
Part of Series
Eighty years after the Spitfire was first developed, it remains an icon of military aviation. Though many associate its victory during the Battle of Britain as the high point in the history of the Spitfire, the years following were of equal importance. Having weathered the initial storm, at the start of 1941 Fighter Command took the fight to the Germans with offensive missions over the Channel. This book reveals how RAF squadrons, first using the Spitfire I and II and then, following the introduction of the Bf 109, the cannon-armed Spitfire V, embarked on a range of missions which included one of the most important air battles of the war, over Dieppe on August 19, 1942. Alongside British pilots were squadrons manned by exiled Europeans and pilots from the RAAF, RCAF, and RNZAF. In just three years, over one hundred of these racked up ace status in the Spitfire.
Author
Andrew Holmes has worked as Osprey's aerospace editor since 1989, having previously served as an author/photographer for this publishing house. He established the critically acclaimed and hugely popular Aircraft of the Aces series in 1994. Andrew Thomas is one of Britain's most prominent RAF researchers, having published numerous squadron histories. He is presently a serving officer in the RAF. Please refer to Andrew R. Holmes for the American author who writes on aviation security and geopolitics (amongst other topics).