Classified · Field Dossier · 1939 – 1945
The aircraft that
decided the sky
above a burning world.
A field guide to the fighters, bombers, and dive bombers of the Second World War — their engineers, their crews, their engines and armament, and the theatres where they fought. Compiled for enthusiasts of aviation history.
32
Aircraft in the dossier
6
Combatant nations
5
Theatres of war
≈ 800,000
Combat aircraft built
§ 01 — Principal Combatants
Four fighters, four flags.
United Kingdom
Supermarine
Supermarine Spitfire
Mk.I — Mk.24
Single-seat fighter1938 – 1955
United States
North American Aviation
North American P-51 Mustang
P-51B / C / D / K
Long-range escort fighter1942 – 1984 (various services)
Germany
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke / Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Bf 109E / F / G / K
Fighter1937 – 1965 (various services)
Japan
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Reisen)
A6M2 / M3 / M5
Carrier-based1940 – 1945
§ 02 — By Combatant Nation
Allied & Axis rosters.
United Kingdom
5 entriesUnited Kingdom
Supermarine
Supermarine Spitfire
Mk.I — Mk.24
Single-seat fighter1938 – 1955
United Kingdom
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Hurricane
Mk.I — Mk.IV
Fighter1937 – 1947
United Kingdom
Avro
Avro Lancaster
B.I / B.III / B.X
Heavy night bomber1942 – 1963
United Kingdom
de Havilland
de Havilland Mosquito
Mk.I — Mk.41
Multi-role: bomber, night fighter, recce, intruder1941 – 1963
United Kingdom
Hawker Aircraft
Hawker Typhoon
Mk.IB
Fighter-bomber1941 – 1945
United States
12 entriesUnited States
North American Aviation
North American P-51 Mustang
P-51B / C / D / K
Long-range escort fighter1942 – 1984 (various services)
United States
Republic Aviation
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C / D / M / N
Fighter1942 – 1966 (various services)
United States
Lockheed
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
P-38F / G / H / J / L
Twin-engine fighter1941 – 1965
United States
Curtiss-Wright
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
P-40B / E / K / N
Fighter1939 – 1958
United States
Boeing
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17E / F / G
Heavy strategic bomber1938 – 1968 (various services)
United States
Consolidated Aircraft
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
B-24D / H / J / L / M
Heavy strategic bomber1941 – 1968
United States
Boeing
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
B-29 / B-29A / B-29B
Very heavy strategic bomber1944 – 1960
United States
North American Aviation
North American B-25 Mitchell
B-25B / C / D / G / H / J
Medium bomber1941 – 1979
United States
Vought
Vought F4U Corsair
F4U-1 / -1A / -1D / F4U-4
Carrier1942 – 1965 (various services)
United States
Grumman
Grumman F6F Hellcat
F6F-3 / -5 / -5N
Carrier-based fighter1943 – 1960
United States
Douglas
Douglas SBD Dauntless
SBD-1 / -3 / -5 / -6
Carrier-based dive bomber1940 – 1959 (various services)
United States
Grumman / General Motors
Grumman TBF / TBM Avenger
TBF-1 / TBM-3
Carrier-based torpedo bomber1942 – 1960
Soviet Union
4 entries
Soviet Union
Yakovlev
Yakovlev Yak-3
Yak-3
Short-range light fighter1944 – 1952
Soviet Union
Ilyushin
Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik
Il-2 / Il-2M / Il-2M3
Ground-attack1941 – 1954
Soviet Union
Lavochkin
Lavochkin La-5 / La-7
La-5 / La-5FN / La-7
Fighter1942 – 1954
Soviet Union
Petlyakov
Petlyakov Pe-2
Pe-2 / Pe-2FT
Fast tactical bomber1941 – 1954
Germany
6 entriesGermany
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke / Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Bf 109E / F / G / K
Fighter1937 – 1965 (various services)
Germany
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Bf 110
Bf 110C / D / F / G
Heavy fighter1937 – 1945
Germany
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe
Me 262A-1a / A-2a
Jet fighter1944 – 1945
Germany
Focke-Wulf
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 / Ta 152
Fw 190A / F / G / D / Ta 152H
Fighter1941 – 1949
Germany
Junkers
Junkers Ju 87 Stuka
Ju 87B / D / G
Dive bomber1936 – 1945
Germany
Heinkel
Heinkel He 111
He 111H / P
Medium bomber1936 – 1958 (various services)
Japan
4 entriesJapan
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Reisen)
A6M2 / M3 / M5
Carrier-based1940 – 1945
Japan
Nakajima
Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa "Oscar"
Ki-43-I / II / III
Army fighter1941 – 1945
Japan
Aichi
Aichi D3A "Val"
D3A1 / D3A2
Carrier-based dive bomber1940 – 1945
Japan
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi G4M "Betty"
G4M1 / G4M2
Land-based medium bomber1941 – 1945
In Memoriam
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”— Winston S. Churchill, 20 August 1940