The Fairey Firefly is a British World War 2 era fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that was produced during and specially after the World War 2. With more than 1.000 exemplars, it was exported to various countries, among them the Netherlands, which is the subject of this post.
The Dutch Naval Aviation service showed interest about the Firefly already in 1945, when they ordered 30 Fireflies F.1 which would be delivered on January 1946. The first 15 of that order served with the 860 Naval Air Squadron, assigned to the HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81) aircraft carrier which was deployed, during the late 1940s in the Dutch East Indies, as part of the forces countering Indonesian nationalists. When talks broke down in July 1947, the Fireflies were deployed to bases located close to Surabaya, from where some aerial strikes were launched and three Fireflies were shot down by ground fire.
After that, the eleven surviving Fireflies were returned to their homeland where seven of them were later converted into T.1 trainers. Meanwhile, back in 1946, the Dutch Naval Aviation had ordered fourteen new aircraft (of the FR.4 series) and later another fourteen FR.5, in 1949. These new aircraft were deployed at Dutch mainland, in Netherlands Antilles and Dutch New Guinea. In this last territory they were deployed in as late as 1960 in response to territorial demands and threats issued by Indonesia. As Indonesian forces began to infiltrate the territory, the Fireflies FR.4 carried out ground attack operations during early 1962, and these strikes continued until a political settlement was negotiated between the two countries.
After that, the eleven surviving Fireflies were returned to their homeland where seven of them were later converted into T.1 trainers. Meanwhile, back in 1946, the Dutch Naval Aviation had ordered fourteen new aircraft (of the FR.4 series) and later another fourteen FR.5, in 1949. These new aircraft were deployed at Dutch mainland, in Netherlands Antilles and Dutch New Guinea. In this last territory they were deployed in as late as 1960 in response to territorial demands and threats issued by Indonesia. As Indonesian forces began to infiltrate the territory, the Fireflies FR.4 carried out ground attack operations during early 1962, and these strikes continued until a political settlement was negotiated between the two countries.
Shortly later, the Dutch Fireflies (some of which were had been converted into target tugs) were written off, and most of them were scrapped.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly#Paesi_Bassi (translated)
3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly
4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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