I am fascinated by this story, because I was a member of RCAF 436 squadron, flying Dakotas in support of the British 14th Army, driving the Japanese out of Burma. Our sister squadron, 435, entered the combat area three weeks or so before we did, and suffered planes shot down by Japanese fighters which got into the dropping circuit, at Yeo, I think. By the time we started operations, the RAF had deployed Spitfires for protection, and the only sign of a Japanese plane we saw was the blowing up at night of an ammunition dump near 435's airfield at Kangla, in Imphal, India, the blast from which blew up many IFF units in 435 aircraft!
For the rest of our deployment, lasting until a couple of weeks after VJ day, our only "enemy" was the monsoon weather we had to fly in.
When speaking to one of the Spitfire pilots, he told me they could not use full boost on take-off because one tire would often blow as a result of the torque and the effect of the climate on the rubber! I wonder what would have happened with Griffon-powered Spits if this occurred on the Merlin-powered ones!
I am fascinated by this story, because I was a member of RCAF 436 squadron, flying Dakotas in support of the British 14th Army, driving the Japanese out of Burma. Our sister squadron, 435, entered the combat area three weeks or so before we did, and suffered planes shot down by Japanese fighters which got into the dropping circuit, at Yeo, I think. By the time we started operations, the RAF had deployed Spitfires for protection, and the only sign of a Japanese plane we saw was the blowing up at night of an ammunition dump near 435's airfield at Kangla, in Imphal, India, the blast from which blew up many IFF units in 435 aircraft!
For the rest of our deployment, lasting until a couple of weeks after VJ day, our only "enemy" was the monsoon weather we had to fly in.
When speaking to one of the Spitfire pilots, he told me they could not use full boost on take-off because one tire would often blow as a result of the torque and the effect of the climate on the rubber! I wonder what would have happened with Griffon-powered Spits if this occurred on the Merlin-powered ones!