Spitfire IX MA531

[markojeras]

Hi!

Please, does any photo of this plane exist, and what code it had in RAF 73. Squadron?

Thank you for reading,

Marko

[Alain57]

Hi ,

During wich periode was this Spitfire with this squadron ?
Greets
Alain57

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

From Don Minterne's History of No.73 Squadron (Part 3), p.26:

28 February 1944,

In the course of 'raising Hell' along the Yugo coast four railway engines were destroyed and troop transport on the roads was strafed. There was little opposition, but enough to force the CO* to land on Vis with a damaged Mk.IX - MA531 was understood to be badly damaged.

* S/L J H Chase.

See:
The History of 73 Squadron Part 3, September 1943 to March 1969.
Minterne,Don.
Dorchester: Author,2000
p.26

and ...

Spitfire IX - MA531. 73 - Hit by flak. Metkovic, and crashlanded on Vis, 28.2.44.

See:
Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999
Halley,James J.
Tonbridge:Air Britain(Historians),1991
p.8

and more ...

26 May 1944.

Five aircraft led by the CO Sqn Ldr JH Chase in JG800* returned to the airfield they strafed the day before, and the CO set a Ju 87 on fire before he was hit by flak. He was heard to say 'I've had it, boys. It's on fire', and nothing more was heard. One of the top cover reported seeing what he thought was a machine in a ploughed field, broken in two, The general feeling was that there was little hope for his survival. [In fact, he survived to become a PoW]. On a later sortie WO Buckley [JK605] was seen to crash after being hit and 73 had lost two of its best pilots in one day.

History of 73 Squadron Part 3, p.42.

* Mk.IX JG800 - 73 - Hit by flak, Bihac airfield, and crashlanded, 26.5.44. RAF A/C JA100-JZ999/Halley/A-B/1990/p.30.

Col

[markojeras]

Yes, I am interested in markings that plane had on Feb 28, 1944.