pitfire Spotters[edit]

A Spitfire Mk. V being serviced by U.S. Navy groundcrew of VCS-7, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, June 1944

During D-Day, Spitfires were operated as Spotters by U.S. Navy Cruiser Scouting Squadron Seven
(VCS-7) in support of United States Navy and Royal Navy cruisers 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, either SOC Seagulls or OS2U Kingfishers, but because
of their vulnerability against fighters, it was decided that 17 Cruiser Spotter (VCS) and Battleship
Observation (VO) pilots aboard the heavy cruisers Augusta (CA 31), Tuscaloosa (CA 37) and Quincy
(CA 71), and the battleships Arkansas (BB 33),Texas (BB 35) and Nevada (BB 36) would be trained
to fly RAF Spitfire Mk Vbs and Seafire IIIs.[102][103] This unit, along with two RAF squadrons, 26 and 63,
also flying Spitfire Vbs and four FAA squadrons 808, 885, 886 and 897 flying Seafire 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 2,000 ft 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 of Cherbourg on 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