Supermarine Spitfire. Asian Users, part five. Thailand and Syria.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire was employed by both Syria and Thailand. 

Spitfire's operational history with Syria it's unclear. Some sources claim that the Syrian government bought a total of 20 Spitfire F.22 in 1953, while others claim it was in 1949. Anyway, it seems that most of them were delivered the next year, with Rhodesia selling seven additional ones. It also seems that the original intention of the Syrian Air Force was to have a total of 40 machines in service. 
Most of them were destroyed or phased out around 1958-1960 with some being found on the ground in the Six Days War in 1967. 

Spitfire's operational history with Thailand is, however, different. After World War 2 the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) was looking to modernize its aerial fighter fleet, which back then was composed by the Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, so in 1950 they acquired a total of 29 second-hand Spitfire FR.XIVe (the mixed photo-reconnaissance-fighter variant) from Royal Air Force's stocks. However, only 24 could be put to flight with the rest being used for spare parts. 
Of those 24, one Spitfire was of the PR.XIX variant which served with the 1st Squadron of the No.1 Wing. A bit later, in 1954 the RTAF bought four additional FR.14 machines, however they were retired out of service one year later, together with the other machines due to their lack of maintenance. 

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#Syria
2nd http://www.worldairforces.com/countries/syria/syr.html
3rd http://www.wings-aviation.ch/11-RTAF/2-Aircraft/Supermarine-Spitfire/Fighter.htm
4th https://peterlewisdesign.tripod.com/thaimuseum/spitfire.htm
5th http://www.worldairforces.com/Countries/thailand/thl.html

Supermarine Spitfire. Asian Users, part four. Israel.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire served also with the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The first of which were built from RAF wrecks left-overs and parts of downed Egyptian Spitfires in June 1948. At least three more Mk.IXs were recovered and put to fly. 

This, was not enough and the IAF bought 60 Spitfire Mk.IX directly from Czechoslovakia in August 1948.
However, as both Britain and the USSR vetoed this sale, the whole operation was carried out in secrecy and plans were made to fly them to Israel via Yugoslavia, as Josif Broz Tito agreed to use the former Luftwaffe airfield of Niksic, in the Socialist Republic of Montenegro (that was the name of Montenegro back then). This whole operation was codenamed 'Velvetta' and on its first run, only 5 Spitfires were delivered.
All of them, joined the 101 Tajeset (Squadron) which also flew the Avia S-199. In October 1948 only four Spitfires and two P-51 were operational and they took part in the Operation Yoav, an offensive against Beersheba, escorting various B-17s and Beaufighters of the IAF and also attacking the El-Arish Air Base destroying various Egyptian Spitfires Fiat G.55 and Macchi C.205 fighters. They also took part in Operation Hiram, aimed to take control of Galilee region.
In November, 101 Tajeset was rebased to Hatzor Air Base to be closer to the frontline. 
After this, Operation Velvetta II was launched which delivered a total of 27 additional Spitfires in mid-December 1948 this time with some more losses due to bad weather. However, this consolidated aerial superiority of the IAF in the area. In total ,during both Velvetta I & II thirty-nine Spitfires were delivered between September and December 1948 with the remaining machines being delivered disassembled by sea in February and November 1949.
On 7th January 1949 at 4 p.m. , a cease fire was agreed. On the morning of that day the Royal Air Force (RAF) sent out four Spitfires, from their bases at the Suez Canal, on patrol over the frontlines. The Israelis mistook them for Egyptians and one was shot down by ground fire while the remaining three were intercepted by Spitfires of the 101 Tajeset. Later, that same morning, four Spitfires engaged a formation of 19 RAF aircraft composed by four Spitfires and fifteen Hawker Tempests, which were sent to search for the four downed pilots. IAF's Spitfires of the 101 Tajeset engaged the formation shooting down one Tempest and damaging other one, but they decided to disengage, making it the last intervention of the Spitfire with the IAF during the 1948-1949 Israeli Independence War.  

Later, in 1951 thirty (although, according to some sources it was thirty-five) additional Mk.IXe were bought from Italy  and delivered during that same and the following year., making it a total of 90 Spitfires serving with the IAF. During this period the Spitfire was known in the IAF as 'Yorek' (Merlin) and served with 101, 105 and 107 Tajesets for interceptor, fighter-bomber and advanced training duties. In mid-1954 thirty were sold to Burma (of which we dedicated whole post about them -here- ) and some were kept flying with the 107 Tajeset as advanced trainers until February 1956, when they were withdrawn from active service.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#Israel

2nd https://www.machal.org.il/1947-49/the-israel-air-force-spitfires-over-israel/

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Velvetta

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Squadron_(Israel)

5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/105_Squadron_(Israel)

6th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/107_Squadron_(Israel)

7th https://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/aa-mideast/israel/af/types/spit.htm

8th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Israeli_Air_Force

Supermarine Spitfire. Asian Users, part three. India.

