Dinger's Aviation Pages
THE SPITFIRE AT SEA - THE SEAFIRE.
Between the two world wars, the British Royal Navy concluded it did not need single-seat fighters, instead relying on anti-aircraft (AA) fire for the fleet's defence. Their preference was for a twin-seat aircraft that combined the role of longer-range escort fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, along with a twin-seat turret fighter to ward off enemy fleet-shadowing aircraft (see an article about this doctrine at <this link>). The Blackburn Skua and Roc aircraft were ordered to fulfil these roles, with the Fairey Fulmar being ordered later, meant to replace them.
Seafire F Mk IIC
Just before the start of WW2 a reappraisal of the doctrine in light of the availability of radar warning of the approach of enemy aircraft to the fleet prompted the keeping open of the biplane Gloster Gladiator fighter production line to produce a naval fighter version called the Sea Gladiator. As early as the 15th of December 1939, Supermarine had been asked if it could produce 50 folding-wing versions of the Spitfire as a priority. Supermarine quickly responded with drawings of their Type 338, a Spitfire with outer wings that folded back against the fuselage for stowage, to be powered by the big new Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. Both the Air Ministry and Admiralty were initially enthusiastic about the new design (although the Air Ministry thought that Supermarine's estimate of having a prototype flying within 6 months and having it in full production within 18 months was optimistic). However, on the 29th March 1940, the project was ordered cancelled by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. It seems that Churchill was persuaded that prioritising the Fairey Fulmar two-seat fighter was a better solution to the navy's needs, perhaps encouraged in this by over-enthusiastic estimates of its performance with upcoming upgrades to the Merlin engine. The use of the Sea Gladiator biplane and delivery of some American Grumman Wildcat fighters (called "Martlets" by the British) provided a welcome stop-gap.
The Royal Navy then asked for a custom-built single-seat monoplane carrier fighter (specification N11/40) but it specified that the new fighter should use the new, powerful Napier Sabe engine. This engine had a very prolonged and troubled development history. The Blackburn Firebrand designed to this specification was continuously delayed by issues with the engine and changes in the specification. It only entered service after the war was over, with the Bristol Centaurus radial engine fitted. This forced the conversion of first the Hurricane and then the Spitfire into stop-gap carrier fighters. Calls for the adoption of the Spitfire as a naval fighter were led by Winston Churchill, who seems to have forgotten he had vetoed its use earlier in the war. The Navy had to wait until June 1942 before it took delivery of its first "Seafire". Some Spitfires had been transferred to the navy before this for training purposes, and some of these had been fitted with arrestor hooks. Known as "hooked Spitfires" they did not have the strengthening and slinging hooks required for proper use from aircraft carriers. The first Seafires (Seafire Mk IB) were conversions of existing Spitfire Mk Vbs, with arrester hooks, catapult spools, slinging points and airframe strengthening for use on aircraft carriers. Many had the large"Vokes" filter under the nose, meant for use in tropical climates. Conversions of Spitfires to Seafire Ibs continued even after production of the better Seafire II had started.
Seafire 1b pictured as originally built as a Spitfire Mk Vb with registration BL676. When converted to a Seafire it was given the registration MB328. It retained the large Vokes filter under the nose.
Seafire Ib onboard an aircraft carrier.
This photo shows that not all Seafire Ibs had a tropical filter under the nose. NX957, nearest the camera, was built as a Spitfire Vb with an original registration of AD368. It was converted to a Seafire Ib by the Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Company in 1943.
Seafire Ib onboard an aircraft carrier.
This photo shows that not all Seafire Ibs had a tropical filter under the nose. NX957, nearest the camera, was built as a Spitfire Vb with an original registration of AD368. It was converted to a Seafire Ib by the Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Company in 1943.
The contemporary Seafire Mk IICs were built as new, having the universal "C type" wing. Neither the Mk IB nor IIC had folding wings, restricting the number that could be carried on aircraft carriers. It was three squadrons of the Mk IIC and one squadron flying the IB that operated in support of the Operation Torch landings in North Africa in November 1942. Here they flew from the carriers Furious, Formidable and Argus and were generally successful although the extra weight of the naval equipment fitted to the Seafires meant they often could not catch the fast Junkers Ju 88 bombers in a stern chase once the German bombers had dropped their bombload. The performance of the Spitfire IIC was to be boosted by the fitting of the Merlin 32 engine with a four-bladed propeller, giving much-increased speed and rate-of-climb at low altitudes. This mark of Seafire was called the L Mk IIC. Most Spitfire IICs were upgraded to become L Mk IICs.
