05/28/2026
, May 28, 1944, VCS-7 Squadron completes training and moves from Middle Wallop Airfield to the Royal Air Station, Lee-on-Solent, England. The squadron was formed to train naval aviators to fly the British-made Spitfire to spot naval gunfire during the Allied invasion of Europe in June 1944.
VCS-7 Squadron was composed of 17 pilots from the USS NEVADA (BB-36), USS TEXAS (BB-35), USS ARKANSAS (BB-33), USS QUINCY (CA-71), USS AUGUSTA (CA-31), and USS TUSCALOOSA (CA-37), which normally relied on the use of the slower, less maneuverable OS2U Kingfisher or SOC Seagull float plane. The use of the Spitfire meant aviators could take off and land at an airfield in England without having to be launched and recovered from a vessel at sea.
The aviators would fly in pairs, with the leader doing the spotting and the wingman, or “weaver,” looking out for enemy aircraft and flak, often flying above and behind the leader. The ideal altitude for spotting was 6,000 feet, but in poor weather, the pair could be flying anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, sometimes dropping to as low as 300 feet if identification of troops and vehicles was needed. While over the target areas, the aviators would be flying at 240 miles per hour, providing spotting for the Naval vessels for up to 45 minutes, using an onboard radio to communicate directly with the firing ship.
The naval aviators viewed the Spitfire as an excellent spotting plane, with high maneuverability, good visibility, and very light controls, allowing the pilot to dodge potential flak and remain over the target area longer. According to the Action report for the period 3-17 June, 1944, spotting by those in the Spitfires was generally excellent, as they showed great keenness and efficiency in locating targets of opportunity, with the ship’s crews enjoying their often amusing comments. The boost in confidence certainly allowed these men to perform their jobs on a foreign airplane, and more, as one unknown aviator had to cut his sortie short due to flak damage sustained while strafing an enemy command car.
Throughout the squadron’s operational time, 191 sorties, or missions, were flown, providing much-needed spotting and tactical reconnaissance for the naval vessels positioned off the coast. On June 26, 1944, following the bombardment of Cherbourg, France, the squadron was disbanded by order of Admiral Kirk, Naval Commander of the Western Task Force, allowing the various aviation units to return to their ships. Lieutenant (jg) John O. Robinson and Ensign Bruce Carmichael, the two aviators from the USS TEXAS (BB-35), had flown 17 of the sorties with 26.5 hours of the 352 total hours flown by the squadron.
đź“·: Lieutenant Robert F. Doyle, USNR (USS ARKANSAS BB-33), shakes hands with his wingman, Ensign John F. Mudge, USNR (USS NEVADA BB-36), after their return from a gunfire-spotting and strafing mission over the German lines, in which they broke up an enemy armored column moving toward the Normandy front. Courtesy of Naval Heritage & History Command.
