SD:Spitfire Mk.IX Dogfighter (Fr)

 is a French Air unit.

Overview
The legendary Spitfire was one of the most important aircraft designs of World War II, instrumental in defeating the Luftwaffe on all fronts of the war. This single-seat fighter was originally designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor. R.J. Mitchell of Supermarine Aviation Works was instrumental in pushing its elliptical wing, to give it top speed superior to contemporary fighters. Joseph Smith took over the design after Mitchell's death in 1937, overseeing the development of the fighter into numerous variants.

The Spitfire was produced over a decade between 1938 and 1948, with over 20,000 fighters built. Continuous upgrades, modifications, and adaptations allowed the fast interceptor to remain competitive against all Axis designs, starting with the Battle of Britain, where they were more than a match for the Bf 109 fighters of the Nazis, and ending with the struggle for air superiority over Western Europe.

The Mark IX was a new variant of the Spitfire, designed in early 1942 to counter the Focke Wulf Fw 190. The German fighter was superior to the Spitfire VB in all aspects, putting pressure on the Fighter Command to come up with a solution. The answer came in the form of Merlin supercharged engines, bridging the performance gap, while subsequent upgrades turned it into a powerful platform capable of confronting enemy aircraft through to the end of the war.

During the Normandy Landing No. 145 Wing RAF had three French Spitfire Squadrons No 329 with Mk. IX Spitfires and No. 340 and No.341 Mk. IXB Spitfires. These units provided fighter cover for the Normandy Landings before moving to France.