The Meteor earns it's stripes over Normandy

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Gloster Meteor F.Mk.IV - No.3 Squadron, 150 Wing, RAF Second Tactical Air Force, June 1944

In the Spring of 1944 Acting Wing Commander Roland 'Bee' Beamont was asked to form the first Hawker Tempest Wing in time for the invasion of Europe. However, industrial action at the Hawker factory meant that insufficient numbers of Tempest aircraft were available to equip the planned three-squadron wing so the Gloster Meteor F.Mk.IV was chosen to serve alongside the Spitfire LF.IX's of No.56 and No.486 squadrons within the newly formed 150 Wing under the operational control of the Second Tactical Air Force. No.3 Squadron were declared operational on May 30th, 1944 flying the new version of the Gloster Meteor and were in action on D-day when Beamont's Wing encountered Bf109's over the invasion beaches shooting down three of them without loss. The two remaining Spitfire squadrons were replaced by Meteor's during June and July. 150 Wing were also downing V-1 flying bombs over Kent and by August Beamont's Wing had accounted for 638 V-1's.

Skin Credit: Paulopanz

 

Edited May 25, 2019 by Spinners
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