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When the formidable German FW 190 appeared over war torn
European skies in August, 1941 it was a rude awakening to the
British and Allied forces to discover that the early Mk V
Spitfire was no match for this latest foe. The re-engined and
more powerful Mk IX with a top speed of 408 mph and outstanding
maneuverability was the countermeasure to the FW 190. The Mk IX
saw continuous service with various air forces worldwide till
war's end and well beyond. It is often considered among the best
of all Spitfire variants and remains as one of aviation’s true
classics.
Canadian
Wing Commander, Johnnie Johnson, RCAF, an Allied ace flew the
model depicted as well as many other spitfire variants in which
he achieved 34 victories in some 700 operational sorties. In
addition to his list of victories Johnson shared 7 more, plus 3
probables shared, 10 damaged, 3 shared damaged and 1 destroyed
on the ground. His victories included 14 Me Bf 109s and 20 FW
190s making him the most successful RAF ace against the FW 190
and the highest scoring Western Allied fighter pilot against the
German Luftwaffe. It is brutal talk, but this came from an era
when it was kill…..or be killed. It is a history that must be
remembered.
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