Spitfire Wreckage found on Dutch beach

[kaki3152]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tch-beach.html

[paulmcmillan]

A slipper tank only - which would be jettisoned a d no evidence whatsoever of it linked to BL311

[Revi16]

I agree, I don't see how they correlated a slipper tank to a particular aircraft.

[kaki3152]

Perhaps it has a serial number on it OR that Spitfire was the only to fall in that vicinity.

[Leendert]

Intriguing part here is that according the ORB of 501 Squadron the Spitfire went out of control "just as he dropped his long range tanks".
But whether the found tank indeed belonged to BL311, I leave to the experts!


Regards,
Leendert

[Revi16]

Based on what the story has written, my interpretation is that the Spitfire may have had a mechanical or fuel problem (engine quit, fuel starvation) and most likely the pilot bailed out and then the pilot-less aircraft spun in. It would be odd for the aircraft just to lose control on its own with the pilot still in it. I guess there is the possibility that the slipper tank somehow managed to damage the elevator or rudder when dropped, but very unlikely.

Again, this was reported to have happened 20 miles off the coast. Unless the slipper tank has BL311 painted on it I don't see the correlation.

[kaki3152]

"I saw there were letters on it which said Spitfire, so that's when I thought it has to be from a plane." This a quote from the article. Perhaps (and I'm only speculating) the serial number was stencilled on the slipper tank. Who knows? Maybe, when the artifact is examined by experts, more information will surface.