What's wrong with this picture?

roncachamp

roncachamp

Final Approach
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Display name:
Steven P McNicoll
Cover of The Few by Alex Kershaw:
 

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Other than the fact that the FW-190 wasn't operational in 1940?
 
How about the subtitle "the American Knights of the Air"

Is the book about the RAF that Churchill referred to as "the Few" or is it about a handful of American pilots who might have flown in the RAF during the Battle of Britain?

Oh and he's too close for missiles....better switch to guns....
 
Fearless Tower said:
How about the subtitle "the American Knights of the Air"

Is the book about the RAF that Churchill referred to as "the Few" or is it about a handful of American pilots who might have flown in the RAF during the Battle of Britain?
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Book overview:

The few tells the dramatic and unforgettable story of eight young Americans who joined Britain's Royal Air Force, defying their country's neutrality laws and risking their U.S. citizenship to fight sideby- side with England's finest pilots in the summer of 1940-over a year before America entered the war. Flying the lethal and elegant Spitfire, they became "knights of the air" and with minimal training but plenty of guts, they dueled the skilled and fearsome pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe. By October 1940, they had helped England win the greatest air battle in the history of aviation. Winston Churchill once said of all those who fought in the Battle of Britain, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." These daring Americans were the few among the "few." Now, with the narrative drive and human drama that made The Bedford Boys and The Longest Winter national bestsellers, Alex Kershaw tells their story for the first time.
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That's what I get for looking at the picture on my iPhone. And for answering questions about which I have no stinkin' clue. Oh wait. This IS PoA after all.
 
Both the 190 and the Spitfire don't have any guns on that picture. There were reconnaissance versions of Spitfires that were unarmed but I'm pretty sure all 190s had guns.

Rndmtrvlr said:
Eagle Squadron Spitfires were 4 bladed?
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I'm pretty sure the Eagle Squadron existed during BoB, all Spitfires had 3 blades as the time. After the BoB when mk9s arrived I'm sure they did not equip the whole squadron with them right away, so it is possible that a mk5 Spitfire (or earlier version) from the Eagle squadron fought a 190.
 
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MachFly said:
I'm pretty sure the Eagle Squadron existed during BoB, all Spitfires had 3 blades as the time. After the BoB when mk9s arrived I'm sure they did not equip the whole squadron with them right away, so it is possible that a mk5 Spitfire (or earlier version) from the Eagle squadron fought a 190.
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The first Eagle Squadron, No. 71, was formed in September 1940 and became operational in February 1941.
 
roncachamp said:
The first Eagle Squadron, No. 71, was formed in September 1940 and became operational in February 1941.
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As far as I remember mk IX before operational in 1942, 3 blades would be correct.
 
nddons said:
Did that model have a counter-clockwise rotating prop (as seen from the cockpit?)
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No. Counter-clockwise props were on Spitfires with the Griffon engine, those were mk XII, XIV, XVIII, and all models that came after it. Can't remember about mk12 but all other Griffon powered Spitfires had 5 bladed props.
 
Both the Hurri II and the Spit Mark II were fitted with controllable pitch props as early as March of 1940. The props had 3 blades and manufactured by the deHavilland company.
Seven Americian pilots were engaged with the RAF during the BoB. Three of these were W.S. Churchill's "Terrible Trio"; Eugene "Red" Tobin, Vernon "Shorty" Keogh and Andrew "Andy" Mamedoff. All went into 71 Eagle Squadron in January of 1941 from RAF Squadron 609. None of the three survived the war...

So yes; there were Americans who fought in the Battle but no they were not (as of yet) flying for an all-US squadron.
All three Eagle Squadrons (Nos 71,121 and 133) were absorbed into the AAF as the 4th Fighter Group (sq. 334,335 and 336).


Chris Carlson
Incompentent Offspring of K.E. Carlson 336th/4th FG

The Rousing talk:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiISJ1Z40Y4&feature=related
 
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roncachamp said:
Could you possibly make a connection between those posts?
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Alone no, but looking at the post you quoted I can. I was talking about the props and was not sure the time the squadron was operational, you gave me the dates. With them I confirmed that a 3 bladed prop is supposed to be there.
I guess I should have quoted my post as well.
 
So is this what you had in mind when you asked "what's wrong with his picture?"

MachFly said:
Both the 190 and the Spitfire don't have any guns on that picture. There were reconnaissance versions of Spitfires that were unarmed but I'm pretty sure all 190s had guns.
Click to expand...
 
MachFly said:
So is this what you had in mind when you asked "what's wrong with his picture?"
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No, it was the Fw 190 on the cover of a book about the Battle of Britain. It was answered in the first response and confirmed in the following one.
 
roncachamp said:
No, it was the Fw 190 on the cover of a book about the Battle of Britain. It was answered in the first response and confirmed in the following one.
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Ah, I did not realize the book was about the BoB.
 
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