Supermarine Spitfire. European Users, part ten. Irish & Swedish Spitfires plus Estonian what-ifs.

 

The following countries employed or would have acquired the Supermarine Spitfire:

• Estonia: The first export contract for the Spitfire was signed in February 1939 with Estonia, to supply the Estonian Aviation Regiment with 12 Spitfire Mk. I. Those aircraft were not ready until August and, given the shortage of fighters the Royal Air Force (RAF) was suffering at the time, those 12 Spitfires were never delivered. We, however, have drawn some what-if Spitfire Mk. I in Estonian colours.
• Ireland: In 1947 the Irish Government acquired 12 Seafire Mk. III and three years later, in 1950 six Spitfire T.IX  two-seater trainers to equip their No. 1 Fighter Squadron and the Central Flying School respectively. At Air Corps' request, the Seafires were de-navalized, with their arrestor hooks removed, but they retained the engines and four-blade propellers. The Irish Seafires served from February 1947 until 1954 while the T.IX trainers of Central Flying School served from May 1950 until September 1961!.
• Sweden: In 1948 Sweden ordered 60 refurbished ex-RAF Spitfire PR.19 (an advanced recon variant). Eventually that order was reduced to 50 machines.
  However, the total amount of that order is somewhat mysterious. During those years other neighbouring Scandinavian countries such as Denmark had three Spitfire PR. XI and Norway another three PR. XI (the PR. XI was another reconnaissance sub-variant). For strategic reconnaissance over the coast of south China the RAF maintained a flight of three Spitfire PR. 19 in Hong Kong during the post-war years and early 1950s, so that made a total of approximately 100 recon Spitfires of both PR. XI and PR. 19 and half of that number belonged to Swedish PR. 19s. 
  Deliveries began in October 1948 and lasted until May 1949. They were designated as S.31, from Swedish word 'Spaning', meaning 'Reconnaissance' and were given five-digit registration numbers, where the first two digits were '31' (the aircraft type code) and the following three digits were the individual seria number of each aircraft ranging from 001 to 050.
  The Spitfires were assigned to Flottilj 11 at Nyköping, composed of a headquarters squadron plus four additional ones, listed as 1, 2, 3 and 5 squadrons. In early 1950 plans were made for reconnaissance flights over Soviet bases in Murmansk and Polyarny on the Kola Peninsula, so some S. 31 were rebased to Lulea, closer to the Arctic Circle, however, those plans were called off as the risks were too high, resulting in a very tense diplomatic situation. However, at least two recon flights were made over the Soviet Baltic Coast in September 1950.
  The PR. 19s remained in service until 1954, when they were put into reserve and in August 1955 they were withdrawn and written off. One aircraft was donated to the Stockholm University of Technology, where it disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
  In 1981 a PR. 19 was bought for the Swedish Aviation Museum. The Spitfire, PR. 19, which served with India after the war, did not receive markings of one of the scrapped aircraft, but got a new serial - 31051 - and is nowadays at exhibition at the aforementioned museum.
  

Sources:

1st AJ Press - Monografie Lotnicze 40 - Supermarine Spitfire part 3.

2nd https://www.key.aero/article/swedens-spitfires-cold-war

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

de Havilland Vampire. Part nine. Some European users.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter aircraft designed and developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), but also by many other countries all around the globe. Among them, the following ones:

• Ireland: The Irish Air Corps (IAC) got their first jet aircraft in 1956 when they received three Vampire T.55 in May and July. They were assigned to No.1 Squadron with base at Baldonnel airfield, in Dublin. In 1960 three additional T.55s were ordered and delivered on 19th January 1961 and 16th March. They served as trainers until 1975 when they were gradually written off. One machine was sold to a private buyer in the USA, some were scrapped and some other were donated to museums.

