Spitfire Mk IX
Flag Officer Irving "Hap" Kennedy
R.A.F. Number 111 Squadron
Falcone, Sicily,1943

Regarding this plane from OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES: Late Marque Spitfire Aces 1942-45:
  
Even in combat there were rules of etiquette that junior ranking pilots were expected to observe, and not running out in front of the formation leader was one of them.  On 10 September 1943 Flg Off Irving Kennedy, a Canadian serving with No 111 Sqn based at Falcone in Sicily, took part in a fighter sweep over Salerno in Italy where Allied troops were establishing positions ashore following the landings the previous day.  Grp  Capt George Gilroy, commander of No 324 Wg, led the Spitfire Mk IXs in an attack on the Fw 190 fighter-bombers attempting to bomb the troops coming ashore.  The action developed into a tail chase which Kennedy described graphically in his autobiography BLACK CROSSES OFF MY WINGTIP.  His mount was MA481, a brand new aircraft delivered to the unit a few days earlier, for what was to be his fifth victory:  'I trimmed the Spitfire to fly hands off, and started working my way through the pack of Spitfires from the back.  It was like a horse race...I went by one after another, just weaving gently through the pack, barely above the trees, until I caught up with the leading Spitfire.  This turned out to be the Group Captain who, as was custom, had his own initials on the aircraft.  Out in front of Grp Capt Gilroy, well out of range at about 800 yards, was the last Fw 190, smoking a little black at full throttle.  I pulled up abreast of our Commander, just off his starboard wingtip.  He looked over to his right at me, his face covered with his oxygen mask and mike.  "Do I stay here or do I dare pass him?"  I wondered.  I pulled back just a touch on the throttle for a couple of minutes.  We were not gaining an inch on the Focke-Wulf.  It was a delightful situation because I knew that the Group Captain was primarily interested in the Wing.  But it demanded tact.  He was the Officer Commanding, but surely he wanted someone to get that Hun up ahead!  So I tapped the throttle forward the last half inch, moved ahead (I must admit to a faint smile behind my oxygen mask), caught up to the Focke-Wulf pretty smartly, and hit him with a good clout with everything I had - that is with both cannons and machine guns.  The German was a smart pilot.  He pulled back on the stick at once, and shot straight up to 1500 ft, baled out very quickly, and was coming down on his parachute when the Group Captain went by him.  "Who shot down that aircraft?"  No call sign, but there was no mistaking the Group Captain's voice.  Only five words, somewhat sharply, I still recall.  "Blue Three here, sir", I answered, not quite sure what was coming.  "Bloody good show!  Let's go home chaps."

Kennedy's final War score was 10 aircraft destroyed, 5 shared destroyed and 1 probably destroyed.




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Flying Sheep's work tweaked by me.  

Below is the readme notes for the original skin by FS.

-RedEyes

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Spitfire Mk.IXb No.485 (NZ) Squadron

This aircraft was operated by 485 Squadron RNZAF and was flown by Squadron Leader John (Johnnie) M. Checketts, who was one of the highest scoring aces of the RNZAF during the war. Johnnie Checketts and OU-H were a successful combination, scoring 9 enemy aircraft destroyed and a number of damaged/probables as well. Unfortunately Checketts was shot down over France on Spetember 6th, 1943 but managed to evade capture and returned to England in October of that year.

This aircraft uses modified 3dz file by Stewart Wilson and edited by Flying Sheep. It is included with the zip and must be used for this skin to appear correctly. This uses Migge's cockpit gauges.

Flying Sheep (shogun@ihug.co.nz)
14th October 2001

Disclaimer: By using this skin and files contained therein, you acknowledge that the author is not responsible for any damage caused by, or from it's use.