Seafire L MkIIC, MB156
To operate the early Seafires with non-folding wings on carriers without lifts big enough to accomodate them, they were parked on "outriggers" sticking out from the flightdeck.
To operate the early Seafires with non-folding wings on carriers without lifts big enough to accomodate them, they were parked on "outriggers" sticking out from the flightdeck.
A shortage of Martlet fighters forced the use of Seafires from the escort carrier HMS Fencer in the North Atlantic in 1943. Four squadrons of Seafires (two of them flying the new L MKIIC) saw action in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, operating from the carriers Formidable and Indomitable. The nadir of Seafire operations came with Operation Avalanche, the landings at Salerno in Italy in September 1943. No less than 11 Seafire squadrons and an additional two flights operated off the big fleet carriers Illustrious and Formidable, the maintenance carrier Unicorn and the smaller escort carriers Hunter, Stalker, Attacker and Battler. The squadrons operated a mixture of IIC and L MK IIC Seafires. Low wind over the flight decks, along with a string of other factors led to a high number of deck landing accidents. The Seafires had been meant to provide cover for only one day, until fighters could be flown into an airstrip at Montecorvino that was expected to be captured on the first day of the landings, the Seafires ended up having to provide cover for four days, with the loss of 42 Seafires through accidents.
The narrow track undercarriage was always a disadvantage on the Seafire. If the landing was not spot-on the Seafire tended to tip to one side or another and dig its wing into the deck. Much is made of the Seafire's poor deck landing record, however, the real shortcoming of the Seafire as a naval fighter was its poor endurance of only 90 minutes. To keep 12 hours of fighter cover airborne over a fleet would take at least 8 launches and recoveries per aircraft kept airborne. This compares with only 3 launches and recoveries needed to keep a Fulmar or Wildcat (with drop tanks) in the air for 12 hours and only 2 for the Japanese Zero with drop tank.
The Seafire III introduced folding wings so that more Seafires could be carried in the confined space onboard aircraft carriers. The L Mk III version used a Merlin 55M engine for increased performance. When Operation Dragoon was launched, to land troops in the south of France in August 1944, four squadrons of Seafires provided cover. Two squadrons flew the L Mk III version, one still flew the L Mk IIC and the other flew a mixture of L Mk IIIs and L Mk IICs. In this operation the Seafires were often used in the ground-attack role, carrying bombs. In the Indian Ocean, Spitfire IIIs were operated from the escort carrier HMS Atherling during Operation Councillor in June 1944, a diversion meant to divert Japanese forces from the US attack on Saipan.
The Seafire III introduced folding wings, allowing more to be carried and allowing the use of seafires on carriers with smaller lifts.
By 1944, the Royal Navy had received large numbers of American Hellcat and Corsair fighters under the Lend-Lease programme. It were these that were used as escorts to Barracuda bombers during the Operation Tungsten strikes on the German Battleship Tirpitz in 1944. Still, Seafires flying from the old carrier HMS Furious provided cover for the British carrier force. Seafires also flew from Furious in the follow-up Operations Mascot and Goodwood. For Goodwood, they were joined by Seafires operating from the new armoured carrier HMS Indefatigable. The new Griffon-powered, twin-seat Fairey Firefly strike-fighter also joined these last two operations.
It was Hellcats, Corsairs and Fireflys that participated in the two Operation Meridian attacks on Japanese oil refineries near Palembang in Sumatra in January 1945. However, Seafire IIIs operating from HMS Indefatigable provided defence for the British carriers. They did not do well on the first Meridian strike, suffering a number of landing accidents, but they redeemed themselves during the second strike, shooting down four of the six kamikaze bombers sent out by the Japanese. HMS Indefatigable and her Seafire Mk LIIIs went on to serve in the British Pacific Fleet (Task Force 57) as part of the invasion of Okinawa. Seafires went on to perform missions over the coast of Japan in the closing days of the war flying from the carriers Implacable and Indefatigable.
Seafire MK III on the deck of HMS Implacable in the Far East. It has an American 89-gallon drop tank under the fuselage. The use of these tanks (traded for Scotch whiskey) greatly extended the endurance of the Seafires.
