Spitfire in France, May-June 1940

[rof120]

Originally Posted by Andy Fletcher

Rof120,

(…)

I can find eleven different Spitfires that were used by the Special Survey Flight or 212 Sqn for operational sorties during 1939 to June 1940. For the May-June period nine Spitfires were used.

Hope the information is of use.

Andy Fletcher

- 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. Obviously the Spitfire-secrets, if any, couldn't really be preserved for one example or more could fall into "rude German hands" any time, which indeed was the case (two AC if I understood the above details correctly, possibly more). So the remarkable RR Merlin engine and its interesting supercharger, and the whole design of this aircraft type, were no secret to the enemy already weeks before the Battle of Britain started. In particular climb rate, ceiling and top speed were of interest. I'm curious to know whether this information was circulated to the German fighter units.

On the other hand at least the German top brass was convinced that their equipment was vastly better than anything abroad including in Britain, so that they didn't need to bother. It seems that most German fighter pilots, or all of them, were painfully surprised by the Spitfire's excellent performance, so they were probably not informed after all. (See, among others, Galland's remarks in his first book, "The First and the Last").

Most authors mention that the first Spitfires were based in France only after the landings in Normandy in June 1944. Well, this is true as far as fighters are concerned.

"Hope the information is of use."

- Oh yes, certainly. I find it very interesting myself even though I had asked this question to answer another guy's very old question at last. At the time we were hardly able to give a satisfactory answer.

So many thanks again.