• Italy: Italy was looking for ways to modernize the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Military Aeronautical - Italian Air Force or AMI) during the late 1940s with a strong emphasis on re-establishing their aeronautical industry. After discussion with various aircraft manufacturers, the Italian Government decided in favour of the Vampire after de Havilland sent a demonstrator aircraft for inspection and technical evaluation in 1948. An agreement was signed on 24th October 1949 for five Vampire FB.Mk.5 and 14 NF.54 made at the UK plus a license for 120 FB.52s (which was eventually increased to 150) locally built by Macchi. This deal included also the license to manufacture the Goblin and Ghost engines. The first five FB.Mk.5 were flown from Hatfield factory (Hertfordshire) to Foggia-Amendola (Apulia, South-Eastern Italy) on 11th February 1956. They were assigned to the AMI Jet Training School. In August 1951 Vampires for the first operational units of the AMI ,79 and 81 Squadriglie (Flight), 6º Gruppo (Squadron) of the 4º Stormo Caccia (4th Fighter Wing) arrived. The Italian Vampires took part in 'Cirrus 6' NATO exercise in Germany and, eventually other units of the AMI were equipped with the Vampire, like the 7º Gruppo Scuola de Caccia (7th Group Fighter School), the whole 2nd and 4th Stormos, with base at Bergamo (Lombardy) and Napoli-Capodichino (Campania), 1 3 and 4 regioni aerei (Aerial Region) and the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Experimental Flight Detachment). Between July 1950 and December 1951 all the FB.52s were delivered plus 10 spare sets built by Fiat. Once the Italian production was set up, Macchi assembled 27 machines at Varese (North-Western Lombardy) with the first machine taking off on 18th December 1951. Fiat manufactured 93 machines at Turin (Piedmont) with their first Vampire flying shortly later, on 22nd December 1951. A second batch of 30 Vampires FB.52 was shared between Macchi and Fiat and the ordered NF.54 night fighters were completed at Hatfield during 1951, with the remaining ones being completed at Chester. They were delivered to the AMI between June 1951 and 25th March 1953. They were all assigned to 3a Scuola de Caccia (3rd Fighter School which became Scuola Caccia Ogni Tempo (All-Weather Fighter School). During the following years the Italian Vampires took part in many NATO exercises. The NF.54s were gradually withdrawn from use between May 1956 and October 1959 when they were replaced by the North American F-86K 'Sabre Dog'. The regular Vampires were gradually replaced by Republic F-84 Thunderjet and the North American F-86 Sabre and, by 1960 they had all been withdrawn from service.

• Norway: The Royal Norvegian Air Force (RNAF) sought to replace their Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito piston-powered fighters and so, their turned their sight to the Gloster Meteor. However, when tested, it was felt that the Vampire with its greater angle of climb, smaller turning radius and shorter take off and landing run, was more adequate for Norway's geographical characteristics. 
  A total of  58 Vampire FB.Mk.3 were ordered by the RNAF in 1948. They were completed at Preston, Lancashire and Hatfield. Once under RNAF Command they formed the 'C' Flight of No.331 Squadron, for technical evaluation. By October 1949 all the Vampires Mk.3 were delivered with the delivered of the FB.52 continuing until April 1951. 
  In early October 1951 twelve Vampire F.Mk.3 of the No.336 Squadron flew to North Weald, Essex, to take part in 'Exercise Emperor', returning to Norway on 17th October. 
  In late 1951 six Vampire T.55 were ordered with the first delivery taking part in 4th July 1952. All six were assigned to Nos. 336 and 337 Squadrons. The RNAF, however, began to take into service the Lockheed T.33 for training and the T.55s were, therefore, returned to the UK. 
  As Norway was part of NATO's Northern commitment, was pressured to have the most modern warplanes in service and so, in 1957 the last nine F.Mk.3 and 25 FB.52 were written off active service. Some were donated to museums, other served as gate guards and some few were used as ground instructional frames. In the year 1991 one ex-Swiss Vampire was operated by the Warbirds of Norway Association.

Sources:

1st Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

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

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