For their next 'Squadrons' book, RAF-in-Combat has chosen a type that started slow, but went on to see considerable service in later variants. This is the Allies first combat ready jet, the Gloster Meteor. While there was nothing really special about the airframe, it was the power plant that was the biggest difference. Turbojet engines had a huge amount of promise, but were also considerably low in power and had to be treated quite differently from the standard piston engine. While not much is said in the historical section about the reliability of the engines, the truth is that these had a somewhat short useful life and had to be treated with kid gloves. Fortunately for the Allies, getting the proper metals for the engines, and the use of the simpler centrifugal flow design was a plus. The result was a more reliable engine than the more powerful, but more short lived axial flow engines used by the Germans.

The only squadron to actually use the Meteor in action was 616 Squadron. This unit initially had but a single flight of Meteors with the other two still flying Spitfires. Their initial charges were the first production planes, Meteor F.Is and these planes pretty much were used to train pilots and ground crew in the operation of the planes. As more Meteors were accepted (these being the later F.IIIs), the squadron was put into operation against the end of the V-1 scourge. It was against the V-1 that the only air to air victories were scored by the type, this amounting to a little more than a dozen of the cruise missiles. By the time the aircraft was sent to Europe in the last month of the war, there was no air opposition and it was used with much success as a ground attack aircraft. None were lost to enemy action.

This book covers the history of the type along with its operational period during WWII. While many other squadrons stood up with the F.III, those were pretty much post-war and the type was never sent to the Pacific. In line with others in this series there are some super photos and great full color profiles. The stats section is what you've come to expect from this series, making it a superb reference book and one worth having on hand.

July 2016

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