pitfire Spotters[edit]

A Spitfire Mk. V being serviced by U.S. Navy groundcrew of VCS-7,RNAS Lee-on-Solent, June 1944During D-Day, Spitfires were operated as Spotters by U.S. Navy Cruiser Scouting Squadron Seven (VCS-7) in support ofUnited States NavyandRoyal Navycruisers and battleships bombarding land targets. In this role the Spitfires would locate targets and guide the fire of the ships on to that target.US spotting units normally used floatplanes, eitherSOC SeagullsorOS2U Kingfishers, but because of their vulnerability against fighters, it was decided that 17 Cruiser Spotter (VCS) and Battleship Observation (VO) pilots aboard the heavy cruisersAugusta (CA 31),Tuscaloosa (CA 37)andQuincy (CA 71), and the battleshipsArkansas (BB 33),Texas (BB 35)andNevada (BB 36)would be trained to fly RAF Spitfire Mk Vbs andSeafire IIIs.[102][103]This unit, along with two RAF squadrons,26and63, also flying Spitfire Vbs and fourFAAsquadrons808,885,886and897flyingSeafire IIIs, provided valuable target coordinates and fire control during 20 days of operations.[104]On D-Day "pooling" of the spotting units' aircraft meant that all units flew either Spitfires or Seafires.[105]Normally two aircraft were used; the lead aircraft functioned as the spotter while covered by a wingman, who kept a lookout for intruders.[105]The standard altitude flown was 6,000 feet, although poor weather often meant that missions were flown at between 1,500 to 2,000ft or lower in some cases. Drop tanks were carried and a sortie could last up to two hours. Encounters against Luftwaffe fighters were rare, with four VCS-7 pilots able to evade attacks by Bf 109s and Fw 190s.[106]Flak accounted for the only operational loss.[106]After the bombardment ofCherbourgon 26 June Naval gunfire support missions were stopped because the battle had moved inland, out of the range of the battleships and cruisers. VCS-7 was disbanded.During 20 days of combat operations, the aviators of