Supermarine Spitfire. American Users, part four. Canadian users of the Spitfire. Part three.

 

Some more users of the Spitfire in the Royal Canadian Air Force  (RCAF) were:

• No.402 Squadron: This squadron, transitioned from the Hawker Hurricane to the Spitfire Mk.Vb in March 1942 and, shortly later, in August, the Spitfire Mk.IX. They took part in the Dieppe landings, providing aerial support, and, in March 1943 they were forced to return to the Mk.V. The Mk.V was flown through the Normandy campaign. In July 1944 they received again the Mk.IX, albeit for a short period of time as they were replaced by the Griffon-engined Mk.XIV which kept them until the end of the war. They operated all throughout north-western European campaign in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, where the squadron was disbanded in July 1945.
• No.400 Squadron: This unit, formed as an army co-operation squadron, employed some Spitfire PR.XI, the reconnaissance variant of the Spitfire Mk.IX during World War 2. 
• No.421 Squadron: This formation received the Mk.IX during the spring of 1943 and, just like many other RCAF squadrons, they served through the European Theatre of Operations (ETO), serving as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force in the Normandy campaign, the advance into Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. 
• No.416 Squadron: This unit employed the Spitfire F.XVI at some time during the war. It served through the Dieppe raid and the ETO until the end of the war.
• No.414 Squadron: This squadron was equipped with the Spitfire and the North American Mustang during World War 2. It served through the Dieppe raid and the ETO until the end of the war.
• Royal Canadian Navy (RCN): The Supermarine Seafire Mk.XV (a carrier variant of the Spitfire Mk. XII featuring foldable wings and an arrestor hook, among other changes) was RCN's first fighter aircraft. They were flown from HMCS Magnificent (CVL-21) and HMCS Warrior (R31) and were replaced in the carrier fighter role in 1948 by the Hawker Sea Fury. During this time with the RCN, the operating unit was the 803 Naval Air Squadron, which was a Fleet Air Arm's unit transferred to the RCN in January 1946.
  Some were kept as advanced trainers until the early 1950s.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/402_Squadron

2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/416_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._421_Squadron_RCAF

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/414_Electronic_Warfare_Support_Squadron

5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/400_Tactical_Helicopter_Squadron

6th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Seafire

7th https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/navy/galery-e.aspx@section=2-F-4&id=8&page=0.html

8th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/803_Naval_Air_Squadron

Fairey Firefly, Canadian users

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that was developed during the Second World War. It served with the naval arms of various Commonwealth countries, among them, Canada, which is the subject of this post.

In May 1945, after the en of the war in Europe, and anticipating a major naval offensive against the Japanese mainland, the Canadian government accepted a British offer of loaning two Colossus-class aircraft carriers to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). In order to equip those carriers, it was necessary to procure naval fighters and, based upon the feedback of veteran pilots, Canada opted to acquire the Firefly over the other alternative that favoured the acquisition of American fighters.
As an interim measure, the Fireflies were acquired from the Royal Navy while more advanced purpose-built aircraft were being constructed. Therefore, between 1946 and 1954 the RCN employed a total of 64 (65 according to wikipedia). Initially they were based at HMCS Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and they served aboard HMCS Warrior and HMCS Magnificent aircraft carriers operated by the No.825 and 826 squadrons of the RCN. The Firefly AS Mk.V (AS stands for anti-submarine) was ordered in 1949 to meet a NATO role for the RCN in anti-submarine warfare. Those AS.Mk V operated in this role until late 1950s when they were replaced by Grumman Avenger AS.Mk.3. 
Canadian Fireflies were sold to various countries during the 1950s like Ethiopia, Denmark and the Netherlands. Some older FR.I variants were used briefly for training purposes.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. https://www.warplane.com/aircraft/collection/details.aspx?aircraftId=18

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro Anson, part ten, Canadian Users & variants

