The Supermarine Seafire, or Sea Spitfire (the official name), was a naval
development of the Spitfire, and was the first modern carrier based fighter
fielded by the Royal Navy. Primarily developed for carrier use, the Seafire
incorporated changes such as a tail hook, attachments for catapult use, and on
later variants, folding wings. The Seafire was not the ideal carrier fighter
and especially landings were difficult; but its performance outweighed the
disadvantages. The Seafire had a short range, but its fast climb and agility
made it a very good Fleet defence fighter. The last Seafire version Mk 47 was
used in the Korean war, and retired in 1952.
Seafire III making a carrier landing - arrester hook can be clearly seen
As early as 1938, Supermarine had approached the Admiralty with a
specifically designed Naval version of the Spitfire. However, due to
circumstances beyond their control, the Admiralty ordered the Fairey Fulmar as
the new aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. In February and May 1940 the Admiralty
asked the Air Ministry for Spitfires but on both occasions they were turned
down. However, with the Admiralty's need for a capable carrier-based fighter
to take up the task of combating Japanese Zero's or Messerschmitts which the
Seafire II could perform that task, this need eventually led to the Fleet Air
Arm being provided with the modified Spitfire land-based fighter to take up
the combat roll. In 1941 the Air Ministry offered some Mk I Spitfires to the
Navy but the Admiralty demanded the latest version in production, the Mk V.
Seafire III - first variant with folding wings
Finally, in September 1941 the Admiralty placed an order for 250 Spitfire
Mk Va and Vb aircraft. They had, however, yet to decide on what modifications
had to take place in order to make the aircraft suited to carrier operations.
The land-based Spitfire V were then modified and renamed the Seafire II. The
first Seafires were actually hooked Spitfires. The RAF loaned 110 Mk Va and Vb
and three Mk II b's to the FAA for training purposes of which 59, including
the II b's, had been fitted with arrester hooks. The modifications of the
Spitfire did change the Seafire's characteristics somewhat. Approaches were
difficult, visibility was limited at best, landing gear collapses were
commonplace, and, the arrester hooks had a tendency to miss and bounce back
into the fuselage frames which buckled the airframe. More were lost to
breaking their landing gear in hard landings than to all enemy causes. As a
low-level fleet defence interceptor, the Seafire was supreme, but it paid a
price with its fragility.
Two of the ex-RAF Spitfire V aircraft were sent to the factory for full
naval conversion. HMS Illustrious saw the first landing of Seafire on 10
February 1942. Eventually 163 ex-RAF aircraft were converted to the Seafire Mk
Ib standard by the addition of arrester hooks, strengthened rear fuselages,
slinging points, and Naval radios.
The next major version of the Seafire to enter service was the Mk F III in
November 1943. This was the first version to be fitted with a folding wing
which allowed below deck stowage for the first time. The initial batch of the
Mk F III were quickly replaced by the Mk L III with the low rated Merlin 55 M
engine. Over 1000 of these aircraft were produced. The FAA also had a
requirement for recce and converted a number of Mk II and Mk III aircraft for
this role by adding a pair of f.24 cameras. It was in this role that the
Seafire was most successful.
The first Griffon powered Seafire, the XV, was introduced into service in
May 1945. This was the first Seafire designed from the start with folding
wings with production starting in Nov 1944. When the war ended eight FAA
Squadrons were equipped with the Mk III and the other four were converting to
the XV. Eventually the Fleet Air Arm used the F4U and F6F to fill the Fleet
defender roll.
The Seafire XV was the first Griffon-powered Seafire. It combined the wing
of the Seafire
III with the fuselage of the Spitfire V and the engine, cowling and prop of
the Spitfire XII. The Griffon turned opposite the Merlin, but the
"bend" of the airframe was not changed, which led Griffon
Spitfires to swing on takeoff. The Seafire XV arrived just too late for
operational service in World War II. Despite all its problems, its low-level
performance would have been good against the Kamikazes had an invasion of
Japan been required.
Seafire Mark XVII
The Seafire also served with other Commonwealth and overseas Fleet Air
Arms. The Seafire IIc MB190 was tested in the USA for possible use in 1944
with Seafire IIc MB190 being sent to Naval Air Test Centre, USNAS Patuxent
River in May 1944 where it remained until VE-Day 1945. The Seafire was also
tested by the SAAF, Seafire F.III LR783 went on trials with 7 SAAF
squadron from June till July 1944. The French Fleet Air Arm (Aeronavale)
received Seafire IIc in April 1948 (eg NN136), Seafire LIII after 1947 (eg
NN312, NN303) and Seafire III as 54S.24 (Arromanches).
A total of 35 Seafires served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from 14
March 1946 to 29 April 1954. During this period the Seafire was flown
operationally by 803 Squadron (June 1945 - August 1947) and 883 Squadron
(September 1945 - November 1947) from the aircraft carrier HMCS Warrior and
the Royal Canadian Naval Air Section which was a lodger unit at Royal Canadian
Air Force (RCAF) Station Dartmouth (RCNAS Shearwater). The last Seafire was
struck off strength from the RCN in April 1954.
The Seafire was withdrawn from Fleet Air Arm front-line service in 1951 and
continued to serve with the RNVR until late 1954.
The final variant - Seafire 47 with contra-rotating propeller
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