American Spitfire Aces of World War 2

100 Pages·33.542 MB·English

by  Alfred Price, Chris Davey, Andrew Thomas

ANDREWTHOMASisoneof
Britain'spre-eminentRAF
researchers,havingpublished
numeroussquadronhistories.
Presentlyaservingofficerin
theRAF,thisishissixthbook
forOsprey,andheiscurrently
workingonavolumedetailing
theexploitsofGriffonSpitfire
acesforpublicationinthis
seriesin2008.
ArtistCHRISDAVEYhas
illustratedmorethan20titles
forOsprey'sAircraftofthe
Aces,CombatAircraftand
EliteUnitsseriessince
1994.BasedinMansfield,
Nottinghamshire,andone
ofthelasttraditionalairbrush
artistsinthebusiness;hehas
becometheartistofchoice
forbothUSAAFfightersand
RAFsubjectmatter.
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES®· 80
American Spitfire Aces
of World War 2
(
SERI~S EDITOR: TONY HOLMES
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES®· 80
Am,erican Spitfire Aces
of World War' 2
Andrew Ihomas
FrontCover
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2007byOspreyPublishing
Followingthreeyearsofbitter
fightingbetweenAxisandAllied MidlandHouse,WestWay,Botley,Oxford,0X2OPH
armiesinNorthAfrica,byearlyMay 443ParkAvenueSouth,NewYork, NY, 10016,USA
1943,GermanandItalianforcesin
E-mail;[email protected]
theatreweretrappedin
northeasternTunisia.OnThursday,
6May,adirectassaultonTunis © 2007OspreyPublishingLimited
beganunderheavyaircover.Axis
fighterscontinuedtoopposethe
Allrightsreserved.Apartfromanyfairdealingforthepurposeofprivate
RAFandUSAAF,andaseriesof
study,research,criticismorreview,aspermittedundertheCopyright,
dogfightswerefoughtthroughthe
day.Inthelateafternoon,Spitfires DesignandPatentsAct 1988,nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
ofthe31stFighterGroup(FG) storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,
mountedasweep,withoneofthe
electronic,electrical,chemical,mechanical,optical,photocopying,recording
aircraft(SpitfireVCER187)being
flownbynewly-promotedMajFrank orotherwisewithoutpriorwrittenpermission.Allenquiriesshouldbe
Hillofthe309thFighterSquadron addressedtothepublisher.
(FS).Hehad'madeace'duringa
missionearlierintheday,andat
ISBN 13:978 1846032028
1600hrsheledhisflightintoan
engagementwithenemyfighters
overTunis; EditedbyTonyHolmes
'Weranintoabout16ME-109s
PagedesignbyTonyTruscott
andMacchi202s.Thereweresixof
CoverArtworkbyMarkPostlethwaite
usinSpitVsandfouraboveusin
SpitIXs.Istartedafterthis AircraftProfilesbyChrisDavey
formation,cameupfrom IndexbyAlanThatcher
underneathwheretheydidn'tsee
Printedin China
usandshotatoneMacchi,whichI
hit.Heimmediatelyhalf-rolledand
starteddown.Idon'tknowifhe 07 08 09 10 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
crashedorpulledout.Ijust
damagedit.Theirformationthen
ForacatalogueofallbookspublishedbyOspreypleasecontact:
splitup,andsodidours,andwe
foughtageneraldogfight.
'MajKelly,whowasanew NORTHAMERICA
replacement,wasmywingman. OspreyDirect,C/oRandomHouseDistributionCenter,
Hestayedwithme,eventhough
400HahnRoad,Westminster,MD21157
helaggedbehindacoupleoftimes,
becausehewasinamuchslower E-mail:[email protected]
aeroplane.Whenwesightedsome
moreME-109sandgavechase,two ALLOTHERREGIONS
ofthemturnedoffandclimbedinto
OspreyDirectUK,POBox140Wellingborough,Northants,NN82FA,UK
thesun.Wewentafterthem,
underneathandbehind,sothey E-mail:[email protected]
didn'tseeus.Whenwewereableto www.ospreypublishing.com
closeinagain,Iopenedfireonthe
leadonewhentheybothhalf-rolled,
andhewentdowntrailingglycol
andsmoke.MajKellywatchedhim
foralongwhile,andbelievedhe
neverdidcomeoutofthedive. neverdidattackusagain.Wewere Gruppocommander,Tenente
'TheotherME-109straightened downtoourlastfewgallonsofgas, ColonnelloGiovanniZapetta,
outrightaway,andIcameuponhis sowelandedatanemergencyfield crash-landed.MajHillwasduly
tailandfiredwhatlittleammunition nearthefront,re-servicedandcame creditedwithaBf109destroyedand
Ihadleftathim.Kellyshotathim onhome.' aC.202andasecondMesserschmitt
too,andthenwebothbrokeaway. AlthoughMajHillhadidentified fighterdamaged.Hehadthusmade
TheGermanmusthaveknownIwas bothMacchiandMesserschmitt asignificantcontributiontothe
outofammunition,becausehe fighters,hisflighthadprobably 31stFG'sclaimsforthemost
