Spitfire F.21 losses 1945

[Brian]

Hi guys

I note that two Spitfire F.21s of 91 Squadron were shot down by fighters over the Friesiens on 11/3/45 (LA229) and 10/4/45 (LA234)

Who shot them down?

Cheers
Brian

[RSwank]

In the book "No 91 'Nigeria' Sqn" by Peter Hall, on page 111, he has both of these planes being shot down on 10 Apr 45 by particularly accurate defensive fire from ships that were attacked by Ft Lt Cruickshank in LA234 and Flg Off Faulkner in LA229. The ships were off the port of Den Helder. Both pilots were rescued by an ASR Catalina.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Agree, there is almost a full page in the above book on these two losses, suffered during the first operation with Spitfire F21 by 91 Sqn RAF.

Although not precised in the book the ASR Catalina was probably an USAAF OA-10 of 5th ERS, as it was escorted by P-47 (also used by 5th ERS) and RAF did not use Catalina for ASR AFAIK.

[Brian]

Thanks for the correction and details.

I extracted the information from Air-Britain's LA100-LZ999.

Cheers
Brian

[DavidIsby]

It was indeed an OA-10.

Do keep in mind that the Canadian-built OA-10s had a lighter structure than PBYs and were more limited as to where they could land on the ocean. That's why the Navy was finally willing to let the USAAF have them, years after the USAAF first encountered the ASR Walrus and said "we should have something like that".

[Graham Boak]

That's an interesting comment on the lighter structure of the OA-10s. What was the reason for this? Other than anything which would apply to the PBY-5A too.

[DavidIsby]

Along with problems in the Canadian airframe industry in dealing wuth all-metal designs (as witnessed by CCF's pain in trying to transition from Hurricanes to the SBW/A-25, events which saw the only female senior executive in the industry get the sack), they tried to make the Canadian-built ones have a lighter structure to save weight for radars and other add-ons not envisioned in the original PBY design in the Dark Ages.

BTW, I fear I do not have your current e-mail, so could you send me one at davidisbyATgmail.com

best,
david isby

[Henk Welting]

Don't think that F/Lt CRUICKSHANK was at the controls of LA234 as this serial was lost 11-3-1945. He may have been flying LA203, lost 10-4-1945 and SOC 19-5-1945.
Henk.