The Second World War (1939-1945) - part 5
FOCUS ON… THE SPITFIRE
One of the best fighters of the Second World War, the Supermarine Spitfire went through several modifications but Commonwealth pilots flew the Spitfire Mk I during the Battle of Britain.
Armed with eight .303 Browning guns and capable of attaining 362 miles per hour (580 Kilometres per hour), the Spitfire was heavily armed and fast for its era. Although the Hawker Hurricane was used more often during the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire had a higher victory to loss ratio and it’s the Spit that people remember most.
FOCUS ON… THE “FORGOTTEN 6000”
Radar, a new technology in the late 1930s, was key to winning the Battle of Britain and, eventually, the Second World War.
It became clear by October 1940 that there were not enough personnel to meet the need. Canada agreed to provide the British with trained radar mechanics and officers. By 1944, one third of Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel working on radars were actually Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and, in total, about 6,000 RCAF personnel were radar specialists.