JG 26's Focke-Wulf 190D9s were on a low altitude escort mission for bomb-laden Messerschmitts of JG27 when they were attacked by Spitfires of No. 41 Squadron. In the short melee that ensued, four of the Fw 190s were shot down and one Spitfire was lost. This marked the combat debut of the potent new Mk. XIV Spitfire. These Spitfires, with their powerful Griffon engines, were a dangerous breed and German pilots later commented that the best thing about them was that the British deployed only one wing of them to the front, so the odds of meeting them in combat were small.
(Note: The Bf 109s have jettisoned their bombs in order to fight air-to-air).
