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Spitfire WWII Aircraft Lapel Pin

Military Remembrance Pins

  • 1500


Wear this fantastic Spitfire pin with pride at any time of the year..

Made with High quality metals and enamels.

2 x Rear butterfly pin fastener. 

Size: 45mm

International postage will be added at checkout using Royal Mails current International Large Letter Tariff

Why not purchase a pack of Spring Loaded Chrome Pin Savers, never lose another lapel pin. Very secure. (Click On The Image)  

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations, and it was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly 60 remain airworthy, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.

The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong from 1928. Mitchell pushed the Spitfire's distinctive elliptical wing designed by Beverley Shenstone[citation needed] to have the thinnest possible cross-section, helping give the aircraft a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the Hawker Hurricane. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire's development through its multitude of variants.

During the Battle of Britain, from July to October 1940, the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter, though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. However, Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire's higher performance. During the Battle, Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters—mainly Messerschmitt Bf 109E series aircraft—which were a close match for them.

After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire superseded the Hurricane to become the backbone of RAF Fighter Command, and saw action in the EuropeanMediterraneanPacific, and South-East Asian theatres. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s. The Seafire was a carrier-based adaptation of the Spitfire which served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1942 through to the mid-1950s. Although the original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030 hp (768 kW), it was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins and, in later marks, Rolls-Royce Griffon engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW). As a result, the Spitfire's performance and capabilities improved over the course of its service life.


