Spitfire in France, May-June 1940

[Andy Fletcher]

Originally Posted by rof120

- Wow again! Many more thanks.

I never imagined that so many PR Spitfires were sent to France. I would have guessed 2-3. I suspect that Air Marshal Dowding was not aware of this "waste" of his best fighter aircraft for he would have opposed this with great energy.

Rof120,

You have to bear in mind that at no time were there ever eleven or nine Spitfires in France at the same time. 212 Sqn was basically the overseas element of the PDU and pilots and machines were interchangeable. Probably the most Spitfires that were in France at one time was half a dozen or so.

Regards Dowding, it was he who Cotton, the driving force behind the formation of the 'PRU', persuaded to supply two Spitfires in 1939 for his (Cotton's) experiment. By the time of the invasion of France the experiment had proved so successful that people more senior than Dowding were pushing for results.

Cheers

Andy Fletcher