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Codename "Smack" - Spitfire By Night

RichB

RichB

Well-known member
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Sgt Peter Durnford, Spitfire Vb, 111 Sqn, RAF Debden Dec 1941 - Feb 1942

Concerned that the Night Blitz of the winter of 1940/41 would be repeated, the RAF decided to convert 65 and 111 Squadrons to the night interception role. The Spitfire's received no additional modifications save an overall coat of Night Black leaving only the fuselage roundels and code letters and fin flash visible, the exhaust stacks changed to fishtail style and painted with a thick coat of red lead to dull the glow.

Training in the "Smack" procedures began in Nov 41. Smack was to use radar controlled searchlights to direct the Spitfire toward a target, the beam pointing in the direction to fly. When in range, they would receive the radio call "Cone" and several searchlights would switch on, illuminating the target. In late Dec, the squadrons were declared operational, standing alert, conducting patrols and practicing their Smack tactics. The Blitz never materialized and the squadrons did not engage any aircraft.

The only action they were to see in these colors was 12 Feb 42. Having just stood down from readiness the previous night, the squadron was scrambled to support operations during the Channel Dash by the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau & Prinz Eugen. Sgt Durnford engaged a Bf109 at low level (approx. 100 ft). Seeing strikes around the cockpit, the aircraft rolled onto it's back and went down, but due to the low visibility he was credited with a probable. Sgt Durnford landed at North Weald, the Spitfire's engine cutting out as he touched down, out of fuel after 2 hours and 10 mins airborne.

The Spitfire squadrons ceased night operations in mid-Feb and within a few weeks they had been repainted in the standard day fighter scheme.
 
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Cool Rich!

"painted with a thick coat of red lead to dull the glow" - What is red lead?? Just lead based red paint??
 
Red lead was a lead based one coat paint that had the consistency of a thick tomato soup . It was pretty much impervious to anything and because of its thickness you could use it to paint rough surfaces and it would act like a filler for a smooth top coat. Great for dumper trucks and cement mixers etc. the modern equivalent is useless and just called red oxide. Like most things today it replaces an excellent product with one that doesnt really work....much like modern versions of creosote and modern paint strippers :)
 
Relatively painless build so far. A small sink mark on the nose to fill. A little sanding on the top of the fwd blkhd and instrument panel to get the upper fuselage to sit better. Trim out the cockpit door so it can be shown open. Cockpit is from the kit with PE harness added. Fuselage seams polished out without any filler. On to the wings.

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Cheers,
Rich
 
I wonder why they sectioned the fuselage in that manor, i cant think of another Mk Spit that would differ just in front of the screen ?
 
There are a couple of different styles of windscreen for this version. In the Mk. I kit there were two styles of upper fuselage. The early "unarmoured" and a later style with added plate of about 1/8" .

Rick
 
Wings on. Took a bit of fettling along the trailing edge/fuselage join. Still need to remove the stiffeners on the upper wing. These appeared in mid-1942 so didn't have them at this time. It would have likely been fitted with them at a repair depot between May and Aug 1942 following a Cat B landing accident.

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Rich
 
Yes they do. This is the second I've built (Mk I in the RAF 100 Years GB). Only a little filler required.

Rich
 
Black is really hard to pull off. I remember that Sopwith Pup I did so long ago, I think I used some beige for some faded effects that darkened the actual black.
 
These aircraft were likely finished in Special Night that was a very matt, fine sand paper like finish made from a pigment mix that was very prone to chalking and seemed to start weathering as soon as it was applied. It was to be applied over the earlier satin Night finish but due to poor adhesion qualities wore off very quickly leaving a patchy finish. These Spitfires likely had the paint applied directly over the Day Fighter Scheme which is probably why there is so much wear on an aircraft that only carried the scheme for 4 months and why in one photo of this aircraft you can see a ghost of the upper wing roundel and why they are noted as optional in the kit instructions.

It caused significant drag, dropping up to 26 mph from a Mosquito's top speed, and was dropped in October 1942, replaced by the original Night or new Smooth Night on night fighters and Bomber Commands fleet.

Should be some interesting applications of washes, filters, etc to get "the look".

Cheers,
Rich
 
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