1. The Supermarine Spitfire Fighter Plane
“Never was so much owed by so many to so few” Winston Churchill
If one vehicle could be classed as winning the war for the Allies it would be the Submarine Spitfire. This fighter plane embedded itself into the consciousness of the British during the Battle of Britain, even though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against the Luftwaffe. The Spitfire was almost as important for its propaganda worth as it was for its fighting prowess.
Other planes could be completed quicker, the German Bf 109 fighter took a third less time to build than a Spitfire aircraft, but the Spitfire was the only Allied fighter in production at the outbreak of the European War that was still in production at the end, the design was produced in greater numbers than any other Allied fighter design.
Together with the Hawker Hurricane fighter, these two types of fighters defended Britain from Germany’s aerial invasion during the Battle of Britain, a battle, which if it had been lost, would have been the end of the war and European democracy. The slower Hurricane was used to attack enemy bombers, whilst the quicker Spitfire was an effective offensive weapon in attacking enemy fighters. The speed of the Spitfire saved many lives, especially when chased by enemy fighters. As the author Stephen Bungay noted; “not until the advent of the first swept-wing jets in 1949 was there anything which could catch it”.
After the war, Spitfires were still being used in many air forces around the world and they remained in service until the 1960s. The last combat operations carried out by Spitfires was by the Burmese air force supporting Chinese and Burmese troops in operations against the CIA backed Kuomintang nationalists during 1960/61. The Spitfires served in operations off Norway, in the Mediterranean, in the Pacific, North Africa, and in Southeast Asia. George Unwin, who flew with No. 19 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain, had this to say about the Spitfire:
“It was a superior aircraft, it was absolutely. It was so sensitive on the controls. There was no heaving, or pulling and pushing and kicking. You just breathed on it and when you wanted, if you wanted to turn, you just moved your hands slowly and she went … She really was the perfect flying machine. I’ve never flown anything sweeter. I’ve flown jets right up to the Venom, but nothing like her. Nothing like a Spitfire.”