Publications – Gaëtan Marie's Aviation Profiles

Storia Militare No 389

Gaëtan Marie — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:17:37 +0000

Article “Gli squadroni olandesi della RAF” (The Dutch squadrons of the RAF) by Daniele Notaro.

Includes a Spitfire and a Mitchell profile

Centurion No 1

Gaëtan Marie — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:34:42 +0000

Squadrons ! No 72: The New Zealand Day Fighter Squadrons in Europe

Gaëtan Marie — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:15:31 +0000

During WW2, New Zealand formed two day fighter squadrons in Europe, Nos 485 and 486 Squadrons. Book made of over 100 pages, over 120 photos and 30 colour profiles, the operational activity of each squadron is fully narrated.

Squadrons ! No 71: The Curtiss Kittyhawk: The Canadians

Gaëtan Marie — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:12:04 +0000

Called the Warhawk in American service, the Curtiss P-40 was the most numerous fighter type on hand when the United States entered the war in December 1941. A development of the Curtiss P-36, the P-40 was essentially a P-36 equipped with an inline Allison V12 V-1710. The French were the first to express an interest in this model, known as the H-81, having already ordered the export version of the P-36 (the H-75). The H-81 would later be purchased by the USAAC and the RAF (as the Tomahawk). Curtiss continued to improve the breed and a new production model, the H-87, was soon available with a new version of the V-1710 that had a spur-gear reduction mechanism, raising the engine thrust line. This caused the nose profile to be redesigned, hence the new designation.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), wanting to reinforce its defensive fighter force. Consequently, an agreement was reached with Britain and 72 Kittyhawk Mk.Is (P-40Es) bought by the British Purchasing Commission were diverted to Canada. Later on, other Kittyhawks were delivered and in all eight fighter squadrons were eventually equipped (Nos 14, 111, 118, 130, 132, 133, 135 and 163) and served until the end of the war, not only in Canada, but also in Alaska where the RCAF deployed a fighter squadron to reinforce the USAAF in the Aleutians and to fight against the Japanese.

The book is illustrated with 40 photographs and 6 colour profiles.

Squadrons ! No 70: The Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI – The definitive operational history 1944-1945

Gaëtan Marie — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:02:50 +0000

The Spitfire XVI is one of the Spitfire marks to have been so far little covered in depth. It was actually a Mk. IX powered with an American built Packard engine but otherwise it was very familiar to a Mk IX. Used in the fighter-bomber role, from the UK with the Fighter Command or from the Continent with the 2 TAF, one of the main tasks given to the XVI would be the destruction of the V-2 sites located in Holland. This book gives the details of the operations carried out in 1944 and 1945 by all the combat squadrons and wings – mainly Nos 127 (RCAF), 131 (Polish) and 145 (French) Wings – and highlighting the men who led them. Illustrated with 120 photos and 28 colour profiles.

Squadrons ! No 69: The NA Mitchell – the RAF in the Far East, the NEIAF & the RAAF

Gaëtan Marie — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:55:22 +0000

The B-25 Mitchell was one of the major medium bomber of WW2 and fought with three major users, the Americans, the Soviets and the British. The British mainly used the Mitchell in Europe, but a few, coming from Dutch stocks, were used in the Far East. But other countries received the Mitchell during the war,…Continue reading

Squadrons ! No 68: The Hawker Tempest Mk V – The Expansion

Gaëtan Marie — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:50:20 +0000

The Hawker Tempest was derived from the Hawker Typhoon. The new design was tested with various engines and eventually the Mk V was the first to enter service making its operational debut in January 1944 with the ADGB. The Tempest participated actively to the V-1 hunt during the summer of 1944, then the Tempest was sent to the Continent to join the 2TAF.

During the war eight fighter squadrons became operational on Tempest including Nos 33, 80, 222, 274 and 501 Squadrons which were the last to convert. Over 50 photos illustrate the book alongside thirteen colour profiles and one colour plate.

Squadrons ! No 67: The North American Mustang III over Italy and the Balkans (Pt-2)

Gaëtan Marie — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:48:29 +0000

The North American Mustang is certainly one of the legendary fighters of the Second World War. The aircraft can be split into two ‘families’, the Allison-powered and Merlin-powered. The RAF Marks I and II belong to the first category, while all subsequent marks belong to the second. The change of engine made the aircraft perform far better at higher altitudes. The Merlin 61 (with the two-stage supercharger) provided significantly improved results above 15,000 feet and was without compare above 20,000 feet. All this without sacrificing range. This was a key point as, in 1942, the RAF was looking for a long-range escort fighter, a role the Spitfire, whatever the mark, could not fulfill with complete satisfaction from the British Isles. The British conducted an experimental programme with the new engine on various test-beds (known within the RAF as the Mustang X) while the Americans were doing the same thing on their side. The Americans first discovered the best way to pair the Merlin and the airframe and, after the first flight of the XP-51B on 30 November 1942, the future of the P-51B was guaranteed. The British ordered hundred of Mustang IIIs (denomination given to both P-51B and P-51C) and they served in Western Europe and in Italy. In Italy up to May 1945, six squadrons were totally equipped with the type, No. 3 RAAF, No. 5 SAAF, and RAF 112, 213, and 249 Squadrons, while, just after the war, other units (RAF 250, 260, and the Australian 450) received a mix of Mustang IIIs and IVs. This first part will develop the operational usage of Nos 112, 213 and 260 Squadrons. Close to 30 photos and 5 colour profiles illustrate this part. (Part 1 is developed in SQUADRONS! 40)

Aeroplane

Gaëtan Marie — Tue, 14 May 2024 14:01:04 +0000

Squadrons ! No 65: The ‘Eagle’ Squadrons – Nos 71, 121 and 133 Squadrons

Gaëtan Marie — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:42:19 +0000

The full operational activity of the three ‘Eagle’ squadrons (Nos 71, 121 and 133), which were RAF fighter squadrons manned by Amercian personnel during WW2. They were all formed before the USA went to war and were eventually transferred to the USAAF in September 1942. Illustrated with over 60 photographs, 20 colour profiles and 15…Continue reading