turnedrightbackandstartedafter engaged14MacchiC.202sof7° fightersdestroyedbyanAmerican
us.HewasalmostonKelly'stail Gruppo,whichhadinturnmadea fightergroupinasingledayinthe
whenItoldmyNo2tobreakhard numberofclaims.TheItalianslost NorthAfricantheatre(Cover
left.TheME-109overshotusand CapitanoSergioMaurer,andthe artworkbyMarkPostlethwaite)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
IN THE I.AFAYEI'I'ETRADITION 6
CHAPTER TWO
IEAGLES' OVER ENGLAND 10
CHAPTER THREE
NORTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE 28
CHAPTER FOUR
OVER MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS 44
CHAPTER FIVE
ITALY - THE HARD YARDS 65
CHAPTER SIX
THE LAST VICTORIES 82
APPENDICES 86
COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 90
BIBLIOGRAPHY 95
INDEX 96
IN THE lAFAYETTE
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I
a.. TRADITION
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A lthough the United States did not enter World War 2 until
December 1941, by then a significant number ofAmerican
citizens had seen action in the British cause as fighter pilots
servingwiththeRoyalAirForce.Thesemenwerefollowinginatradition
offoreign service established during World War 1 when, from 1915,
American volunteers that had enlisted in the French army began
transferringtotheFrenchairservice.Eventually,inAprilofthefollowing
year,theFrenchagreedtotheformationofaunitcomposedofAmerican
pilots,andsotheEscadrilleAmericaine- officiallyknownasN124- was
formed. However,becauseofGermanobjectionssincetheUSAwasstill
neutral,inDecember1916itwasrenamedtheEscadrilleLafayette.
With the unit's growing success came increased fame, resulting in a
flow of American volunteers seeking service with N124, although
applicantsdidnotalwaysservewiththisEscadrille.Nevertheless,allthese
men passed through the Lafayette Flying Corps, which was a body
establishedtoassistAmericansseekingservicewiththeFrenchairservice.
TheEscadrilleLafayettehadbeencreditedwith41 confirmedvictories
bythetimeitwastransferredtotheUSAirServiceinFebruary1918.
When Britain againwent to warwith Germanyin September 1939,
anumberofadventurousyoungAmericans- someofthemexperienced
pilots- volunteeredtheirservices,oftentravellingtotheUKviaCanada,
whileotherswererecruitedintheUSA.SomesawactionoverFranceand
Englandinthespringof1940,whilethefirstAmericanpilotstoflythe
Spitfire began their training with No 7 Operational Training Unit in
earlyJuly,justastheBattleofBritainbegan.
The six Americans that flew Spitfires in this epic campaign were
Plt Offs 'Art' Donahue (No 64 Sqn), Hugh Reilley (No 66 Sqn),
'Red'Tobin, 'Shorty' KeoughandAndrewMamedorf(allwithNo609
Sqn)andPhilLeckrone(No616Sqn).ThetriumvirateofAmericanssent
to No 609 Sqn joined the unit at Middle Wallop on 5 August, and
were described by one of the British officers as 'typical Americans
amusing, always readywithsome devastatingwisecrack, and altogether
excellentcompany. OurthreeYanksbecameaquiteoutstandingfeature
ofthesquadron'.
'Art' Donahue became the firstAmerican to see combat in aSpitfire
when,onthedayhiscompatriotsjoinedNo609Sqn,heflewapatrolover
thecoastnearDoverinK9991.Hewroteafterwards,'Mypulsespounded
and my thoughts raced'. His inexperience was soon revealed, for his
SpitfirequicklyendedupwithapairofBf109Esonitstailandwashit.
'Itshooktheaeroplaneandwasfollowedbyanoiselikehailonatinroof,
Donahue recounted. He managed to get down safely at Hawkinge,
althoughhis aircraftwasbadlydamaged. Duringanactionoverconvoy
6 Peewitonthe8th,however,hebecamethefirstAmericantomakeaclaim
inaSpitfirewhenhedamagedaBfl09E,butontheafternoonofthe12th
Z
hebaledoutofX4018woundedbyburnsandshrapnelafterafightwith --i
::I:
more Emils. Following four weeks in hospital recuperating, Donahue m
rejoinedNo64Sqn,beforemovingtoSpitfire-equippedNo91Sqn,with
whomheeventuallymadefiveclaims.
No 609 Sqn'sAmerican trio flew theirfirst operationalsorties on 16
August, butinhisfirstactionoverSouthamptoneightdayslater(onhis
28thbirthday),AndyMamedorf,whowasinLl082/PR-A,soonfounda
Bf 109E behind him. A cannon shell hit the Spitfire's tail, smashed
through the fuselage and buried itselfin the pilot's back armour, yet
Mamedorfstillmanagedtoflytheheavilydamagedfighterbacktobase.
