Page 9 - TORCH Magazine #23 - July 2023

On the same day that the Arab nations attacked Israel, a British volunteer for the Israeli forces shot down a Spitfire belonging to the Egyptian Air Force as it attacked the Sde Dov airfield in Tel Aviv and crashed
on Herzlia beach. On 22 May, the Egyptian Air Force attacked Ramat David air base thinking it was now belonging to the Israeli Air Force, when in fact it was still occupied by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF). Egypt destroyed a number of RAF Spitfires parked on the ground, then returned for a second attack killing four RAF personnel and destroying more parked planes. When Egypt returned for a third attack, the RAF shot down the entire formation of five Egyptian Spitfires.
Israel’s first fleet of Spitfires was
not provided by Allied nations, nor did they purchase them from overseas. You may have guessed how this young but innovative nation acquired its first Spitfires. The Israeli Air Force built Spitfires from junk.
When British forces evacuated the land, they left behind the wrecked RAF Spitfires destroyed in the Egyptian attacks. Using these parts as well as components from the six downed Spitfires belonging to Egypt, Israel reconstructed a fleet of Spitfires ready to defend itself.
Despite Israel now having these reconstructed
Spitfires along with a
few other planes, it was significantly outnumbered by the invading Arab forces. Israel needed more planes if it was to avoid defeat.
The problem was that neither America nor Britain agreed to sell planes
to Israel. So, Israel
decided to approach
Czechoslovakia, which agreed to sell the Jewish state 50 Supermarine Spitfires.
The planes were to be dismantled and airlifted using transport aircraft. However, in August 1948 political pressure from the US and Britain stopped the air-bridge from Czechoslovakia to Israel and prevented the sale from taking place.
Determined to find a solution, Israel and Czechoslovakia made a secret plan. Instead of transporting them in pieces, they would instead fly the fleet of Spitfires themselves to Israel. This required one refuelling stop in Yugoslavia (300 miles) and a daring
1200 mile non-stop flight from there to Israel. Spitfires were not designed to fly
this long distance, so Israel turned to Sam Pomerance, an American volunteer and experienced flight mechanic, who proposed the plan and would take command, supported by a group of voluntary pilots and mechanics, along with a Czech ground crew. To complete this daunting flight,
the Spitfires were stripped of their guns, oxygen cylinders and other excess weight.
Additional fuel tanks were fitted onto the bomb racks on each wing and a long-range fuel tank under the belly. The radio was removed and replaced with another fuel tank. All these modifications were made to increase the flight time of the
Spitfires.
Photo: Israeli Air Force Archives
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