I only have one in my collection

Arneken · 02-19-2008, 08:29 AM

and it's this one:

A hawker tempest. but is there a way to find out when it's been taken? I found it in a book called the day of the typhoon, wich I bought in a second hand store. The person who had the book before me mistoke himself by thinking the photo was a typhoon.For the rest there is nothing on the backside.

Ther are some persons barely visible behind the plane but not enough to compare uniforms with.(3 if I'm not mistaken) And the background doesn't really give much away either.

I do know what a terrible question this is, but I better ask it because you never know.

Friendly Belgium Greetings Arne

A4K · 02-20-2008, 07:49 AM

Tht's a nice shot, Arne, thanks!
It's definitely a Tempest Mk.V, but without any visible codes it would be hard to place.
Where would you commonly find large open grassy airfields with very few trees or buildings around?
My uneducated guess would be one of the 'low-land' countries of continental Europe, rather than the UK, possibly Holland or even Belgium ??

Wurger · 02-20-2008, 08:06 AM

Yep It is possible.Especially that he dark painted spinner can indicate the Second TAF in Europe.But there had been other squadrons with Tempest dark coloured spinners before the 2ndTAF had

Here the pic with some corrections.

Arneken · 02-20-2008, 08:44 AM

thanks wurger (strange nickname. In dutch it means strangler)

Well I've been looking a bit at it with a magnifying (terrible word) glass and had already found the indictaion cirkels below the wings. Well Holland has been used for the tempest and Belgium had his bases too. The persons on the pic seem to be quite at ease and the feul at the wings makes me think in the direction off the uk or a airfield away off the front.

but those are just some small thoughts.

greetings.

A4K · 02-20-2008, 08:51 AM

You might be more familiar with it as 'Würger' - the nickname for the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Unfortunately for more than a few Allied pilots 'strangler' would be a fairly accurate translation...

Wurger · 02-20-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arneken

(strange nickname. In dutch it means strangler)

In German as well ,as memory serves.

A4K is right.It should be "Würger" what means Butcher Bird and it was the Fw190 nickname.As you know I'm a Pole and my computer uses a Polish letters with a keyboard.Therefore the "u" letter is without two spots.

Besides it is nice that there is somebody who is scared of me at last.

Arneken · 02-20-2008, 01:27 PM

scared

Marcel · 02-20-2008, 02:04 PM

Could it be one of Squadron 274, based on Volkel (NL)? I believe they had red spinners and the airfield was kinda barren at the time.

Arneken · 02-20-2008, 02:27 PM

Hmmm could be.

Maybe usefull to put the squadrons who had tempest in the low countries here.

o No. 3 Squadron RAF
o No. 16 Squadron RAF
o No. 23 Squadron RAF (Italie, Germany)
o No. 33 Squadron RAF
o No. 56 Squadron RAF

These look promising.

No. 486 Squadron RNZAF

The staid in Holland to with tempests before they move to Denmark

Wurger · 02-20-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arneken

scared

As far as the spinner colour is concerned, the red colour is possible but it could be dark blue or black as well.

Arneken · 02-22-2008, 10:56 AM

A post, on another part of this forum made me wonder. It's a black and white. Couldn't it be that whe're looking at a French Tempest?

Flight Lieutenant Pierre Clostermann (DSO, DFC*)
Nationality: France
Units: 274, 56 and 3
Victories: 12 and 6 shared in Tempest (and 11 previous).

Flight Lieutenant Régis Deleuze
Nationality: France
Units: 501 and 274
Victories: 8 V-1 Flying Bombs.

Lieutenant Jean Vaissier
Nationality: France
Unit: 274
Victories: 1 V1 Flying Bomb in Tempest.

Or did these men all served in the RAF?

Marcel · 02-22-2008, 03:19 PM

Closterman did serve in the RAF, he flew from Volkel for a time with Tempests

Arneken · 02-23-2008, 01:46 PM

I see one dutchman who flew a tempest too.

So would they be flying with The British roundels or the French one?

Drop tanks.

Streamlined 45 gal. drop tanks were introduced with the Serie II Mk. V's. They increased the range from 740 miles to 1530 miles.

Where these standard on the Tempest?

Marcel · 02-23-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arneken

I see one dutchman who flew a tempest too.

So would they be flying with The British roundels or the French one?

That would be Jan Linzel, he already flew Fokkers in 1940.
I believe Closterman flew in RAF squandons, although wearing french uniforms, he flew with a/c's painted in british colors.

Arneken · 02-23-2008, 02:52 PM

Thanks Marcel You've been a real help.

Flight Lieutenant G.F. Jongbloed
Nationality: Holland
Unit: 222
Victories: 1 Fw190 and 1 V-1 Flying Bomb in Tempest. (1 damaged and 7 and 2 shared V-1 Flying Bomb previously.)

Note: Shot down one of the last V1s in daylight on Feb 28 1945. He flew as a Flight Commander on 222 and had previously flown Spit XIVs with 322 Sqn.

There has even been A belgium pilot.

Flight Lieutenant Remy van Lierde (DFC**)
Nationality: Belgium
Unit: 3
Victories: 6 in Typhoon and 44 V-1 Flying Bombs in Tempest.