sep 27, 1948 - Operation Velvetta

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Operation Velvetta, also known as Operation Alabama, was a covert 1948 Israeli Air Force mission to ferry 60 Supermarine Spitfires purchased from Czechoslovakia to Israel. This high-stakes operation used an abandoned Luftwaffe airbase in Nikšić, Yugoslavia, as a waystation. The operation involved a two-leg journey: the first from Kunovice, Czechoslovakia, to Nikšić, and the second, a challenging 2,250 km flight over open water directly to Israel.

The operation was shrouded in secrecy due to opposition from Britain and the USSR. To avoid detection, the aircraft were repainted with Yugoslav roundels for the flight and only revealed their Israeli markings upon arrival. The first leg on September 24 proceeded with minor issues, except for one aircraft's landing gear failure. The second leg involved stripping the aircraft of non-essential weight and equipping them with extra fuel tanks to endure the long journey over the sea.

The initial attempt to ferry five planes on September 27 faced difficulties; two ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing in Rhodes, where the pilots were detained but eventually released without compromising the mission's details. Despite weather-related setbacks and the loss of two pilots in subsequent flights, the operation successfully relocated several Spitfires, which significantly bolstered Israeli air capabilities during the critical stages of the 1947–1949 Palestine war.

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