History
Background
By 1941, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB became the main production version after the early Spitfire variants of the Mk I and Mk II series with eight machine guns. The VB introduced the new Merlin 45 series and B wing as standard, fitted with a mixed armament of 20-mm cannons and 0.303-cal. machine guns. By September 1941, 27 Royal Air Force squadrons were supplied with the Mk VB aircraft and flew them as the prominent Spitfire fighter that could face the German fighters on equal terms, except with the introduction of Fw-190s in August 1941. The Mk V became the most numerous Spitfire variant, with more than 6,000 units produced and delivered, and the Mk V was eventually to equip more than 100 RAF squadrons and other foreign squadrons, including the first two American ‘Eagle’ squadrons.
The Eagle Squadrons were three American fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force established in 1940 with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II, before the US entered the war in December 1941. The first Eagle Squadron was formed in September 1940 as part of the RAF’s buildup during the Battle of Britain, and it became operational on February 5, 1941. The second Eagle Squadron and third Eagle Squadron were formed and became operational in May 1941 and July 1941, respectively. All squadrons had flown early Hurricanes and Spitfires for defensive duties in England and across the English Channel.
The Eagle Squadrons received the latest Spitfire Mk VBs upgraded with cannons in late 1941 and early 1942. They continued operating the aircraft, carrying out offensive operations over the channel, and providing bomber escorts. The Dieppe Raid was the only time all three Eagle Squadrons saw action operating Spitfires together, where they provided air cover and damaged and shot down Ju-88s and Fw-190s, with six American Spitfires lost in the battle.
Under New Management
With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US officially entered the war. The three Eagle Squadrons were to be transferred from the RAF to the Eighth Air Force of the US Army Air Forces, and the transfer process was effectively completed on September 29, 1942. The Eagle Squadrons were disbanded and reformed as the 4th Fighter Group of the USAAF at RAF Debden.
The 4th FG flew Spitfire Mk VBs with USAAF markings and performed fighter sweeps over the French coast between Calais and Dunkirk. Until mid-January 1943, the 4th FG was earmarked to become a subject of the latest P-47C Thunderbolt recipient. The group began converting to the P-47, but operations on Spitfire Mk VBs continued for a time.
The transition to the P-47 was gradual, not immediate, to create the impression that the Spitfire fighter was still in active use, deceiving enemy intelligence to believe that American Spitfires remained a part of the frontline force.
On March 12, 1943, 28 Spitfire Mk VBs from the 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons of the 4th FG flew a sweep to the Dieppe area but did not spot any enemy fighters. That same afternoon, 23 aircraft of both squadrons committed another fighter sweep of the Dunkirk area. They then headed towards Calais and over Audruicq before being attacked by a pair of Fw-190s. The 4th FG’s final Spitfire claim was made when the American Spitfire Mk VB damaged a German fighter. It was the last engagement undertaken between American Spitfires and German Fw-190s.
On March 16, 1943, the 4th FG’s remaining Spitfires were officially withdrawn from operations and stored in the 336th dispersal. However, a tiny fraction of American Spitfire Mk VBs continued to fly until the end of March due to a shortage of P-47s. The full transition to the P-47 aircraft was officially completed on April 1, 1943.
Enter the Untested USAAF
The 31st Pursuit Group was activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan, on February 1, 1940. It flew the earliest model of the P-39 Airacobra. Then, with the US’s entry into World War II, the 31st Pursuit Group was transferred to England in June 1942. It arrived at Atcham and High Ercall in Shropshire, and it was reestablished as the 31st Fighter Group by the newly created Eighth Air Force in England. It was initially planned that the 31st FG was to fly P-39 aircraft out of England. However, the RAF convinced the Americans of the unsuitability of the P-39 for aerial combat in Western Europe. Thus, the 31st FG received Spitfire Mk VBs with USAAF markings under a reverse lend-lease arrangement.
Six senior pilots from the 31st FG were attached to RAF units to gain operational experience flying across the Channel, with the first sortie being conducted on July 26, 1942. When they flew their sweep with 412 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, the 31st FG executive officer, Lt. Col Albert P. Clar,k was shot down over France and became a Prisoner of War, becoming the first USAAF fighter casualty in the European theater.
The 31st FG finally became the first American combat group declared operational and available for combat operations in the European Theater of Operations. The group initially flew their Spitfire Mk VBs on defensive patrols and some convoy escorts. Later, they participated as escorts for US bombing raids on targets in northern France.
The Spitfire groups of the 31st FG got their first taste of serious action when they formed part of the fighter cover for the Dieppe raid on August 19, 1942. Like the 4th FG, formerly Eagle Squadrons, they had seen the heaviest air battle of the war. They entered air-to-air engagements and damaged and shot down some Fw-190s at the cost of eight American Spitfires. However, 2nd Lt. Samuel Junkins became the first American operating in an American combat unit to shoot down a German aircraft with the Spitfire.
While the Eighth Air Force had gained the 4th FG transferred from the RAF, the 31st FG was declared non-operational on October 14, 1942, before they boarded ships bound for their next assignment during Operation Torch. Upon their arrival, they would fly tropicalized Spitfire Mk VCs in North Africa.
The 52nd Fighter Group was another USAAF group that arrived in England in July 1942 and was equipped with the Spitfire Mk VBs instead of P-39s. However, it was seen in limited actions with the Spitfires across France during August and September of that year, as it remained in training with the Royal Air Force for most of the time. Later, the 52nd FG joined with the 31st FG in Operation Torch, where the 52nd FG would fly the tropicalized Spitfire Mk VCs to Algeria. The groups operated together as part of Twelfth through April 1944.
The 4th, 31st, and 52nd FGs were the only USAAF units that had operationally used the Mk VB until early 1943, and thus, the Spitfire Mk VB’s service with the USAAF was concluded.
