Originally Posted by
R6915
Supermarine history can be a little tricky, can I reccomend a website named the SUPERMARINERS that is accurate and expanding all the time
JQ makes the point that they were very lucky not to loose the Eastleigh facility 'erecting shop and testing' and all running from the WW1 Belfast hangars on site, as the Cunliffe Owen new factory was heavily blitzed and not able to help take the load from the Itchen and Woolston production factories.
Dowding had been under great pressure to send Spitfires to France but stood firm as he knew we needed everyone one of them for home defence. Even so their numbers were whittled down by the evacuation,and it is surprising that the Southampton production facilities lasted so long. But that is the way of conflict, long term plans become obsolete overnight, and although CB were late on parade their contribution was a 'tide turner' that the Germans could not stop.
Of course whilst all this was going on the dear old Hurricane was pouring out of Gloucester and Kingston thereby ensuring we al least had a capable defender to fall back on. Sydneys hump backed knuckleduster had its drawbacks,but in the right hands was a bit of a bruiser.