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{"id":10939206218,"title":"Spitfire WWII Aircraft Lapel Pin","handle":"spitfire-wwii-aircraft-lapel-pin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eWear this\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efantastic Spitfire\u003c\/span\u003e pin with pride at any time of the year..\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade with High quality metals and enamels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 x Rear butterfly pin fastener. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 45mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational postage will be added at checkout using Royal Mails current International Large Letter Tariff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhy not purchase a pack of Spring Loaded Chrome Pin Savers, never lose another lapel pin. Very secure. (Click On The Image)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Chrome Pin Savers Poppy Pin Remembrance Flower\" href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/products\/allen-key-pin-saver?_pos=1\u0026amp;_sid=4e9e0d50c\u0026amp;_ss=r\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"120\" width=\"90\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0807\/3549\/products\/ChromeSaver_160x160.jpg?v=1589831146\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eSupermarine Spitfire\u003c\/b\u003e is a British single-seat \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fighter_aircraft\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Fighter aircraft\"\u003efighter aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e used by the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Royal_Air_Force\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Royal Air Force\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/a\u003e and other \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allies_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Allies of World War II\"\u003eAllied\u003c\/a\u003e countries before, during and after \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"World War II\"\u003eWorld War II\u003c\/a\u003e. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations, and it was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_surviving_Supermarine_Spitfires\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"List of surviving Supermarine Spitfires\"\u003e60 remain airworthy\u003c\/a\u003e, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eThe Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interceptor_aircraft\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Interceptor aircraft\"\u003einterceptor aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R._J._Mitchell\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"R. J. Mitchell\"\u003eR. J. Mitchell\u003c\/a\u003e, chief designer at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine\"\u003eSupermarine\u003c\/a\u003e Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vickers-Armstrong\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Vickers-Armstrong\"\u003eVickers-Armstrong\u003c\/a\u003e from 1928. Mitchell pushed the Spitfire's distinctive \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elliptical_wing\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Elliptical wing\"\u003eelliptical wing\u003c\/a\u003e designed by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beverley_Shenstone\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Beverley Shenstone\"\u003eBeverley Shenstone\u003c\/a\u003e\u003csup class=\"noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact\"\u003e[\u003ci\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Wikipedia:Citation needed\"\u003e\u003cspan title=\"Shenstone's personal wing work not cited in main text (April 2018)\"\u003ecitation needed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e]\u003c\/sup\u003e to have the thinnest possible cross-section, helping give the aircraft a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hawker_Hurricane\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Hawker Hurricane\"\u003eHawker Hurricane\u003c\/a\u003e. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Smith_(aircraft_designer)\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Joseph Smith (aircraft designer)\"\u003eJoseph Smith\u003c\/a\u003e took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire's development through \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Spitfire_variants:_specifications,_performance_and_armament\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine Spitfire variants: specifications, performance and armament\"\u003eits multitude of variants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eDuring the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Battle_of_Britain\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Battle of Britain\"\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/a\u003e, from July to October 1940, the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter, though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nazi_Germany\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Nazi Germany\"\u003eNazi Germany\u003c\/a\u003e's air force, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luftwaffe\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Luftwaffe\"\u003eLuftwaffe\u003c\/a\u003e. However, Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire's higher performance. During the Battle, Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters—mainly \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_variants#Bf_109E\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants\"\u003eMesserschmitt Bf 109E\u003c\/a\u003e series aircraft—which were a close match for them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eAfter the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire superseded the Hurricane to become the backbone of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RAF_Fighter_Command\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"RAF Fighter Command\"\u003eRAF Fighter Command\u003c\/a\u003e, and saw action in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Theatre_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"European Theatre of World War II\"\u003eEuropean\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mediterranean,_Middle_East_and_African_theatres_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres of World War II\"\u003eMediterranean\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asiatic-Pacific_Theater\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Asiatic-Pacific Theater\"\u003ePacific\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South-East_Asian_theatre_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"South-East Asian theatre of World War II\"\u003eSouth-East Asian\u003c\/a\u003e theatres. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Seafire\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine Seafire\"\u003eSeafire\u003c\/a\u003e was a carrier-based adaptation of the Spitfire which served in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fleet_Air_Arm\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Fleet Air Arm\"\u003eFleet Air Arm\u003c\/a\u003e from 1942 through to the mid-1950s. Although the original \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Airframe\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Airframe\"\u003eairframe\u003c\/a\u003e was designed to be powered by a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolls-Royce_Merlin\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Rolls-Royce Merlin\"\u003eRolls-Royce Merlin\u003c\/a\u003e engine producing 1,030 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Horsepower\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Horsepower\"\u003ehp\u003c\/a\u003e (768 kW), it was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins and, in later marks, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolls-Royce_Griffon\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Rolls-Royce Griffon\"\u003eRolls-Royce Griffon\u003c\/a\u003e engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW). As a result, the Spitfire's performance and capabilities improved over the course of its service life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2017-06-15T22:26:20+01:00","created_at":"2017-06-15T22:29:53+01:00","vendor":"Military Remembrance Pins","type":"Military Aircraft","tags":["72 Sqn","Aircraft","Battle","Battle of Britain","BoB","Bomber","Bomber Command","bomber sqn","Bombers","Britain","Hawker Hurricane","Hurricane","Lancaster","Spitfire","WW2"],"price":1500,"price_min":1500,"price_max":1500,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":43085302730,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"V2","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Spitfire WWII Aircraft Lapel Pin","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":1500,"weight":10,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":13,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"deny","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/SpitfireAvtual.jpg?v=1671143938","\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Spitfire_Rear_Artwork.jpg?v=1671143938"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/SpitfireAvtual.jpg?v=1671143938","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":22260016578647,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.75,"height":2400,"width":1800,"src":"\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/SpitfireAvtual.jpg?v=1671143938"},"aspect_ratio":0.75,"height":2400,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/SpitfireAvtual.jpg?v=1671143938","width":1800},{"alt":null,"id":312214716503,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":2.336,"height":381,"width":890,"src":"\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Spitfire_Rear_Artwork.jpg?v=1671143938"},"aspect_ratio":2.336,"height":381,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Spitfire_Rear_Artwork.jpg?v=1671143938","width":890}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eWear this\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efantastic Spitfire\u003c\/span\u003e pin with pride at any time of the year..