The Spitfire was a fine air defence fighter - flown by young men who
could fly several sorties over the Home Counties, then head out to the
local pubs in the evening, to party.
The Spitfire could not defend the heavy bombers needed to destroy the
German war production effort. It had no legs.This role was meat and
potatoes for the Mustang, once the American troops learned the need for
flying high cover on those long range missions.
Before I provoke even more hollow patriotism of the kind I already see
too often in the US, I had better mention that I worked at Serck in the
Tyseley (Greet) plant that made the Spitfire heat exchangers, and flew
from Biggin where those boys sortied, and raised a glass in the same
pub, and I was a member of the street picnics held all over the country
to celebrate victory long years after hiding with my Mother under the
kitchen table while being bombed, unlike I suppose, any of the
"patriots" currently responding.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK


Peter Hardman wrote:
I should also be remembered that the Mustang was originally built to meet a
UK aircraft requirement specification, and was not accepted for that, as it
was deemed to be grossly under powered.

It didn't become a succesful aircraft until someone (be they American or
British) decided to fit a BRITISH ROLLS ROYCE MERLIN engine. It then became
the most succesful piston engined fighter of the war.

Cheres
Pete h

At 05:45 25 July 2009, Derek Copeland wrote:
I should point out that Hitler gave up trying to invade the UK after the
Battle of Britain in 1940 and tried to invade Russia instead, so we at
least achieved a draw against Nazi Germany before the US even entered
the
war.

What we would not have been able to do without US help was to re-invade
Europe in 1944, so the French have much more to thank you and us for,
not
that they generally show it!

The Spitfire was initially built at Supermarine in Southampton and was
developed before the war started, so less urgency in peacetime. It also
incorporated a lot of new technology for the time and was somewhat more
complicated to build than the Hawker Hurricane, which was available in
much greater numbers at the time of the Battle of Britain, and in
reality
shot down far more German aircraft than the Spitfire.

The Castle Bromwich works near Birmingham involved building an entire
new
factory, so it is not surprising that it took twelve months to come on
line. See:

http://tinyurl.com/5pfk6f

Derek Copeland



At 00:20 25 July 2009, brian whatcott wrote:
Del C wrote:
.....
Don't worry Peter! Bill thinks that anything not made in the USA is
no
good. He is from the country that came up with the supposedly self
defending B17 Bomber that your lot shot down in droves in WW2, at
least
until the long range Mustang fighters with UK designed Merlin engines
came
along to defend them. ....
Derek Copeland

This sentiment is unbecoming a UK citizen whose liberty depended on the

War materiel support and post-war aid that the USA provided Europe,
and
in particular Britain. If Americans sometimes talk like 19th century
British Imperialists, it is because they too have drunk deep of the
same
heady wine - world dominion - but only for a while.....

Even talk of war-planes can easily turn to one's disadvantage:
try comparing the Mustang, from first drawing, to first proto in six
months - compared with say the Spitfire assembly at Castle Bromwich
satellite factory from parts - first product out of the hangar took
TWELVE months....

Brian W

OT