Top Bounce by Robert Taylor – Framed Collectors Piece

Description

Released on the 100th Anniversary of the RAF as a tribute to all those who flew the Spitfire!

When the Luftwaffe unleashed the Fw190, the unsuspecting Spitfire pilots of RAF Fighter Command were at serious disadvantage – but it wasn’t for long!

Under clear skies, a light breeze from the south-west blew across the grass airstrip. It was Thursday 5 March 1936 and K5054 – the prototype of R. J. Mitchell’s beautiful Spitfire fighter – was about to make its maiden flight.

From the outset the Spitfire had dueled hard with its great adversary, the Luftwaffe’s Bf109 as each fought for air superiority. With the introduction of the Mk.V Spitfire the balance of power swung towards the RAF, but in late 1941 the Luftwaffe introduced a game-changer – the Fw190. It was faster, better armed and clearly superior to the Mk.Vs.

‘The Fw190 certainly gave the British a shock’ wrote Douglas Bader, and RAF Fighter Command was soon forced to scale back their sweeps over France whilst the engineers from Supermarine and Rolls-Royce raced to catch up. It took months, but by June 1942 the first of a new variant began arriving which, everyone hoped, was the answer to the Fw190 – the Mk.IX Spitfire.

One of the first units to re-equip was 64 Sqn and this painting depicts the day when the Mk.IXs hit back. It was 30 July 1942 over Boulogne when 64 Sqn, acting as top cover, spotted a group of a dozen Fw190s about 2,000ft below them. Bouncing the enemy from above, Don Kingaby, one of the RAF’s most iconic fighter Aces and the only airman to be awarded three DFMs, downed one of the Fw190s. It was the first victory for the new Mk.IX Spitfire which would also become the first Allied aircraft to shoot down an Me262 jet.