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Re: Spit crashed in north italy, summer 1944
I don't have my serial books to hand, but the combination of a Mk.VIII with an e wing sounds unique. My understanding is that all production aircraft had the c armament. I presume it would be possible to fit the Mk.IXe wing to a Mk.VIII, although this would lose the inboard fuel tank, and would presumably be done to both side to allow for the different ailerons.
There were conversion kits so that c wings could be converted to e wings, but these were only available just before D-Day for UK-based units. August sounds early for such to have reached Italy, assuming any were so dispatched. Similarly, it seems very early for a production Mk.IXe to have reached this theatre, let alone bits become available for "bodging" a Mk.VIII.
All this considered, is it possible that these were 0.303 Brownings? Or a later crash? Otherwise: very unusual.
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