Before the Second World War, the RAF relied on Bristol Blenheims to carry out photo-reconnaissance as a secondary task as long range photographic reconnaissance was not considered important. Short range photo-reconnaissance was left to the Army Cooperation Command Westland Lysanders. Neither aircraft had the speed or altitude performance to avoid enemy fighters and their light armament meant that fighting their way to a target to take photographs was a forlorn hope. Both aircraft types had many losses when faced with modern fighters and A.A fire. [127] Early photo-reconnaissance Spitfires [ edit ] Spitfires ensured that the Allies gained and held air superiority during the battles of Kohima and Imphal from early to mid 1944, in which the Japanese attempt to destroy the British Fourteenth Army and invade India was also defeated. By 1945, when the Allies launched offensives into Burma, the Japanese were unable to challenge the Allies' air supremacy. Spitfires took part in the last major pitched battle of the war involving the Western allies – No. 607 Squadron and No. 273 Squadron flying the MKVIII armed with 500 pound bombs helped destroy a Japanese breakout attempt at the Sittang Bend in July and early August 1945. Squadron F.R Mk IXs photographed German tanks in the Arnhem area just before Operation Market Garden, and during the battle, Northolt based F.R IXs flew missions in support of the paratroops. [157] :95 Mediterranean service [ edit ] Spitfire Vc(trop) of No. 417 Squadron RCAF in Tunisia in 1943. Barbic, Vlasco. "The Spitfire and its Wing: Article and scale drawings." Scale Aviation Modeller Volume 2, Issue 3, March 1996. Bedford, UK: SAM Publications, DMZee Marketing. On 3 June 1940, Hauptmann Werner Mölders of III./JG53 claimed a lone Spitfire shot down near Paris: it is more than likely that this was a Spitfire of 212 Squadron. [132]

The second Mk XX, DP851, initially had a GriffonII engine and made its first flight in August 1942. In December, it was refitted with a Griffon 61 and re-designated as a Mk 21 initial prototype.Cooke, Peter. "The Early Griffon Spitfires part 2: Article and scale drawings" Scale Models Magazine Vol. 9, No 110, November 1978. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK. From late 1942, in an attempt to achieve some degree of parity with the Fw 190, some squadrons received the L.F Mark VB. This version had reduced diameter supercharger impeller blades on the Merlin for optimum performance at lower altitudes and the wing-tips were removed and replaced by short fairings to improve their rate of roll. [60] These aircraft were unofficially known by their pilots as "clipped, cropped and clapped" Spits, referring to the fact that many of these Spitfires, thus modified, had seen better days ("clapped out"). [61]

Distinguished Flying Crosses, six Air Medals and five Gold Stars in lieu of additional Air Medals. [110] F Mk XIVs had a total of 109.5 gal of fuel consisting of 84 gal in two main tanks and a 12.5 imp gal fuel tank in each leading edge wing tank; other 30, 45, 50 or 90 gal drop tanks could be carried. The fighter's maximum range was just a little over 460 miles (740km) on internal fuel, since the new Griffon engine consumed much more fuel per hour than the original Merlin engine of earlier variants. By late 1944, Spitfire XIVs were fitted with an extra 33 gal in a rear fuselage fuel tank, extending the fighter's range to about 850 miles (1,370km) on internal fuel and a 90 gal drop tank. [30] Mk XIVs with "tear-drop" canopies had 64 gal. As a result, F and FR Mk XIVes had a range that was increased to over 610 miles (980km), or 960 miles (1,540km) with a 90 gal drop tank. [30] Another Italian fighter, the Reggiane Re.2005, although built in limited numbers, was occasionally encountered by Spitfires over Sicily. W.G.G. Duncan Smith considered: "The Re 2005 'Sagittario' was a potent aircraft. Having had a dog-fight with one of them, I am convinced we would have been hard pressed to cope in our Spitfires operationally, if the Italians or Germans had had a few squadrons equipped with these aircraft at the beginning of the Sicily campaign or in operations from Malta." [171] Italian Cobelligerent Air Force [ edit ]

