US Spitfires

[Mike Williams]

Gents,

Is there any place to look specifically if I want to find more combat reports by Capt. Carey?

Cheers,
Biff

Hello Biff, please see attached combat reports for Capt. John Carey. My understanding is that he was credited with 4.5 enemy aircraft destroyed, which looks to be what these two plus the one previously posted add up to. Check with AFHRA or National Archives for additional info.

 

[BiffF15]

Hello Biff, please see attached combat reports for Capt. John Carey. My understanding is that he was credited with 4.5 enemy aircraft destroyed, which looks to be what these two plus the one previously posted add up to. Check with AFHRA or National Archives for additional info.

Thanks Mike!

 

[nuuumannn]

why is it always us that ruin everything

Because the Americans are always late to the party. If they turned up at the same time as the Brits you'd both be ruining things together!

 

[Dimlee]

Just my speculation...
USAAF night fighter squadrons were equipped with Beaufighters in the Mediterranean in 1943-1944 and were not too happy. Worn out machines, lack of spare parts and (probably) more difficult for the pilots who started on A-20s. And RAF already had night-fighter Mosquitos in the same theatre.
Could someone mix different stories and "replace" night fighters with Spitfires?

 

[Mike Williams]

Just my speculation...
USAAF night fighter squadrons were equipped with Beaufighters in the Mediterranean in 1943-1944 and were not too happy. Worn out machines, lack of spare parts and (probably) more difficult for the pilots who started on A-20s. And RAF already had night-fighter Mosquitos in the same theatre.
Could someone mix different stories and "replace" night fighters with Spitfires?

While the 31st Fighter Group in Spitfires followed the front line fighting from North Africa, to Malta, Sicily and Italy and saw plenty of action, the 52nd​ Fighter Group in Spitfires was transferred to the North African Coastal Airforce after the German defeat in North Africa and later to Sicily and Corsica behind where most of the action was taking place. There may have been some discontent arising from that, but I have yet to find a direct quote encapsulating that sentiment.

 

[pbehn]

Just my speculation...
USAAF night fighter squadrons were equipped with Beaufighters in the Mediterranean in 1943-1944 and were not too happy. Worn out machines, lack of spare parts and (probably) more difficult for the pilots who started on A-20s. And RAF already had night-fighter Mosquitos in the same theatre.
Could someone mix different stories and "replace" night fighters with Spitfires?

Quite possibly, if the only squadrons operating Beaufighters were US squadrons. I think it was normal for military units to complain that others got better "stuff" with a conspiracy theory about nationality. In this case if the P-61 was as good as planned in the nightfighter role the US pilots would have been flying the best available and wouldnt care what the RAF were doing.

 

[EwenS]

AIUI the Beaufighters issued to the 4 USAAF nightfighter squadrons training in Britain between the end of March and the beginning of Aug 1943 were new. I've also seen evidence that 417th NFS received a batch of late production KW serialled Beaufighter VIf in late 1943 which would have been produced in the Spring of 1943. I suspect that that coincided with the replacement of AI.IV (arrowhead aerial on the nose) aircraft for AI.VIII (thimble radome) aircraft. For a long time after centimetric AI.VIII was introduced it was not permitted to be flown over enemy territory. So most of the Beaufighter VIf sent to North Africa after Operation Torch had the former and were replaced later. It was not finally cleared for use over enemy territory until April 1944

A few things to note.

Firstly, Beaufighter night fighter production ceased in January 1944 (production of the Coastal Command version continued until Sept 1945). Allow a few months for aircraft to be passed through an MU for final modifications and flown out to the Med and there were probably no new aircraft in the pipeline beyond mid-1944. So it becomes easy to see why earlier production aircraft, refurbished by the Civilian Repair Organisation in Britain, or handed over from RAF squadrons (see below) would have become necessary as 1944 wore on.

Mosquito night fighters were in short supply in 1943/44. The last 5 Beaufighter night fighter units in Britain didn't convert onto Mosquitos until Feb-July 1944. Add to that the need to replace early NF.II, AI.IV equipped, with later marks with AI.VIII and from 1944 AI.X, compounds the problem. Production always lagged behind demand. Initially there were hopes that the USAAF might be allocated some in the first half of 1944 but those could not be fulfilled. Ultimately until late 1944 all USAAF requests for Mosquito night fighters for service in either NWE or the Med had to be turned down (see below).

But the USAAF compounded its night fighter problems in 1944 by cancelling all its P-61 commitments for the Med at the beginning of Feb 1944. Given the lack of available Mosquitos this had to be reversed later in the year. But given low P-61 production levels from Aug 1943 (200 P-61A and 450 P-61B to July 1945) it would have meant shifting priority for allocations from the Pacific, where there was also a need, to the Med.

