“The basic specifications for United States aircraft now flying in combat areas were laid down five years or more ago, an indication of the slow process of aeronautical design in peacetime. (…) [At the same time] Germany had a definite plan for employment of its aircraft then under test. So did Japan. So, for different reasons, did the designers in England. A striking proof of their conviction is the Spitfire – a splendid fighter, admirable in all respects for the defense of France and, as it later proved, of England itself.”
US Office of War Information, 1942
Algumas fotos para inspirar montagens:
Spike Miley's 336th FS Spit MKVb
Capt Don Willis 335th FS 4th FG
1Lt Van Ausdell's Spit MK Vc HL+O after take-off accident caused by future Lt Gen and MIG ace Royal Baker
Maj Jim "Big Stick" Thorsen CO 308th FS
1Lt Dick Hurd 308th FS after pranging his Spit MK VIII
Spit MK Vb 31st FS 1942
Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXC of 307th Fighter Squadron, Italy, 1944.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk XI in the World War II Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The Spitfire was one of only a few foreign aircraft to see service with the USAAF, equipping four groups in England and the Mediterranean. Spitfires were briefly flown by the US Navy after the Normandy landings to support cruisers and battleships bombarding land targets
USAAF - United States Army Air Forces
4th Fighter Group
334th Fighter Squadron
335th Fighter Squadron
336th Fighter Squadron
USN - United States Navy Cruiser Scouting Squadron Seven (VCS-7)
Re: Spitfires Yankes
Enviado: 29 Ago 2014, 21:00
por yerrcastro
Muito bom!
Eu gosto bastante da história dos voluntários americanos que lutaram na Batalha da Inglaterra. Principalmente do período até a formação dos Eagle Squadrons na RAF.
Recomendo esse livro que li recentemente:
Seguindo a trajetória desses voluntários, quando os EUA entraram na guerra ocorreu o seguinte:
71 (Eagle) Squadron passou para o 334th Fighter Squadron
121 (Eagle) Squadron foi para o 335th Fighter Squadron
133 (Eagle) Squadron foi para o 336th Fighter Squadron
Todos eles operaram o Spitfire entre 1942 e 1943 e depois passaram para o P-47.
Se alguém souber quais versões de Spitfire usaram, gostaria de ter essa informação.
Re: Spitfires Yankes
Enviado: 29 Ago 2014, 22:56
por meianoite2
Uma excelente referência sobre Spits a serviço da USAAF é o American Spitfire Aces of World War 2, da Osprey.
Referência:
Thomas, A. and Davey, C. American Spitfire Aces of World War 2. 96 pp. Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series, #80. Osprey Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2007. ISBN 9781846032028
Agora respondendo a pergunta, chupinhado a partir da referência acima (na pág. 89 tem esse resumo):
4th Fighter Group
co -Col EWAnderson
334th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - XR
When Spitfire-equipped - September 1942 to March 1943
Mark/s - V
Theatre/s - UK
COs - Maj GA Daymond
335th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - AV
When Spitfire-equipped - September 1942 to March 1943
Mark/s -V
Theatre/s - UK
COs - Maj WJ Daley and Maj DJ MBlakeslee
336th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - MD
When Spitfire-equipped - September 1942 to March 1943
Mark/s - V
Theatre/s - UK
COs - Maj CWMcColpin and Maj 0 HCoen
31st Fighter Group
COs - Col J RHawkins, Lt Col FMDean, Lt Col FA Hill and Lt Col CMMcCorkle
307th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - MX
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to March 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Capt GJ La Breche, Capt MPDavis, Capt VCFields and Maj ACGillem
308th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - HL
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to March 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Maj FMDean, Maj DBAvery, Capt TDFleming,Capt J HPaulk, Maj WJ Overend and Maj J GThorsen
309th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - WZ
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to March 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Maj HRThyng, Maj FA Hill, Maj CWPayne and Capt GBJared
52nd Fighter Group
COs - Col DMAllison, Lt Col GWWest, Lt Col J SCoward, Lt Col RAAmes, Col MLMcNickle and Lt Col RLevine
2nd Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - QP
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to April 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Lt REKeyes, Capt J SCoward, Maj GVWilliams and Capt BSSanborn
4th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - WD
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to April 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Maj RLevine, Maj Houston and Capt Trowbridge
5th Fighter Squadron
Unit Code - VF
When Spitfire-equipped - July 1942 to April 1944
Mark/s - V, VIII and IX
Theatre/s - UK, MedME
COs - Capt GCDeaton and Capt EKJenkins
496th Fighter Training Group
555th Fighter Training Squadron
Unit Code - C7
When Spitfire-equipped - December 1943 to early 1944
Mark/s - V and IX
Theatre/s - UK
Repare que isso engloba os aviões de caça ligados à USAAF e não os "Eagles" que serviram na RAF como voluntários antes da entrada dos EUA na guerra e nem os de reconhecimento (PR).
Até onde vai a minha memória, teve Eagle usando Mk.I, II e V (em várias subvariantes), e os PR mais usados pelos americanos foram os XI e XIX. De qualquer maneira, isso exige um pouquinho mais de pesquisa!
HTH!
Re: Spitfires Yankes
Enviado: 29 Ago 2014, 23:40
por meianoite2
Sobre Spitfires usados pela US Navy, no Cruiser Scouting Squadron Seven (VCS-7) tem material interessante em:
Resumindo, foi verificado que os SOC Seagull e OS2U Kingfisher embarcados poderiam ficar muito vulneráveis a uma eventual oposição da Luftwaffe durante a Operação Overlord.
Assim, 17 pilotos dos cuzadores USS Quincy (CA 71), USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) e USS Augusta (CA 31), e dos encouraçados USS Nevada (BB 36), USS Arkansas (BB 33) e USS Texas (BB 35) foram selecionados para serem qualificados no Spitfire e com eles executaram as suas missões de observação e controle naval (spotting) a partir de terra, baseados na Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) de Lee-on-Solent.
Eles se juntaram a vários outros esquadrões da RAF e da FAA e operaram em "pool" conjuntamente com os ingleses.
O primeiro link acima, em particular, conta bem essa história e traz algumas fotos interessantes.