 

The first Spitfires that saw service with the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) were three Mk.Vc Trop which were assigned to No.4 Squadron RIAF in August 1943. One Mk.Vc Trop is known to have served as well with No.1 Service Flying Training School in 1946. 
In late 1944 the Supermarine Spitfire was provided to the No.8 Squadron of the Royal Indian Air Force. Most of those machines came from Royal Air Force's (RAF) squadrons that were stationed in India during World War 2. However, most of RIAF's squadrons were not equipped with the Spitfire until June 1945 and their RAF serials were not overpainted with Indian Air Force's serials until 1947 when India achieved independence. 
Indian Spitfires barely saw any action during World War 2, although some sources claim they were sporadically employed in the ground support role. 
In June 1945 Nos.17, 81, 131 and 615 squadrons RAF that were stationed in India at the end of World War 2, were disbanded with their Spitfires being loaned to the RIAF, equipping some squadrons or reserve units. 
When British India was split in two, the Spitfires were employed by Air Flying School (India) and No.1 Photo Reconnaissance Flights of the RIAF during the opening months of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947-1948 in the defence of the Kashmir valley in October-November 1947 at the battles of Badgam and Shelatang. It was during this conflict that the RIAF/IAF sought to rapidly expand their fighter force in late December 1947 by using Spitfires, however, the RIAF/IAF had already acquired some Hawker Tempest which were put to good use in that conflict. 
The Spitfire's career with both the RIAF and the IAF was limited to serve as an advanced trainer and they were phased out in 1955, with some PR version serving with No.14  Squadron IAF until 1957/1958. 
As India was, together with Hong Kong, one of the last user of the Spitfire and the take over by the RIAF/IAF and their reserialization was rather chaotic, the information about the Indian Spitfire is rather scarce, contradictory and confuse.
In total 159 Spitfires of various marks served with either the RIAF or the IAF from 1943 until 1958.

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#India
2nd https://www.warbirds.in/overseas/spitfires/supermarine-spitfires/#:~:text=The%20IAF%20was%20one%20of,in%20the%20HS—batch).

Supermarine Spitfire. Asian Users, part two. Hong Kong.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire, at least the most advanced F.24 variants saw also service with the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF). 
This auxiliary unit had in inventory a total of 16 Spitfire Mk.XVIII, PR.XIX and F.24. The Spitfires were given to the RHKAAF from Nos 80 and 81 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) when those units were re-equipped with De Havilland Hornets. This was done to reinforce the aerial defences of the colony as the threat of invasion during the early 1950s increased. 
In order to maintain the sustainability of the RHKAAF local personnel was hired and trained ab initio with some training aircraft like Austers and Harvards. A total of 20 pilots were trained with, at least six Spitfires being kept ready to flight at any given time. 
By 1955 the situation on the Sino Hong-Kong border had stabilized and the Spitfires were replaced by the De Havilland Vampires, in a ceremony, with a fly-by included, that took place on Queen's birthday in April that year. This marked the end of the Spitfire service with any British force, nineteen years after its inception. 

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Hong_Kong_Auxiliary_Air_Force
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#Hong_Kong
3rd https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/research/RAF-Historical-Society-Journals/Journal-29A-Seminar-Reserve-Auxiliary-Forces.pdf
4th https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/70000223
5th https://gwulo.com/node/53693

Supermarine Spitfire. Asian Users, part one. Burma.

 

The Burmese Air Force (BAF) was created on 16th January 1947 when the country was still under British colonial rule. One year later, when the country was granted sovereignty, the BAF had in inventory various numbers of aircraft, among them, three Spitfire Mk.IX transferred from the Royal Air Force (RAF).
In 1953 the BAF bought thirty second-hand ex-Israeli Spitfire Mk.IX and twenty Supermarine Seafire F.XV (the naval variant of the Griffon-powered spitfire) which were converted to operate from land. 
The Spitfires and the Seafires constituted the main aerial fighter of the BAF and, some years later, in 1957 (although some sources state it was one year earlier, 1956) Israel sold some additional Spitfire Mk.IX, which were acquired from Czechoslovakia and Italy. Both the Spitfires and the Seafires remained in active service with the BAF until the early 1960s, albeit they had already been relegated to training duties as BAF's main fighter during the late 1950s was the Hawker Sea Fury.
When, in 1964, the BAF purchased the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (the trainer variant of the P-80 Shooting Star) the Spitfires and the Seafires were, most likely, written off service and sold for scrap.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators#Burma

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar_Air_Force

Supermarine Spitfire. Oceanian Users. Part Three. Australian users part two.

