Osprey Military Aircraft : Spitfire in Blue

When one thinks of the Spitfire, visions of dogfights in the Battle of Britain spring to mind. Very little has appeared on the elite photo-reconnaissance (PR) machines that criss-crossed occupied Europe at various altitudes with only their speed and stealth as a defence. Spitfire in Blue helps to rectify this imbalance through tracing the history of one single Spitfire - Mk XI PL965. A wartime veteran of dozens of dangerous missions with No. 16 squadron during the last year of the war, this machine has survived into the 1990s to be the only air worthy example of a Mk XI in the world today. Text by Hugh Smallwood.

Contents

• Dedication
• 16 Squadron Losses, 2nd TAF Period
• Author's Note
• Foreword
• Prelude
• Battle of Britain Connection
• Aldermaston Spitfire
• Spitfire Type 365, Photo-Reconnaissance, PR Mark XI
• Formidable Opponents
• IP & IP
• 34 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force
• Into Action with 16 Squadron
• PR Problems and Solutions
• PL965 Pilots I
• Bellerby's One Hundredth Trip
• Andy's Tour
• Officers Commanding
• Tommy and the '262s
• PL 965 Pilots II
• 'Q-for' Engineering
• Daily Inspection Section
• Farewell 16 Squadron
• Spitfire Air Dispatch Letter Service
• Dutch Air Force Spitfire
• Overloon 1960-1987
• Rochester Restoration
• Rare Wartime Colour Photographs
• Appendix I - No. 16 Squadron RFC and RAF
• Appendix II - Supermarine's Southern Region Dispersal Scheme
• Appendix III - The Merlin 70 - Developed for Superior Performance at Altitude
• Appendix IV - Breathing Problems at High Altitude
• Appendix V - Photo-Recce Sorties of PL 965
• Appendix VI - Spitfires with 16 Squadron in 1945
• Appendix VII - Movement Details
• Appendix VIII - Acknowledgments
• Glossary
• Markings for Spitfire PR Mark XI, 1945
• Spitfire PR Mark XI Side Elevations and Details
• Index