Australian Spitfires

[Troy White]

Having recently relocated to Australia I have been working on several projects involving Australian Spitfire operations in the Pacific. I am wondering if there is any one else that visits this forum that has an interest in this area. I would like to exchange information and hopefully find some more resource material.

Cheers

Troy

[ruxpin35]

There is a website on this subject, th address is:

www.pacificspitfires.com

[JeffK]

There is also an excellent book that covers the Darwin portion of their work.

Spitfires over Darwin - 1943

Give a yell if you need help, I've actually touched the Spit Mk VIII at Temora :-)

PS. 79 Sqn worked up at Wooloomanata which is only 5 minutes away before it went to the SW Pacific

[JeffK]

Troy,

I am also about 30 miles from the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, If there is anything there I can help with let me know.

[bearoutwest]

Originally Posted by JeffK

There is also an excellent book that covers the Darwin portion of their work.

Spitfires over Darwin - 1943

Jeff,

Can you give some more details of this book, author, publisher, etc? I'm also interested in finding out more about the Spitfire operations over Darwin.

[Jim Oxley]

lThe book is written by jim Grant, who actually served with No.1 Fighter Wing at Darwin as ground crew. The book was first published in 1995 by R. J. Moore with reprints in 1995 and 1996.

The second (current) edition was published by TechWrite Solutions (Vic) Pty Ltd ni 2003. ISBN 0 646 23632 6.

The book has an excellent table detailing actual losses (operational and non-operational causes) as opposed to claims. The worst day of losses was on 2/5/43, when 49 Spitfires took-off to intercept 41 raiders (Raid No.54). This was the third Japanese raid that the Spitfires had been called upon to intercept since commencing operations in Darwin - the first being on 2/3/43 and the second being 15/3/43.

Of the 14 Spitfires lost in combating Raid No.54 3 were ost to enemy action, 2 to unknown causes (no-one saw them go), 4 to engine failure and five to fuel shortage. Only two pilots were lost, those two who no-one saw disappear. In return No.1 Wing claimed 4 Zero's shot down, 1 Betty and 5 Zero's as probables and 1 Betty and 7 Zeros' damaged.

[JeffK]

Thanks Jim, beat me to the draw.....

Having a look few a few other articles, and in a table at the end of the book, the Spits had a horrendous loss record due to "Operational " reasons. They were crashing everywhere!

[Troy White]

G'day y'all--

I recently had an RAAF veteran tell me that 457 Squadron Spitfires did not have white leading edges to their wings prior to shark mouths being painted on them and that only squadron leaders had red spinners painted on their Mk VIIIs. He had no photographic proof of this only his recollection.

I love getting together with veterans and hearing their stories (they are what inspire my paintings) but over the years I have found that more often than not are not correct when they say things like this. I have seen plenty of photos of 457 squadron Mk Vs and VIIIs with white leading edges and what appear to be red spinners but I just wanted to throw this out there to see if anyone had any real data especially on spinner color.

Blue Skies
Troy

[Adam]

Hope these help.

The back of two of the pics says, "Our kites over Borneo. 1945"

Adam

[JoeB]

Originally Posted by ruxpin35

There is a website on this subject, th address is:

Can anyone provide a brief review of the site, with regard to paying $20 for a subscription?

Specifically, does it have a lot of detail from the Japanese side about engagements involving Spits in the Pacific? On one now seemingly dead free site there was a breakdown of both sides' reported losses over Darwin, and showed the exchange ratio with Japanese fighters very much against the Spits, not just at first ('but tactics changes remediated' as is often said in one sided Western accounts) but throughout.

Joe