Recent content by Buccaneer

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    What was the use of Wildcat, Corsair and Hellcat in western Hemisphere?

    On Christmas Day 1940, a Martlet/Wilcat claimed the first kill by a Grumman aircraft in WW2. A Ju88 tried to do a photo recce of Scapa Flow (British equivalent of Pearl Harbour) in the Orkney Isles. 804 squadron, Fleet Air Arm, were just sitting down to Christmas dinner when they were...
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    Help on ID of RAF insignia

    The 'insignia' is a broach worn by the ladies, usually wives of aircrew, at social gatherings. I have not seen one mounted on a propellor before. The crown on the broach is a 'Kings Crown', which means that it pre-dates Queen Elizabeth. Unfortunately there is no way of knowing which king...
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    BF 109 Dive Rate

    The following is an extract from a original Personal Combat Report, in my possession, dated 12 July 1944, from S/Ldr Gilmour, 19 Squadron, flying a Mustang: 'He half rolled down and I followed him. He was going down almost vertically and I could not get my sights on him. We went through cloud...
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    Just How Superior

    Regarding Mustang superiority, I have the logbook of an RAF Mustang pilot sitting on my desk. One of the combats he was involved in may answer the question. On 15 Aug 1944, 12 Mustangs of 19 Squadron spotted a mixed formation (gaggle) of 80 plus Me109 and Fw190 fighters. They started to climb...
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