Up to a total of 1.528 Anson Mk.Is were delivered to Canada from British production from 1939 onwards. It was soon found that modifications needed to be made to adequate the aircraft to the harsh Canadian climatic conditions. Therefore, machines were modified with cockpit heating, panelling inside the fuselage and carburettor heating. Ansons were supplied with Royal Air Force's (RAF) codes but they received Canadian ones progressively.
A number of them were delivered in fuselage only, without their engines, so the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) turned for the United States of America for help. This way, by fitting American engines into British-made airframes, a new variant, the Mk.III was born, which was similar to an experimental Mk.I fitted with a pair of Jacobs L-6 MB radial engines with a power of 330hp each. These engines were similar to those of the Mk.II variant, which by this year, 1941, was already being manufacturing  in Canada by Federal Aircraft, in Montreal. At the same time, the Canadian variants were all retrofitted with hydraulically retractable undercarriage.
In most of the cases, turrets were taken out, and the cristal area was reduced to make the aircraft more suitable for Canadian climate.
The first Anson Mk.III was converted from an Mk.I at the National Steel Car Co. (some sources claim it was done in Manchester, England) in March 1941 and was delivered to the RCAF in May. The first Mk.III made totally in Canada was completed by De Havilland Canada in late May.
The RAF initiated another engine change for the Anson when, in late 1941 and early 1942 an Mk.I was fitted with Wright Whirlwind engines, was tested at RAE Boscombe Down and received the denomination of Mk.IV.
This prototype, which initially conserved its turret, was shipped to Canada and was taken by the RCAF on 19th March 1942. Shortly later it was loaned to the USAAF for five months, between July and November. It seems that in 1942, with the Mk.II rolling out of the factories, there was no need for an Mk.IV. However, given the possibility of the Jacobs engines running out of supply, an unknown number of Mk.I and Mk.III were converted to the Whirlwind engine as an interim measure.
Given the hurry to get the Ansons available for the training facilities of the RCAF it's no clear which variant was used in every situation. Furthermore, to add more confusion, some Anson were modified locally in many RCAF stations.
Canadian manufacturing process of the Anson went one step further than the steel and canvas covered airframe. Given the availability in large numbers of wood, Canadian engineers decided to built an all-wooden version employing almost the same techniques as those used in the Mosquitoes during the same period of time. This new variant, called Mk.V and nicknamed as the 'Canadian wooden wonder' had three portholes on the fuselage sides hydraulic undercarriage and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engines which yielded each of them 450 hp of power.
It was officially manufactured by Federal Aircraft Co., in Montreal, even if the prototype was built by a company named 'Vidal' in Bristol, Massachusetts, in the USA. It flew for the first time in early 1942 and was the first of the 1.070 exemplars that would be made of this trainer and transport variant. This variant was built in three Canadian factories and was again modified with the inclusion of a Bristol B.1 turret. This variant, called Mk.VI, was intended to be used for bombing and gunnery training, however, just a single prototype was built.
The Mark V proved to be an excellent machine and remained in service with the RCAF and Royal Canadian Navy well until after the war when, as many of the training stations set in the Commonwealth Air Training Plan were being deactivated, they were sold onto the civilian market.
The Avro Anson served with most of the Service Flying Training Schools (SFTS) set up in Canada, of which no less than 19 of them were established. Apart of those SFTS they served also with the No.10 Air Observers School, No.11 Bombing and Gunnery School and five Air Navigation Schools. They also served in Nos. 1 and 31 General Reconnaissance Schools and Nos. 312, 32, 34 and 36 Operational Training Units as well as the RCAF Central Flying School, three Flying Instructor Schools and many Fleet Requirement Units of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Sources:
1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 53 - Avro Anson
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Anson
3. https://www.valka.cz/Avro-Anson-t54872 (translated when needed)

Fairey Barracuda, part one

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber that was designed by Fairey Aviation. It was the first aircraft of this type operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) that was entirely made out of metal.
Operated mainly by the Royal Navy's FAA, it was exported to some countries and saw some service abroad.

