The Spitfire: An Icon of the Skies by Philip Kaplan

Author:Philip Kaplan [Kaplan, Philip]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, pdf
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2017-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

STATIONED WITH 12 GROUP, RAF IN 1940, SERGEANT GEORGE UNWIN WAS CREDITED WITH FOURTEEN ENEMY AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN BY THE END OF THE YEAR; OVERLEAF: A T MK 9 TRAINING SPITFIRE POSTWAR.

SPITFIRE IN WW2

A CANNON-ARMED SPITFIRE READY FOR TAKE-OFF ON A STRAFING SORTIE.

“At that moment I saw dimly a machine moving in the cloud on my left and flying parallel to me. I stalked him through the cloud, and when he emerged into a patch of clear sky I saw that it was a Ju 87.

“I was in an ideal position to attack and opened fire and put the remainder of my ammunition— about 2,000 rounds—into him at very close range. Even in the heat of the moment I well remember my amazement at the shattering effect of my fire. Pieces flew off his fuselage and cockpit covering, a stream of smoke appeared from the engine, and a moment later a great sheet of flame licked out from the engine cowling and he dived down vertically. The flames enveloped the whole machine and he went straight down, apparently quite slowly, for about five thousand feet, till he was just a shapeless burning mass of wreckage.

“Absolutely fascinated by the sight, I followed him down, and saw him hit the sea with a great burst of white foam. He disappeared immediately, and apart from a green patch in the water there was no sign that anything had happened.The crew made no attempt to get out, and they were obviously killed by my first burst of fire.

“I had often wondered what would be my feelings when killing somebody like this, and especially when seeing them go down in flames. I was rather surprised to reflect afterwards that my only feeling had been one of considerable elation—and a sort of bewildered surprise because it had all been so easy.”

–Flight Lieutenant D.M. Crook, DFC, 609 Squadron

In the very first combat engagement of the war, RAF Fighter Command’s 602 and 603 Squadron Spitfires from Drem and Turnhouse respectively, and Hurricanes of 607 Squadron from Usworth bounced a flight of Junkers Ju 88 bombers of 1/KG 30 out of Westerlund on Sylt. The German bombers were attacking Royal Navy targets in the Firth of Forth, and their crews were under the illusion that the targets were only defended by a small force of Gladiator biplane fighters. In the action, two of the Ju 88s were shot down.

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