No new ground was broken in the design of the Firefly, being a low wing stressed skin design featuring manual wing folding. Early Fireflys used a 'chin' type radiator mounted under the engine. With the introduction of the two stage powered aircraft, the radiators and oil coolers were relocated to the wing leading edge. Griffon Spitfire The cowling fasteners were new, flush fitting "Amal" type and there were more of them. The oil tank (which had been moved from the lower cowling location of the Merlin engine variants to forward of the fuselage fuel tanks) was increased in capacity from 6 to 10 gal. During D-Day, Spitfires were operated as Spotters by U.S. Navy Cruiser Scouting Squadron Seven ( VCS-7) in support of United States Navy and Royal Navy cruisers and battleships bombarding land targets. In this role the Spitfires would locate targets and guide the fire of the ships onto the target. US spotting units normally used floatplanes, either SOC Seagulls or OS2U Kingfishers but because of their vulnerability against fighters, it was decided that 17 Cruiser Spotter (VCS) and Battleship Observation (VO) pilots aboard the heavy cruisers Augusta (CA-31), Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and Quincy (CA-71) and the battleships Arkansas (BB-33), Texas (BB-35) and Nevada (BB-36), would be trained to fly RAF Spitfire Mk Vbs and Seafire IIIs. [106] [107] This unit, along with two RAF squadrons, 26 and 63, also flying Spitfire Vbs and four FAA squadrons 808, 885, 886 and 897 flying Seafire IIIs and forming no. 3 Wing, provided valuable target coordinates and fire control during 20 days of operations. [108] On D-Day "pooling" of the spotting units' aircraft meant that all units flew either Spitfires or Seafires. [109] As the Spitfire gained more power and was able to fly at greater speeds the risk of aileron reversal was increasing so the Supermarine design team set about redesigning the wings to counter this possibility. The original wing design had a theoretical aileron-reversal speed of 580mph (930km/h), which was somewhat lower than that of some contemporary fighters. [8] The new wing of the Spitfire F Mk 21 and its successors was designed to help alleviate this problem; the wing's stiffness was increased by 47 percent and a new design of aileron using piano hinges and geared trim tabs meant the theoretical aileron-reversal speed was increased to 825mph (1,328km/h). [8] [9] [10] This wing entered service on the Spitfire XXI. The standard armament was now four 20mm Hispano IIs or the shorter, lighter Hispano V cannons, each with 150 rounds per gun.

Price, Alfred. The Spitfire Story. Enderby, Leicester, UK: Siverdale Books, 2002 (rev 2nd ed). ISBN 1-85605-702-X. There is evidence that the Luftwaffe used captured Spitfires to test and for operational training duties. Supermarine Spitfire in many versions were present in the Luftwaffe, making the largest fleet of captured aircraft in Germany. All Spitfires were recovered, if possible, after crash landing and dismantled for spare parts for the few flyable aircraft or sent to air depots (many almost intact). Its use in combat is not recorded. [179]

On 7 November 1941 No 340 Squadron was the first Spitfire unit to be formed in Free France Air Force. More squadrons were later formed. Spitfires were first used as nightfighters during the summer of 1940: the most successful night interceptions took place on the night of 18/19 June 1940 when Flt. Lt. "Sailor" Malan of 74 Squadron shot down two Heinkel He 111s of Kampfgeschwader 4, [18] while Flg. Off.s John Petre and George Ball of 19 Squadron each shot down one He 111 of KG 4. [19] A week later, on the night of 26/27 June, Pilot Officers R. Smith and R. Marples of 616 Squadron shot down another He 111 of KG 4; Flt. Lt. H. MacDonald of 603 Squadron shot down an He 111 of KG 26 and another He 111 of KG 26 was shot down, possibly with the help of A.A guns by Flg. Off.s A. Johnstone of 602 Squadron and J. Haig of 603 Squadron. [20]