Latethefollowingafternoon,inafightwithBf11OsofftheIsleofWight,
'Red'Tobinhitanddamagedtwofighterdestroyers.Havingforgottento
turnonhisoxygenpriortoengagingtheenemy,hepassedoutmoments
later,however,anddidnotrecoveruntiljust1000ftabovethewaves!
·Thefirstconfirmedvictorybyan
MamedorfsnextclaimcameonwhatisnowcommemoratedasBattle
AmericanflyingaSpitfirewas
claimedbyPitOff'Red'Tobinof ofBritain Day, 15 September. WhilstdefendingLondon, No 609 Sqn
No609Sqn,who,duringanattack claimedanumberofDo 17sdestroyed,withTobinbeingcreditedwith
onLondonon15September1940, sharinginthedestructionofoneofthem,thoughttohavebeenF1+FSof
wascreditedwithsharingin
8./KG76,whichcrash-landednearShoreham,inKent.Tobinrecorded
thedestructionofaDo17(JSCSC)
inhisdiary, 'IcaughtaDornier,chasedhim,shothisaileronoffandhit
his glycol tank. Hewent into cloud. Iwentdown afterhim and sawit
makeacrash-landing.Crewofthreegotout'.Thisisthoughttohavebeen
thefirstenemyaircraftdestroyedbyanAmericaninaSpitfire.
Tobin'svictimon15Septemberis USpilotsintheothersquadronshad,bythen,alsobeenintroducedto
thoughttohavebeenthisDo17Z operations, 'Zeke' LeckronehavingjoinedNo616SqnatColtishallon
(F1+FSof8./KG76),flownbyFwR 2September.Twoweekslaterhescrambledwithhissectionaftera'plot'
Heitsch,whichcrash-landedonthe
that turned outto be aJu 88 which, afteralongchase, theyclaimedas
sideofahillnearthevillageof
Shoreham,inKent(viaCHGoss) damaged. The aircraft, from 4(F)./122, in fact failed to return. Ofthe
7
LU otherAmericans, Hugh Reilleyfrom DetroitjoinedNo 66 Sqn on the
Z
o dayTobin claimedhisvictory, buton apatrol duringthe afternoon of
a::
17 October, when flying R6800/LZ-N, hehad the misfortune to meet
LU
le. .. Bf109EsfromJG 51 overWesterhamandwasshotdownandkilledby
«
theunit's Geschwaderkommodore,andleadingace,MajWernerMolders.
I
U
FIRST ACE
Intheautumnof1940,theRAF,foravarietyofreasons,decidedtogroup
thevolunteerAmericanpilotsintotheirowndistinctivesquadronalong
thelinesoftheEscadrilleLafayette.So,on19September,No71 Sqnwas
formedasthefirst 'Eagle'squadron, andamongstthosepilotspostedto
the unitwas Phil Leckrone andNo 609 Sqn's trio of'Yanks'. The new
unitwasinitiallyequippedwithahandfulofhighlyunsuitableUS-built
BrewsterBuffalofighters, althoughthesewerereplacedwithHurricanes.
TheunitbecameoperationalinFebruary 1941,andtwofurther 'Eagle'
squadrons- Nos 121 and133-wereformed, againwithHurricanes.
Althoughtheseunitsmadeaseriesofclaimsforaircraftdownedduring
sweepsoverFrance, theincreasingnumbersofeagerAmericansarriving
ThefirstAmericanpilottobekilled in the UKwantedto flySpitfires- and pressureto re-equip the 'Eagle'
inactioninaSpitfirewasPitOff squadronsmounted.So,inearlyAugust1941,No71 Sqnreceivedafull
HughReilleyofNo66Sqn,whowas
complementofwell-usedSpitfirelIs,pendingreceiptofthelatestMkVs.
shotdownbyMajWernerMolders,
thentheLuftwaffe'sleading At least the Americans now had 'Spits'. They flew their first 'Circus'
experte,on17October1940 (bomberescort) missionon27Augustwhentheunitformedpartofthe
(ClassicPublications) escortforBlenheimbomberssenttoattackthesteelworksatLille.
Flying Spitfire lIA P7308/XR-D on this mission was Plt Off Bill
Reilleywaskilledwhilstflying Dunn,whohadbeenoneofthefirst 'Eagles' tomakeaclaimon2July,
SpitfireIR6800/LZ-NofNo66Sqn,
andwhobynowhadthreevictoriesflyingHurricanes.TheLuftwaffewas
whichisseenhererunningupat
tempteduptoengagetheBlenheims,andDunndescribedtheactionthat
Gravesendashorttimebeforeits
destruction(No66SqnRecords) tookplaceoverAmbleteuseat0820hrsinhiscombatreport;
8