\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMade with High quality metals and enamels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 x Rear butterfly pin fastener. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 45mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational postage will be added at checkout using Royal Mails current International Large Letter Tariff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhy not purchase a pack of Spring Loaded Chrome Pin Savers, never lose another lapel pin. Very secure. (Click On The Image)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Chrome Pin Savers Poppy Pin Remembrance Flower\" href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryremembrancepins.com\/products\/allen-key-pin-saver?_pos=1\u0026amp;_sid=4e9e0d50c\u0026amp;_ss=r\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"120\" width=\"90\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0807\/3549\/products\/ChromeSaver_160x160.jpg?v=1589831146\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eSupermarine Spitfire\u003c\/b\u003e is a British single-seat \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fighter_aircraft\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Fighter aircraft\"\u003efighter aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e used by the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Royal_Air_Force\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Royal Air Force\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/a\u003e and other \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allies_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Allies of World War II\"\u003eAllied\u003c\/a\u003e countries before, during and after \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"World War II\"\u003eWorld War II\u003c\/a\u003e. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, using several wing configurations, and it was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft. It was also the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war. The Spitfire continues to be popular among enthusiasts; nearly \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_surviving_Supermarine_Spitfires\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"List of surviving Supermarine Spitfires\"\u003e60 remain airworthy\u003c\/a\u003e, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eThe Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interceptor_aircraft\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Interceptor aircraft\"\u003einterceptor aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R._J._Mitchell\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"R. J. Mitchell\"\u003eR. J. Mitchell\u003c\/a\u003e, chief designer at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine\"\u003eSupermarine\u003c\/a\u003e Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vickers-Armstrong\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Vickers-Armstrong\"\u003eVickers-Armstrong\u003c\/a\u003e from 1928. Mitchell pushed the Spitfire's distinctive \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elliptical_wing\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Elliptical wing\"\u003eelliptical wing\u003c\/a\u003e designed by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beverley_Shenstone\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Beverley Shenstone\"\u003eBeverley Shenstone\u003c\/a\u003e\u003csup class=\"noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact\"\u003e[\u003ci\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Citation_needed\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Wikipedia:Citation needed\"\u003e\u003cspan title=\"Shenstone's personal wing work not cited in main text (April 2018)\"\u003ecitation needed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e]\u003c\/sup\u003e to have the thinnest possible cross-section, helping give the aircraft a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hawker_Hurricane\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Hawker Hurricane\"\u003eHawker Hurricane\u003c\/a\u003e. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Smith_(aircraft_designer)\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Joseph Smith (aircraft designer)\"\u003eJoseph Smith\u003c\/a\u003e took over as chief designer, overseeing the Spitfire's development through \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Spitfire_variants:_specifications,_performance_and_armament\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine Spitfire variants: specifications, performance and armament\"\u003eits multitude of variants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eDuring the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Battle_of_Britain\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Battle of Britain\"\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/a\u003e, from July to October 1940, the public perceived the Spitfire to be the main RAF fighter, though the more numerous Hurricane shouldered a greater proportion of the burden against \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nazi_Germany\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Nazi Germany\"\u003eNazi Germany\u003c\/a\u003e's air force, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Luftwaffe\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Luftwaffe\"\u003eLuftwaffe\u003c\/a\u003e. However, Spitfire units had a lower attrition rate and a higher victory-to-loss ratio than those flying Hurricanes because of the Spitfire's higher performance. During the Battle, Spitfires were generally tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters—mainly \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_variants#Bf_109E\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants\"\u003eMesserschmitt Bf 109E\u003c\/a\u003e series aircraft—which were a close match for them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eAfter the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire superseded the Hurricane to become the backbone of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RAF_Fighter_Command\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"RAF Fighter Command\"\u003eRAF Fighter Command\u003c\/a\u003e, and saw action in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/European_Theatre_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"European Theatre of World War II\"\u003eEuropean\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mediterranean,_Middle_East_and_African_theatres_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres of World War II\"\u003eMediterranean\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asiatic-Pacific_Theater\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Asiatic-Pacific Theater\"\u003ePacific\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South-East_Asian_theatre_of_World_War_II\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"South-East Asian theatre of World War II\"\u003eSouth-East Asian\u003c\/a\u003e theatres. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s. The \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Seafire\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Supermarine Seafire\"\u003eSeafire\u003c\/a\u003e was a carrier-based adaptation of the Spitfire which served in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fleet_Air_Arm\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Fleet Air Arm\"\u003eFleet Air Arm\u003c\/a\u003e from 1942 through to the mid-1950s. Although the original \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Airframe\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Airframe\"\u003eairframe\u003c\/a\u003e was designed to be powered by a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolls-Royce_Merlin\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Rolls-Royce Merlin\"\u003eRolls-Royce Merlin\u003c\/a\u003e engine producing 1,030 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Horsepower\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Horsepower\"\u003ehp\u003c\/a\u003e (768 kW), it was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins and, in later marks, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rolls-Royce_Griffon\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Rolls-Royce Griffon\"\u003eRolls-Royce Griffon\u003c\/a\u003e engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW). As a result, the Spitfire's performance and capabilities improved over the course of its service life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}