The Navy also operated another mark of Spitfire, the low-level photo-reconnaissance PR Mk XIII. This had the same Merlin 32 engine as the Seafire L Mk IIC. It could carry 3 cameras and was only armed with 4 machine guns (the cannons being deleted). At least 11 were operated by the Navy in shore-based training roles within the UK. Most were used by 718 Naval Air Squadron based at Henstridge in Dorset.
Seafire Mk XV landing, showing the "stinger" style arrester hook deployed.
As the defeat of Germany grew nearer it had been realised that the aircraft carrier-dominated war in the Pacific was soon to be the prime theatre of war, so 1944-45 saw a flurry of development to get Griffon-engined Seafires to the British Pacific Fleet. The first Griffon-powered Seafire was the Mark XV which entered service in May 1945 but it was just a bit too late to see combat service in WW2. The use of the atomic bomb meant war in the Pacific did not last as long as was feared. The Griffon-engined Seafires adopted a "stinger" type arrestor hook. The Mark XV was followed by the Mk XVII with teardrop canopy, both powered by single-stage versions of the Griffon, optimised for best performance at low altitude. These both had the same type of folding wing as the Mk III Seafire. The Mk XV and XVII replaced the US fighters supplied under Lend-Lease during 1945-47 until being themselves replaced by the Mk 47 and Hawker Sea Fury later in the decade. Archive files show that a dedicated reconnaissance Seafire with a more powerful Griffon 36 engine and no cannon armament was considered, to be called the Mk XVIII, but the project was abandoned.
Royal Canadian Navy Seafire XV photographed by "B25B17"
The first Seafire Mk XVII, NS493, was modified from a Mk XV, given a teardrop canopy and cut-down rear fuselage.
The two-stage Griffon was introduced in the Mk 45 Seafire, along with the Mk 46 with a teardrop canopy. These had the new wing shape used on the Spitfire Mk 21 but the wing did not fold. The Mk 45 and 46 Seafires were never used by front-line navy squadrons. A few of the Seafire Mk 45s were fitted with contra-rotating propellers for test purposes while the Mk 46 had them as standard. The last Seafire to see production was the Mark 47 with a 2,375 Griffon engine and contra-rotating propellers. The Mark 47 reintroduced folding wings, this time with a single fold and the wings sitting vertically upwards when folded.
Seafire FR Mk 45
Seafire FR Mk 46 with contra-rotating propellers.
The FR Mk 47 with folding wings. Note the contra-rotating propellers and stinger arrestor hook. This is the first example produced with the "traditional" style of carburettor air intake under the nose. Most Mk 47s had the intake in a "chin" directly behind and underneath the propellers.
A more representative Seafire FR Mk 47. Notice the deeper nose holding the "chin" air inlet under the propeller, also notice the large "Spiteful" tail. The circular windows in the rear fuselage were to hold photo-reconnaissance cameras.
Seafire FR 47, fitted with underwing "blister" fuel tanks. This particular Seafire, VP463, spent much of its time doing armament trials.
Seafire FR Mk 46 with contra-rotating propellers.
The FR Mk 47 with folding wings. Note the contra-rotating propellers and stinger arrestor hook. This is the first example produced with the "traditional" style of carburettor air intake under the nose. Most Mk 47s had the intake in a "chin" directly behind and underneath the propellers.
A more representative Seafire FR Mk 47. Notice the deeper nose holding the "chin" air inlet under the propeller, also notice the large "Spiteful" tail. The circular windows in the rear fuselage were to hold photo-reconnaissance cameras.
Seafire FR 47, fitted with underwing "blister" fuel tanks. This particular Seafire, VP463, spent much of its time doing armament trials.
A planned successor, the Supermarine Seafang, did not see service. In July 1950 Griffon-engined Seafires Mk 47s were in action over Korea, flying from HMS Triumph. They were retired from service at the end of the year to be replaced by another Supermarine product, the jet-powered Attacker.
Supermarine Seafang.
Links
List of Seafire Marks
Video on the Seafire by Drachinifel interviewing navy aviation historian Matt Willis.
Video on the Seafire by Ed Nash.
The page was rewritten in January 2025
If you want to find out more about the Seafire Matthew Willis' book in the Fleet Air Arm Legends series is a great read. Click on the cover image to view it on Amazon.
Video on the Seafire by Drachinifel interviewing navy aviation historian Matt Willis.
Video on the Seafire by Ed Nash.
The page was rewritten in January 2025
If you want to find out more about the Seafire Matthew Willis' book in the Fleet Air Arm Legends series is a great read. Click on the cover image to view it on Amazon.
