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Info EDUARD 05/2023, Page 15
Info EDUARD 05/2023, Page 16
HISTORY
SPITFI RE SUPPLI ES AN D TH EI R CAMOU FLAGE
There is still no definitive information
about the precise color shades applied in
1942 however, based on the available data
analysis, study of the period photographs
and factoring in the camouflage standards,
the most probable aircraft appearance can
be determined. The camouflage schemes
of the Spitfires flown off the island varied
quite a bit. Initially the most suitable color
was considered the Dark Mediterranean
Blue but due to the shortage of this paint
there were aircraft painted in different
shades of blue. The lighter shade, Light
Mediterranean Blue, originally intended for
the biplanes, was also used, then the naval
Extra Dark Sea Grey, American Blue Gray
M485 and various colors from the ships‘
stocks, initially not intended to be applied
on the airplanes. Spitfires from the later
deliveries mostly received the “Malta” ca-
mouflage either at Gibraltar before embar-
king or immediately upon their arrival on
the island. The quality of the paint appli-
cation was rather inferior to the factory
finish. The coat of paint sometimes fully
covered the original paint work, in other
cases it was rather thin, and the original
coloration showed through so the new
coating was more of the blue filter rather
than fully covering coat of paint.
March 7, 1942
OPERATION SPOTTER
The first Spitfires that reached Malta, and
the first ones deployed outside of Britain,
took off on March 7 off the Royal Navy aircraft
carrier HMS Eagle. During the operation
code-named Spotter fifteen Spitfires
Mk.Vb were dispatched carrying 340 l (90
gal) drop tanks which enabled them to
extend their range for more than 1,000 km
(650 miles) long flight to Malta. All fifteen
Spitfires safely landed at Ta Kali airfield.
No. 249 Squadron was the first to receive
the new Spitfires and three days later, on
March 10, it flew its first combat missions
against the Ju 88 formation escorted by
Bf 109.
March 21, 1942
OPERATION PICKET
Two weeks later another nine Spitfires
Mk.Vb reached Malta in the same manner.
Spitfires arriving in Malta during the
operations Spotter and Picket were
camouflaged in the standard desert scheme
of Dark Earth and Middle Stone on the upper
surfaces, the lower surfaces were painted
in either Sky or Azure Blue. The lower
surfaces color depended on the factory: the
aircraft manufactured at Supermarine had
Sky, those completed at Aircraft Servicing
Units (ASU) had the lower surfaces in Azure
Blue. Upon the arrival in Malta the Middle
Stone patterns were overpainted in a grey
color which is said to have been a mixture
of various shades. The exact color of this
mixture remains unknown, but it’s believed
it was very similar to Extra Dark Sea Grey.
March 29, 1942
OPERATION PICKET II
The rather strong contrast of the desert
camouflage colors did not seem the best
scheme for flying over the sea. Therefore,
before embarking on the aircraft carrier at
Gibraltar, the third batch of seven Spitfires
Mk.Vb had their upper surfaces overpainted
in the dark grey-blue color, probably Extra
Dark Sea Grey.
April 20, 1942
OPERATION CALENDAR
The oldest document promulgating the
requirement for the new camouflage for
the Spitfires delivered to Malta was the
supplement Nr. 1 to M.E. Air Movement
Instruction No. 1 dated March 30, 1942.
It stated that the Spitfires destined for
Malta were to be camouflaged in the new
scheme of Dark Mediterranean Blue on the
upper surfaces and Sky Blue on the lower
surfaces. At the same time, the No. 601
and No. 603 Squadrons personnel in Great
Britain was getting ready to be dispatched
to Malta with the full complement of 47
new Spitfires Mk.Vc (including reserves).
These aircraft were to be painted in the
new Malta camouflage but upon relaying
the instructions they were simplified to
the “sea camouflage“ which was, logically
anticipated as the camouflage applicable to
the Fleet Air Arm aircraft and the aircraft
were painted in that way at the factory.
Once this mistake was noticed at Gibraltar
the stocks of Dark Mediterranean Blue
and Sky Blue were loaded together with
the aircraft. The supplies however were
sufficient for repainting only the portion
of the aircraft to be delivered. Out of forty
seven Spitfires on board of USS Wasp
during the Operation Calendar twenty
seven were camouflaged at ASU with Royal
Navy colors, the remaining twenty were
repainted with new “Malta” colors of Dark
Mediterranean Blue and Sky Blue. The
Spitfires on board received markings in
white numerals 1 and 2 and a code lettter.
May 9, 1942
OPERATION BOWERY
For years, based on the archive
photographs, it was speculated what color
was applied to Spitfires Mk.Vc transported
on board of the USS Wasp carrier during the
Operation Bowery. Photographic evidence
from the embarking of the Spitfires
confirms both the desert camouflage in
Dark Earth, Middle Stone, Azure Blue or
Sky and the Navy camouflage in Extra
Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky.
According to the veterans’ recollections
most of the Spitfires were repainted on
board in some kind of blue or blue-grey
color. The application of the USN colors
seems the most probable. Those are
M-485 Non-Specular Blue Gray, applied
to the upper surfaces of the twelve F4F
Wildcats assigned to the USS Wasp (CV-
7) CAP duties, and Deck Blue 20-B color
applied to the exterior steel deck as a part
of the aircraft carrier camouflage scheme.
There is a third option: both colors, M-485
Non-Specular Blue Gray and Deck Blue
20-B could have been applied to maintain
the upper surfaces camouflage pattern on
some Spitfires. In that manner the two-
tone blue-grey camouflage scheme would
have been consistent with the scheme on
the upper surfaces of the aircraft operating
on Malta at that time. The lower surfaces
color remained the standard shade of
Azure Blue or Sky. 46 Spitfires aboard
USS Wasp and 18 aboard HMS Eagle were
marked in the same way as the Spitfires
from the Operation Calendar. The white
numerals 3 or 4 on one side of the cockade
and the code letter on the other one.
An interesting event worth mentioning
occurred during the Operation Bowery
when the Spitfires took off from the USS
Wasp. After the take off in his Spitfire
BR126 X-3, the Canadian pilot, P/O Jerrold
Alpine “Jerry” Smith found out that his drop
tank was inoperable, and he was not able
to reach the airfield on Malta. He jettisoned
his tank and received order to bail out of his
Spitfire. Instead Jerry inquired about the
attempt to save the aircraft by landing it on
the aircraft carrier deck. After the captain
approved, he indeed tried to do it. His first
approach was too high and too fast however
his second attempt was successful and he
safely landed his Spitfire and stopped mere
six feet from the end of the flight deck. He
managed, as the first in the world, to land
a Spitfire on the aircraft carrier and even
without an arresting hook! For his deed
P/O “Jerry” Smith was unofficially awarded
the American Navy Wings from the flight
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