When the 4 USAAF night fighter squadrons arrived in the Mediterranean in Jul/Aug1943 there were 7 Beaufighter NF squadrons equipped with the same Beaufighter VIf as the USAAF squadrons around the Med. 89 moved to Ceylon in Oct 1943, 219 returned to Britain in Jan 1944 to re-equip with Mosquitos, 153 disbanded in Sept 1944, 46 returned to Britain in Dec 1944 becoming a transport squadron and 108 disbanded in March 1945. The remaining pair, 600 and 255, re-equipped with Mosquito XIX between Dec 1944 and Feb 1945, with the latter receiving some NF.30 in April.

The only NF/intruder Mosquito squadrons in the Med in 1943/44 were 23 (with radarless intruder Mk.II & later VI between Dec 1942 and May 1944 specialising in intruder work) and 256. The latter sent a detachment to Malta in July/Aug 1943 with centimetric AI.VIII equipped Mosquito XII to cover the landings in Sicily and the whole squadron returned to Malta in Oct. It remained in the Med until after the end of the war. A couple of the other Beaufighter squadrons were lucky enough to acquire a few Mosquitos for short periods in 1944. And until Dec 1944 that is it NF Mosquito wise.

The USAAF request for Mosquito night fighters was finally met in part in Dec 1944. That month the 416th NFS received 12 Mosquito XIX and 7 NF.30. Note that is the same month the 2 remaining RAF squadrons converted and that it received the NF.30 variant before either of the 2 RAF squadrons.

Of the remaining 3 USAAF Beaufighter squadrons in the Med / southern France area, the 414th NFS began to receive P-61 in Dec 1944 followed by the 415th & 417th in March 1945.

One final note. In Aug 1944 the 427th NFS arrived in the Med equipped with P-61s. Initially it was intended that it should go to southern Russia to defend the Russian airfields being used for the shuttle bombing of Germany. That plan was cancelled and after 2-3 weeks in Italy in Sept they proceeded east to the CBI theatre.

Operation Frantic - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Dimlee]

EwenS, thank you.
Excellent summary.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Some further details. While Bristol ended Beaufighter VIf production in January 1944, Rootes continued until March. The RAF Serial Registers state the 79 KW serial Beaufighter VIF from Rootes were taken on charge between 1 October 1943 and 11 April 1944. Like the KV serials most were exported.

XP-61 officially accepted July and August 1943, 13 YP-61 August and September 1943, P-61A from October, 19 to end 1943, another 55 in Q1/44 and 94 in Q2/44.

According to the RAF census Air Defence Great Britain Beaufighter VIf strength in operational units end January 1944 was 100. As of end June 1944 ADGB still had 31 Beaufighter VIF in operational units, out of 210 on strength with the RAF in Britain, the Mediterranean had 349 on strength, South East Asia Air Command 88, the USAAF had received 52 and had lost 10. The Mediterranean Mosquito Night Fighter Strength was 1 mark II, 17 mark XII, 30 mark XIII while in Britain in operational units, ADGB 1 mark II, 22 mark XII, 34 mark XIII, 2 mark XV, 74 mark XVII, 2 NF.30, 2nd TAF 4 mark II, 2 mark XII, 103 mark XIII, Bomber Command 41 mark II, 2 mark XVII, 35 mark XIX.

The only Mosquito transfers to the USAAF to end June 1944 were 3 mark III and 50 PR.XIV. However to end April 1944 the USAAF reports receiving 8 Mosquito bombers April to August 1943 another 32 bombers from January 1944 and 20 Mosquito XVI February and March 1944, not quite a match.

AIR 19/524 reports 4 Mosquito exports (all types) in 1942, 158 in 1943, 148 in the first half of 1944, 285 in the second half and 488 in 1945. Reported overseas losses to end June 1944 were 107 plus 1 lost in transit.

 

[drgondog]

John Carey had 4.5 VCs with 5 Squadron/52nd FG between 4/43 and 7/43 - Ref USAF Study 85

 

[BiffF15]

John Carey had 4.5 VCs with 5 Squadron between 4/43 and 7/43

Thanks Bill! I was handed his after action reports (combat action) and passed them along to his oldest son, who did not have them. It was good to reconnect.

There is a reason they are called "The Greatest Generation ".

But Im not telling you anything you didn't already know.

Decorated WWII, Korean War aviator, pioneer given Air Force full-honor funeral

One of the Air Force's most decorated fighter pilots was laid to rest Aug. 12 with full military honors including a missing man formation flown by four F-15E Strike Eagles from the 391st Fighter

www.af.mil