• Canada: The 825 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was reformed in July 1945 as a Canadian-manned squadron. It was intended to be equipped with 12 Barracuda Mk.II and be part of the 19th Carrier Air Group aboard a Colossus-class aircraft carrier, to take part in Operation Downfall (the Allied Invasion of Japan that never took place). However, that didn't happen immediately and it wasn't until 1946 when the HMCS Warrior (R31) was leased to the Royal Canadian Navy that Barracudas served aboard a Canadian Aircraft Carrier. They served until May 1951 when the squadron changed its denomination and was re-equipped with Fairey Gannets.
• France: A single Barracuda Mk.III was leased after the War to France and served with ELA I./56 at Persan-Beaumont, close to Paris. It was evaluated against the Grumman Avenger, for a modern carrier-based torpedo-bomber. The Aéronavale (French Navy's Naval Air Arm) decided to go for the Avenger and the Barracuda was kept until the very late 1940s. 
• Holland: The Dutch-manned 860 Naval Air Squadron was re-equipped with Fairey Barracudas in June 1945 and in August was designated to the escort-carrier HMS Nairana (D05) and the Barracudas weren't kept for a very long time because in May 1946 they were replaced by the Fairey Firefly.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Barracuda

2. https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/fairey-barracuda

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/825_Naval_Air_Squadron

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/860_Naval_Air_Squadron

Fairey Swordfish, part two, Commonwealth & Royal Air Force users

As it could've been expected, the Fairey Swordfish was also used by some Commonwealth countries as well as the Royal Air Force. The users covered in this post are:

• Australia: The Royal Australian Air Force got six new Swordfish in 1942 in a rather unexpected way. On 17th March 1942 it was reported that a number of wooden crates had arrived at the Bullsbrook railway siding from Fremantle Port. It was assumed that they contained the expected Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk fighters that would replace the fighters of the No.77 Squadron RAAF as they were unloaded from an American cargo ship. When it was discovered that they contained Swordfish, it was decided to assemble them. They were operated mainly by No.14 and No.25 Squadrons RAAF as well as some independent HQ flights. 
• The three ones assigned to the No.25 Squadron were used in anti-submarine patrols around Rottnest Island and Gage Roads, off the port of Fremantle. Two more were assigned to the No.14 Squadron which used them in the liaison duty and they flew often between Pearce and Busselton where squadron's detachments were located. The remaining Australian Swordfish served with RAAF Pearce's Station Headquarters in communications flights. 
• Canada: The Swordfish was operated from the Naval Gunnery School at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and the Royal Navy Station at Dartmouth. In 1946 Fleet Requirement Unit 743 (RCN) was equipped with Swordfish which used them in general purpose duties. When they were finally written off, the Royal Canadian Navy's air arm reserve approved to ferry some of the veteran Swordfish to 11 Naval Reserve Divisions all across Canada for ground crew instructional purposes.
• Royal Air Force: Up to six RAF squadrons were equipped at one point with the Swordfish. Numbers 8, 119, 202, 209 and 613 Squadrons used the Swordfish, apart from two Anti-Aircraft Co-operation units (based in Gibraltar, Malta and Singapore) and one pilot advanced training unit. One of those squadrons, the No.119 was equipped with the Swordfish Mk.III very late in the war, in January 1945 to be more precise. They transitioned to the ASV-equipped variant because they had been rebased to Belgian coast in order to switch to midget submarines as their main targets, for which the ASV-radar proved to be very useful. They flew ASW patrols up to, literally VE-Day, on 8th May 1945 and the squadron was disbanded shortly later, on 25th May. 

Sources:

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Swordfish

2. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/swordfish.htm

3. http://silverhawkauthor.com/canadian-warplanes-1-the-biplane-era-fairey-swordfish_697.html

4. https://ingeniumcanada.org/aviation/collection-research/artifact-fairey-swordfish-ii.php

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._119_Squadron_RAF