Hurricane question - Exercise SCORCH

[diamant]

Hello

I wonder if someone could help me in the following matter. It is a difficult question.

A friend of my sent me a very interesting article from the magazine Aircraft Ilustrated (June 1972). The name is Port Underwing, Night, Phase IV, 1941-1945 by Ian Huntley and deal with the exercise "SCORCH".

"The anti invasion exercise was "SCORCH" held from 14 hs on Saturday, December 6 to sunset on Sunday, December 7,1941.
In this exercise, which roughly covered an area within a line bounding Lowestoft-Bicester-Basingstoke-Sheerness, units of Army Co operation and Fighter Command, dreopped parachete containers respresenting groups of airbone troops, and provided additional attacking and defending aircraft respectively……...…

Special identity markings were authorised. Those for "enemy" aircraft consisted of a Night port underwing, with a centre line of aircraft demarcation, and the aircraft individual letter marked on the starboard underwing in Night in the halfway position between wing root and roundel in as large a size as the chord or area permitted. "Friendly" aircraft were marked on ly with the individual letter on the starboard underwing in Night, as in the enemy case.

These markings were known to have been applied to Lysander, Tomahawk, Blenheim IV, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft.



Army Co operation units (Lysanders, Tomahwks, Blenheim Ivs and a few Spitfire) were still in the Temperat Land scheme of Dark Green and Dark Earth upper surfaces, with Sky on the Lower surfaces. Fighter Command units (Spitfires and Hurricanes) were in the new Day Fighter Scheme consisting of Dark Green adn Mixed Grey (Ocean Grey) with Medium sea Grey on lower surfaces.

In Exercise "SCORCH" the majority of the Army Co-operation units played "enemy" roles with Fighter Command units playing "friendly" roles."

To be honest I have never hear about this type of markings before.

Since we will build a sub collection of the Hawker Hurricane (my father did it with the Supermarine Spitfire: Modelling for a Lifetime - A Story About the Ultimate Spitfire Collection
I think that it will be great if we can include a Hurricane painted in this markings to this sub collection.

I will really appreciate if someone could help me in this matter with complementary information or pictures.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards
Santiago Hrubisko

[Wildcat]

G'day Santiago, I can't help you with your question mate but I'm aware of the group builds you and your Dad do and think it is fantastic work!! I liked your Boomerang and Wackett projects that you guys have recently worked on, great stuff. Keep up the good work!

[antoni]

Because of the short duration of such exercises photographs of these type of special markings are very rare or, in some cases, probably non-existent.
The Day Fighter Scheme (Dark Green/Ocean/Grey/Med Sea Grey), as the name implies, was developed specifically for the use on aircraft in the Day Fighter role. It was not used on aircraft used in other roles such as army cooperation.
Night was a specific type of paint, DTD308, not just black. (In fact it was not a true black as it contained Ultramarine pigment.) Because the markings were temporary I would guess that they used DTD441, a semi-permanent, washable form.
309 (Polish) Squadron was involved in Exercise Scorch. All that it says in the official history of the Polish Air Force is:
"During December 'A' Flight took part in the exercise "Scorch" operating from Ipswich, and 'B' Flight, in "Stag" operating from Inverness."

So there may have been a similar exercise called Stag taking place in Scotland at the same time.

There is a photograph of Lysander V9576 AR*N which has a black letter N under the starboard wing. There is also a photograph of the aircraft from the other side and the port wing could be black underneath.

[Wurger]

Cool find Antoni.

[diamant]

Hi Antoni

Thank you very much for your reply.

When I read the article I found it very interesting and I did not know if someone could have more information.

Is there any way that I can find which sqdn of Hurricane were involved on that exercise?.

I have sent you a message last week. Have you received it?.
I wonder if there is any way that I can make contact with you.

Again, many thanks.
I have many other doubts / interesting subject as regards the Hawker Hurricane. Our preliminary list count more than 50 models (Hurricane).

Kind regards
Santiago Hrubisko

[diamant]

many thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

Santiago