Buffaloes over Norway

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Brewster Buffalo Mk.IA - No.263 Squadron, Royal Air Force, 1940

In the early Spring of 1940 a total of 32 Brewster B-339 aircraft (out of a total Belgian order for 40) were diverted to the RAF and were urgently deployed to Norway during early April. Having only recently exchanged their Gloster Gladiators for Buffalo Mk.1A's, No.263 Squadron became operational at Bardufoss fighting alongside No.46 Squadron in a short but intensive campaign before being instructed to prepare for evacuation on June 2nd, 1940. No.263 Squadron's nine surviving Buffalo aircraft were landed on HMS Glorious on June 7th but unfortunately the aircraft carrier was sunk after being intercepted by the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. 

 

 

Skin Credit: Charles

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