a number of squadrons in Spit XVIs.  The Poles did too.

It does point to the increased use of the Spit LFIX and LFXVI in the ground attack role after D-Day with 2 TAF and the lack of targets in the air.

[Banzzai]

Sorry forgot to dump the stuff from 350SQN

421 SQN were 16's



IIRC SM411 is on static display in poland

FROM: 2nd Tactical Air Force volume three from the Rhine to Victory January to May 1945" Authors: Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas
Page 522

"On their fourth operation of the day , eight Spitfire Mk.IXs (in fact Mk.XVI's) from 421 Squadron left at 20:00hrs for the Schwerin area , where a lone Fw190 was seen, and was claimed shot down by three of the Canadian pilots jointly."

Time: 20:30hrs
Date: May 1, 1945
Location: Just north of Schwerin
Who: No. 421 RCAF Fighter Squadron based at B.154-Reinshalen
Aircraft: Spitfire Mk XVI
Pilots:
No.1 Flying Officer Ed Mann aircraft serial no. SM411/Coded AU-E
No.2 Warrant Officer Paul S. Murphy aircraft serial no. SM392/Coded AU-T
No.3 Flight Lieutenant K.L. Langmuir aircraft serial no. SM284/Coded AU-B

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

No. 421 Operational Record Book
National Archives of Canada
Record Group 24
Microfilm C-12295

May 1st Sortie from 20:00hrs to 21:10hrs

Armed Reconnaissance - Schwerin Area (Germany)
On this operation 33 M.F.T. were destroyed and 10 damaged. One FW190 destroyed shared by F/L K.W. Langmuir, F/O Ed H. Mann (AU-E/SM411), and W/O P.S. Murphy. Roads in area T.3550 to T4050 packed with M.F.T (motorized vehicles & tanks) when attacked, explosion force felt 800 feet up. 1 FW190 headed south at 200 feet, sighted and destroyed at 20:30hrs.

[Prayerz]

Coincidence... or something more?

Hans:       Ze Indians haf ziz airquaft zat iz like UFO!
Herman:   Ja, I haf zeen it.  Retainz E as zo ze gravity und atmozphere did not exist!
Hans:      Vat do ve do!?!?!
Herman:   Im not going up zer again.
Hans:      Focke it.  Neizer am I.  I sink ve should surrender.
Herman:   Ja.  I haf zwei kinders!  Make ze call...

:::ringringring:::

Hitler:     ...Allo?

too funny, i like.....I git ah 109g14 and he getta 16 and everyone'ahhh knoooo ahhh spit16'zzz rrrrrrr forrrraaa gurls (best borat voice)

[SlapShot]

      dont see why it would cause a whine in MW,after all it would just be another dead spit tumbling to the ground

  ... ain't it the truth.

[waystin2]

      dont see why it would cause a whine in MW,after all it would just be another dead spit tumbling to the ground

Hello Cobia,

I am sure you could shoot one down, most of us can. My point is that there always seems to be something for folks to whine about in this game.  I myself enjoy the living heck out of this game, and I appreciate it.  I guarantee ya, that this would cause a whinefest like you have never seen from the MW crowd if it became more than hypothetical board discussion. 
 

Way

[ink]

If you like your plane to get kills for you then yes it is.....just like the F4U.

this is a bit over the top...I cant remember my 16 ever flying itself




when I am in a 16 it is an insanely deadly plane(just wish I could hit better in it), when I fight 16's they die soooooo easy, why is that so?

because The plane is a very small portion of what it is about, the stick is who you fight, not the damn plane, the plane is just a tool, yes some are better then others, and some are better at this or that, but it really does come down to who is flying the said plane.

[Anodizer]

too funny, i like.....I git ah 109g14 and he getta 16 and everyone'ahhh knoooo ahhh spit16'zzz rrrrrrr forrrraaa gurls (best borat voice)

Wah Wah Wee Wah!!

[SlapShot]

when I fight 16's they die soooooo easy, why is that so?

You too ? ... I've been trying to figure that out also ... after all, they are such 'monsters' of the sky.

When I see a Spit 16 I say ... no sweat ... I see a Spit V I say ... rut roh !!!

[cobia38]

Hello Cobia,

I am sure you could shoot one down, most of us can. My point is that there always seems to be something for folks to whine about in this game.  I myself enjoy the living heck out of this game, and I appreciate it.  I guarantee ya, that this would cause a whinefest like you have never seen from the MW crowd if it became more than hypothetical board discussion. 
 

Way

   MW has the best planeset match of all the MAs,I think it would fit in quiet well.  it would be more welcomed then whined about,IMO

[caldera]

"It's the pilot, not the plane." is uttered most by above average to uber sticks.  If I (a mediocre plebe) encounters a similarly skilled fellow operating a Rainbow 16, that statement no longer applies.  F4Us are also very dangerous planes (though they take some ammount of skill).
It's more than just the pilot.  Otherwise, we would see a long procession of double digit kills in P-40Bs landed in the text buffer.