The Supermarine Spitfire was designed in 1938 as a lightweight, short-range defensive interceptor, and is most often remembered for its role in the Battle of Britain, fought in the summer of 1940. It had an excellent rate of climb and superb maneuverability. Its biggest drawback was its lack of range. When the Allies went on the offensive in 1943, it was unable to escort bombers much past the coast of France. The Spitfire did not figure greatly in the fighting over Europe until after the Allied invasion of France in June 1944. The invasion allowed bases to be established on the continent, which put the Spitfire back into range to join the fighting over Germany. The Spitfire IXs and XIVs were later models with powerful fuel-injected engines, giving them the speed and climb capabilities to match most German aircraft. They were very good dogfighters and able to give any German fighter a run for its money. Their armament was not as heavy as that carried by other British and German fighters late in the war, but their two 20mm cannons did give them adequate destructive potential. It was a Spitfire that shot down the first Me262 claimed by Allied fighters during the war.
TACTICS: Turn and burn. Your maneuverability is unmatched.
STRENGTHS: Superb maneuverability, good acceleration.
WEAKNESSES: Lightweight structure can't absorb a lot of damage. Carries limited ammunition. Fuel tank located just in front of cockpit, leading to dangerous fires when hit.
MODELS:
IXC: July 1942 model.
IXE: Replaces each pair of Bren .303 guns with a single .50 caliber.
