Spitfires Defend Darwin, 1943

During World War Two, the city of Darwin was attacked by Japanese bombers for the first time in February 1942. Fifty-one raids followed until January 1943 when Supermarine Spitfire MkVs of 452, 457 and 54 (RAF) Sqdn arrived. They replaced RAAF 76 and 77 Sqdns which were equipped with Curtiss P40s. The latter had replaced the first defenders of Darwin – a small group of American pilots, also flying Curtiss P40s. This small group happened to be in Darwin in transit to Java at the time of the first raids. The Japanese made thirteen more raids over the ten months after the arrival of the Spitfires – the final raid was on 12th November 1943. By this time 54 Japanese had been destroyed by No I Wing RAAF for the loss of 37 Spitfires.

The Darwin Spitfires were MkVc models originally destined for the Middle East so were equipped with a bulky Vokes filter beneath the nose. However, they were more than a match for the Japanese attackers and, at the end of 1943, with the tide of battle turning against the Japanese, the Spitfire squadrons were moved offshore to be part of RAAF 80 Wing assisting the American forces under General MacArthur. The Mk Vs had been replaced with the more powerful Mk VIII and operated in the Pacific Islands and Borneo. To their frustration and disappointment these highly experienced squadrons were used only in mopping-up operations; very dangerous but not part of the ‘front line’ operations of the American forces as they pushed the Japanese back through the Pacific to final victory. Marshall’s painting depicts Spitfires Vcs of No 452 and 457 Sqdn about to engage Japanese Zeros in a typical battle over Darwin during 1943. The painting was commissioned by renowned Spitfire test pilot, Alex Henshaw. It now hangs in the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.

The development of the famous Spitfire is fascinating. In 1931 Britain’s Air Ministry issued a specification calling for a new fighter aircraft. The fighter was to be equipped with radio, wireless, full oxygen equipment, four .303 machine guns, a speed of 195 mph at 15,000ft - to which height the aircraft must be able to climb in 8.5 minutes, and a service ceiling of over 28,000ft.

Supermarine’s chief designer, R.J. Mitchell, responded to the request with his first-ever landplane; he had designed flying boats and racing seaplanes up to that time. His new fighter, the Supermarine 224, featured a cooling system that demanded a considerable amount of its skin be surfaced with pipes to circulate the coolant for its engine. It was a method used by the Curtiss Scheider Trophy racing seaplanes of 1925 and adapted by Mitchell for his winning seaplanes. However, the 600hp Rolls Royce Goshawk engine that powered Mitchell’s Model 224 was only a quarter of the power of those that powered his seaplanes. So one wonders why Mitchell gave the system such undue importance and allowed it to drive his concept. As it was, the ungainly, underperforming 224 was rejected by the Air Ministry.

Above: The 1934 Supermarine 224 designed by R.J. Mitchell to meet the British Air Ministry's specificatioon F.7/30

It is often claimed that the Supermarine Spitfire was a direct descendant of Mitchell’s successful racing seaplanes. The Model 224 certainly was, but the Spitfire was a complete rethink. Such was Supermarine’s confidence in Mitchell that despite the failure of the 224 they opted to finance a new design themselves, based on a new and powerful engine being developed by Rolls Royce. The result was Mitchell’s elegant Type 300, soon to be called the Spitfire. The Mk I closely resembled the prototype and retained an anachronistic hang-over from the old school of aircraft design - a monster two-bladed fixed pitch propeller. This was soon to be replaced by a two-pitch three-bladed propeller and, by 1940, a constant-speed unit. Sadly, Mitchell died in 1937 having seen only one production model produced. Over 22,000 Spitfires were produced up to 1946 and the last model was the Mk 24; it flew 25% faster and 34% higher than the Mk I!

Left: the first Type 300, soon to be called the Spitfire, made its first flight in 1936. Right: R.J. Mitchell

PERFORMANCE FIGURES: Spitfire MkI: Max speed 355mph. Ceiling 34,000ft. Weight 5,784lb. Power 1,030 hp Merlin I. Armament 8 x .303 machine guns.

Spitfire Mk Vc: Max speed 357mph. Ceiling 36,500ft. Weight 6,785lb. Power 1,140 Merlin 45. Armament 2 x 20mm cannon and 4 x .303 machine guns.