 

The No.451 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) saw action in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operation (MTO). This unit replaced their Hawker Hurricane fighters for Spitfire Mk.VIII and some Mk.IXs, in Egypt, when it was assigned to the aerial defence of the Nile Delta. In early 1944 it was completely equipped with Spitfires and was operating from the French island of Corsica. From there they performed ground support operations supporting land troops operating in southern France and Italy. In late 1944 it was rebased to the United Kingdom where it received the much better Spitfire Mk.XVI and, from January 1945 until the end of the conflict, it took part in bomber escort missions to destroy German V-2 rocket launching sites located in the Netherlands. 
After the war, in August 1945, they received the Spitfire Mk.XIV and were part of the Allied Occupation Forces in Germany, based in various airfields across north-western Germany. 

Another RAAF unit that employed the Spitfire was the No.457 Squadron. This unit was formed in 1941 in the United Kingdom, at took part through 1941 and 1942 in the Channel Front campaign, however, when Japan entered war, they were sent to the Australian northern mainland to take part in the defence of their homeland. They were active in the aerial Campaign of Darwin and in mid 1944 they were rebased, this time equipped with Mk.VIII to Morotai and Labuan, in the Dutch East Indies where their main objective was to conduct ground attack raids against Japanese camps and shipping. Shortly after the war, they remained at Labuan until October 1945 when they were disbanded.
During the defence of Darwin and the Australian mainland, the Australian Government favoured the Spitfire over other American fighters like the P-40 as the Spitfire had better high-altittude performance and it was considered as the best fighter that Australia could get. In 1942 No.1 Wing RAAF was created with Nos. 452 and 457 squadrons of the RAAF plus some other Royal Air Force's (RAF) squadrons.

No.79 Squadron RAAF also operated the Spitfire. It was formed at RAAF Laverton (Victoria) in April 1943 and they served through New Guinea and the Solomon campaigns providing escort for the American heavy bombers operating in the area. 
In 1944 as part of No.73 Wing they saw action over Admiralty Islands supporting American 1st Cavalry Division. During that campaign they were based in Momote airstrip on Los Negros island. In late November 1944 they were rebased to Darwin to receive the Spitfire Mk.VIII and later, in February 1945 they were rebased to Morotai where it remained for the rest of the war. Their final mission was to drop leaflets over Japanese positions announcing the surrender of Japan and the unit was disbanded in October 1945.
No.85 Squadron was equipped with Spitfire Mk.V in September 1944, replacing their CAC Boomerangs. As this unit was tasked with the aerial protection of western Australia, they did not see too much action and they retained the Mk.V until the end of the war.

Nowadays, there is a RAAF unit that flies the Spitfire (among other aircraft), No.100 Squadron, which RAAF's historic aircraft display squadron.

The last user of the Spitfire in Australia was the Royal Australian Navy which acquired some few machines after the war and employed them as trainers and ground targets, as they were very worn out. 

Sources:
1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._451_Squadron_RAAF
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._457_Squadron_RAAF
4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._79_Squadron_RAAF
5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._85_Squadron_RAAF

Supermarine Spitfire. Oceanian Users. Part Two. Australian users part one.

 

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) employed the Supermarine Spitfire in Nos. 79, 85, 451, 452, 453 and 457 Squadrons. With Australia, the Spitfire saw service in Europe, North Africa, Northern Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific. 
Additionally, many Operational Training Units (OTU) based in Australia, operated the Spitfire as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. 

The first Australian squadron to be equipped with the Spitfire was No. 452 which was formed in England in April 1941 and was equipped with the Spitfire Mk.I. This unit served through the Channel Front until June 1942 when they were recalled to the Australian mainland where they were reactivated in January 1943 to be part of the aerial defences of the city of Darwin, this time equipped with the Spitfire Mk.V, until they were shortly after rebased to Perth where they were re-equipped with the more advanced Spitfire Mk.VIII in April. Through 1944 they served in the ground support and anti-shipping roles, based at Strauss Airfield, Northern Territories and in May 1945 they operated from Tarakan, Dutch East Indies. The unit remained there until it was disbanded in October 1945.

No.453 Squadron was reformed in June 1942 in the United Kingdom as they transitioned from the Brewster Buffalo to the Spitfire Mk.Vb. This squadron remained in Europe through all the war and was one of the first units to operate from Normandy, when it was based at the hastily constructed airfield at Longues-sur-Mer, very close to the frontline. After the surrender of Germany, they remained in Britain for a few months, but were rebased to Germany as part of the Allied Occupation Forces. on 29th August.

(to be continued)

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Supermarine_Spitfire_operators

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._452_Squadron_RAAF

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._453_Squadron_RAAF