Line-up of some of the B Flight, No. 30 Squadron RAF’s Hawker Hurricane Mark Is (Z4204 “H” nearest) at Idku, Egypt, 1941, employed as night fighters where this unit was deployed for the Alexandria’s defence against the Axis night raid. This photo taken by day show the all matt black color of the Hurricane’s upper surface. The lower surface’s color seems bright black. The fuselage’s roundel is without the with circle, but with the “darkening” of the plane contrasting the bright white large H letter. In reality an effective night air defence was possible only with the radar-equipped fighters. Victor Sierra

All black Hurricane

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris at work in the Bombing Interpretation Room at RAF Bomber Command HQ, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, date uncertain (1942-'45).  Best regards. JR.

Hit or Miss ?

Hawker Hurricane Mark I of No. 213 Squadron RAF based at Famagusta, banks away from the photographer's aircraft over the mountains of Cyprus. Photo likely taken when the Squadron was deployed, July-December 1941, at Nicosia, Cyprus, to contrast the air operations of Regia Aeronautica and Luftwaffe from the bases of the Aegean and the occupied Greece, prior of this return in Egypt. The photo depict the seemingly undersurface paint scheme used, with considerable variation, according the IWM’s label, to identify operational RAF fighters in the early years of the Second World War. In this case the aircraft's azure-blue undersurface has been augmented by painting the port wing matt black. Victor Sierra

