French Spitfires go on the warpath

[Spinners 15,986]

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1 - Groupe de Chasse II/5 'La Fayette'

When the first Spitfire prototype took to the air in March 1936 it made the majority of contemporary interceptor fighters obsolete overnight and its performance and potential represented such a leap forward that rival nations would need to invest huge sums to design and develop similar aircraft. Even France, with its large and diverse aircraft industry, realised that their fighter aircraft were not as advanced as this new benchmark so it came as no surprise that the French Air Ministry wanted to purchase Spitfires. However, by November 1938 there were no less than thirteen countries on the Supermarine order book for Spitfires and whilst the Foreign Office had placed France at the top of the priority list the initial French order for just three aircraft was so pathetically small that Supermarine publicly made it a lower priority to the Belgian request for 15 aircraft and a licence to build at least a further 30 aircraft.

Baron Amaury de La Grange, the vice-president of the French Air Commission, was a personal friend of US President Roosevelt and La Grange managed to convey to Roosevelt the urgency of France's position and asked for military help. With war clouds brewing in Europe, Roosevelt was forthcoming and instructed the US War Department to sell the most modern American airplanes to France and also persuaded Neville Chamberlain (the UK Prime Minister) to place France back at the top of the priority list - a request to which Chamberlain agreed but only providing that the French order was increased to 50 aircraft. Initial deliveries were made to the Armée de l'Air in June 1939 with Groupe de Chasse II/5 'La Fayette' based at Toul-Croix-de-Metz becoming the first operational French Spitfire squadron later in the following month. The aircraft of this famous squadron were painted with the same 'Chief Sitting Bull' insignia used by the American volunteers of the 'Lafayette Escadrille' during the First World War before the entry of their country into the conflict. Only sixteen aircraft had been delivered at the outbreak of war in September 1939 and whilst deliveries continued for a short while no other Armée de l'Air squadrons were formed and the UK Government requisitioned the final nineteen aircraft before they were delivered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just some new decals on Cliff7600's Spitfire 1a over Gepard's Battle of Britain terrain. Good work boys!!

Edited December 13, 2021 by Spinners
Backstory added

[+Cliff7600 1,148]

Very nice result with a simple yet effective mod 

Would you release the decals set ?

The backstory is so plausible. Really close to what I read about the early Spitfires exports.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Cliff7600

[Spinners 15,986]

15 minutes ago, Cliff7600 said:

Very nice result with a simple yet effective mod 

Would you release the decals set ?

The backstory is so plausible. Really close to what I read about the early Spitfires exports.

Thanks!

Yes, of course. But the numbers font was just a wild guess so if anyone could steer me to a more accurate font I'd be grateful.

[Mike Dora 171]

Si seulement ça avait pu arriver..

des Crach’feus?

[Stratos 3,191]

Really beautiful!

[Spinners 15,986]

Top: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia - Groupe de Chasse II/7, Zone d'Opérations Aériennes Sud, April 1940

Bottom: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia - Groupe de Chasse II/5, Zone d'Opérations Aériennes Est, May 1940