Stunning images of American Spitfires donated by the RAF show the unheralded fleet of planes given to the US in the battle against Hitler in World War Two
By Charlie Bayliss For Mailonline
Published: 16:20 EDT, 16 September 2017 | Updated: 19:16 EDT, 16 September 2017
Amazing pictures from World War II have unveiled the swathes of Spitfires which were gifted to American forces by the RAF.
The stunning images show how the RAF emblem was removed and replaced by America's 'stars and bars' of the USAAF.
The mixture of colour along with black and white images show brave pilots standing by their newly-donated planes, often with a fresh lick of paint on them.
The pictures are in Tony Holmes' new book entitled Star-Spangled Spitfires.
Mr Holmes said: 'The USAAF received Spitfires because it lacked suitable fighters of its own in Britain with which to engage the enemy.
'Also, the first fighter squadrons assigned to the USAAF in Britain were ex-RAF units manned by American volunteers who had signed up to fight the enemy ahead of the US entry into World War II.
'The squadrons were equipped with Spitfires at the time of their transfer to the USAAF's Eighth Air Force in September 1942, and they took their aeroplanes with them.
'The USAAF was grateful to have Spitfires available when it first commenced operations in the UK, as it had no fighters of its own that could match the performance of the German Bf 109G and Fw 190A.'
The new book details the fight operations of US war-heroes and USAAF units were equipped with the famous Supermarine fighter from the summer of 1942.
Mr Holmes said: 'They allowed both veteran and novice pilots alike to get a taste of frontline combat in Europe prior to the arrival of American-built fighters in 1943.
'The American units that flew Spitfires in North Africa and the Mediterranean saw far more action with the British fighter. Indeed, the last ones were not replaced by US Mustangs in this theatre until March 1944.
'The operations of the units in the Mediterranean were highly successful. Indeed, 22 American pilots shot down five or more Axis aircraft to achieve coveted title of ace.
'The photo-reconnaissance Spitfire XIs flown by the USAAF from Britain also performed a valuable, unsung, mission, flying alone and unarmed deep into Germany through to VE-Day.'
First Lieutenant Willian Skinner replaced his war-weary Spitfire VC with this Mk VIII, which he christened Lonesome Polecat with a fresh new paint job
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