Supermarine... literally!

**Spinners** · July 8, 2023

Supermarine Spitfire VB - No.577 Squadron, RAF Fighter Command, 1944

During the Spring of 1940 there were signs that the Phoney War was coming to an end and the British Government could sense that Germany was preparing to invade Norway in order to protect their supplies of iron ore. Believing that floatplane versions of the Hurricane and Spitfire might be of use in operating from the Norwegian fjords the Air Ministry suggested that conversions of both types should be made using existing conversion kit floats originally made for the Blackburn Roc. Before this project had time to gain any real momentum Denmark and Norway had capitiulated although the latter had fought heroically alongside allied forces and especially in northern Norway.

For the next two years the Air Ministry continued to explore the potential of using floatplane fighter aircraft and even approached a less than enthusiastic Curtiss to enquire about a floatplane version of the Kittyhawk to which Curtiss replied that it was certainly possible but would delay production of urgently needed Kittyhawks. Pushed on by the Air Ministry, Supermarine continued to work on a floatplane version of the Spitfire using Folland Aircraft to convert Spitfire VB EP751 with generally good results although there were some issues with leaking floats caused by buckling and deflection of the front of the floats during take-off and landing. The trials encouraged the Air Ministry to order more conversions and by the late Summer of 1942 there were no less than four Spitfire VB floatplane conversions undergoing trials.

Unexpectedly, in late September 1943 three Spitfire VB floatplanes were sent to No.52 Maintenance Unit for packing and despatch by ship to the Middle East arriving in Alexandria, Egypt in late October 1943. In a bold plan, and supported by Royal Navy submarines and high speed launches, the Spitfire VB floatplanes were intended to operate against the Junkers Ju 52 transports flying supplies from Greece to Crete. But the logistics of the plan were a bit too ambitious and especially on the hard-pressed submarine service so all three Spitfire VB floatplanes were scrapped in situ.

Whilst the Air Ministry perservered with the idea of a Spitfire floatplane fighter little was done until January 1944 when 60 Spitfire VB floatplane conversions were ordered as the start of a deception plan associated with 'Operation Bodyguard' whose key objective was to mislead the German High Command as to the timing and location of the Allied invasion of north-western Europe. 'Operation Fortitude South' aimed to convince them that the allied invasion would be via the Pas-de-Calais whilst 'Operation Fortitude North' was designed to mislead the Germans into expecting an allied invasion of Norway. As part of the deception plan, the RAF announced the formation of six new floatplane fighter squadrons across north-east Scotland and the Orkneys with No.577 Squadron being the first to form at Dounreay in April 1944. In reality, and typical of all six floatplane squadrons, just six Spitfire VB floatplanes were operated by No.577 Squadron but supplemented by several inflatables anchored alongside the slipways. All six Spitfire floatplane squadrons were disbanded in August 1944 having made a small but interesting contribution to the allied war effort.