Spitfire Mk Vb/trop (Italy) - Revision history

U38088265: /* Description */

2023-07-23T21:34:24Z

‎Description

U38088265: /* Description */ Updated to new standard

2023-07-23T18:55:29Z

‎Description: Updated to new standard

U44629479: Edits

2022-11-23T21:09:47Z

Edits

U3312106: /* External links */

2021-01-24T09:50:33Z

‎External links

U38088265: /* Media */

2021-01-13T20:01:11Z

‎Media

U65816794 at 19:39, 13 January 2021

2021-01-13T19:39:16Z

U65816794 at 19:36, 13 January 2021

2021-01-13T19:36:00Z

U65816794: Last sections filled

2021-01-13T19:34:19Z

Last sections filled

U38088265 at 11:27, 13 January 2021

2021-01-13T11:27:59Z

U65816794: Additions, edits, rearranging and history added

2021-01-13T02:42:08Z

Additions, edits, rearranging and history added

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-Following the Italian Armistice on 3rd September 1943, Allied command decided to reinforce the friendly Co-Belligerent forces with British and American aircraft, including the Spitfire Mk V. These were assigned to the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo at Leverano. In 1945, the 20th Gruppo was moved to Lecce-Galatina, where they operated reconnaissance missions and fighter escort for allied bombers along with the rest of the 51st Stormo, equipped with C.202s and C.205s. They were also involved in the strafing of a German convoy near the Balkans, during which one of the 3 attacking Spitfires was downed by anti-air fire. The Italian Spitfire Mk Vs were replaced by Mk XIs between 1946-1948.
+Following the Italian Armistice on 3rd September 1943, Allied command decided to reinforce the friendly Co-Belligerent forces with British and American aircraft, including the Spitfire Mk V. These were assigned to the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo at Leverano. In 1945, the 20th Gruppo was moved to Lecce-Galatina, where they operated reconnaissance missions and fighter escort for allied bombers along with the rest of the 51st Stormo, equipped with C.202s and C.205s. They were also involved in the strafing of a German convoy near the Balkans, during which one of the 3 attacking Spitfires was downed by anti-air fire. The Italian Spitfire Mk Vs were replaced by [[Spitfire F Mk IX|Mk IX]]s between 1946-1948.
 Introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]], the capabilities of the Spitfire provide a fresh playstyle from the established mainstays of the Italian tech tree. The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop sports powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine, producing 1,440 hp; coupled with its light and sleek design, the Spitfire has good speed and climb rate, but its main strength is its tight turn radius. The basic strategy that many Spitfire pilots use is a tactic whereby they bait head-ons from enemy aircraft, before evading and turning around to put shots into the target at close range while the enemy is pulling out. When the Spitfire has the initiative in the engagement and has successfully manoeuvred onto a six-o-clock aspect, it is nearly impossible for the opponent to regain the advantage. Using clever management of the throttle and manoeuvres to gain or bleed energy, an experienced pilot can maintain the initiative in the engagement and stay on an opponent's six o'clock.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].
+Following the Italian Armistice on 3rd September 1943, Allied command decided to reinforce the friendly Co-Belligerent forces with British and American aircraft, including the Spitfire Mk V. These were assigned to the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo at Leverano. In 1945, the 20th Gruppo was moved to Lecce-Galatina, where they operated reconnaissance missions and fighter escort for allied bombers along with the rest of the 51st Stormo, equipped with C.202s and C.205s. They were also involved in the strafing of a German convoy near the Balkans, during which one of the 3 attacking Spitfires was downed by anti-air fire. The Italian Spitfire Mk Vs were replaced by Mk XIs between 1946-1948.
-This Spitfire, part of the 51°Stormo, represents the Italian side known as the Italian Co-belligerent Air Force (Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana), which fought along the allies in the last years of the war.
+Introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]], the capabilities of the Spitfire provide a fresh playstyle from the established mainstays of the Italian tech tree. The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop sports powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 engine, producing 1,440 hp; coupled with its light and sleek design, the Spitfire has good speed and climb rate, but its main strength is its tight turn radius. The basic strategy that many Spitfire pilots use is a tactic whereby they bait head-ons from enemy aircraft, before evading and turning around to put shots into the target at close range while the enemy is pulling out. When the Spitfire has the initiative in the engagement and has successfully manoeuvred onto a six-o-clock aspect, it is nearly impossible for the opponent to regain the advantage. Using clever management of the throttle and manoeuvres to gain or bleed energy, an experienced pilot can maintain the initiative in the engagement and stay on an opponent's six o'clock.
 == General info ==

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 However, the newer, more powerful, heavier engine and airframe only has more energy retention capability due to being heavier than the Spitfire IIb. This means that the aircraft cannot turn as tightly or as fast as its predecessor. The extra weight comes from the new cannons, which are slightly longer than the more powerful Merlin 45 engine.
-The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop has a quoted rate of climb of 17.8 m/s at around 255 km/h in a moderate climb, however, when factoring in 20 minutes of fuel reduces is capability and it can manage around 22.7 m/s in a climb at 251 km/h IAS. In addition, by alternating between shallow and sharp climbs, one can make the Spitfire climb much faster in the initial stages of the match. Through practising these techniques, it is possible to achieve an end result of an average of around 20-21 metres per second in a single, steady climb to 4,000 metres. The aircraft's nose was kept pointing 15 - 20 degrees during this climb.
+The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop has a quoted rate of climb of 17.8 m/s at around 255 km/h in a moderate climb, however, when factoring in 20 minutes of fuel reduces is capability and it can manage around 22.7 m/s in a climb at 251 km/h IAS. In addition, by alternating between shallow and sharp climbs, one can make the Spitfire climb much faster in the initial stages of the match. Through practising these techniques, it is possible to achieve an end result of an average of around 20-21 metres per second in a single, steady climb to 4,000 m. The aircraft's nose was kept pointing 15 - 20 degrees during this climb.
-This Spitfire has a good turn time compared to its opposition and cannot be out-turned by anything save for a Japanese Zero. However, its 16.8 second turn time and slightly wider turn radius are a far cry from the first Spitfire Mk Ia's turn radius and turn time. Don't expect to out-turn everything. While you have good energy retention, you have low manoeuvrability below 250 km/h. A prime tactic used by enemy pilots is cutting speed near the ground, resulting in you ramming into terrain. Don't let that happen. If the target's too slow, break in the opposite direction and turn back at them, beginning another series of scissors. If not, then pull out. They'll have lost a lot of speed by cutting the throttle and nearly nothing rivals the acceleration of a Spitfire Vb/trop under 4,000 metres save for high-performance Russian aircraft.
+This Spitfire has a good turn time compared to its opposition and cannot be out-turned by anything save for a Japanese Zero. However, its 16.8 second turn time and slightly wider turn radius are a far cry from the first Spitfire Mk Ia's turn radius and turn time. Don't expect to out-turn everything. While you have good energy retention, you have low manoeuvrability below 250 km/h. A prime tactic used by enemy pilots is cutting speed near the ground, resulting in you ramming into terrain. Don't let that happen. If the target's too slow, break in the opposite direction and turn back at them, beginning another series of scissors. If not, then pull out. They'll have lost a lot of speed by cutting the throttle and nearly nothing rivals the acceleration of a Spitfire Vb/trop under 4,000 m save for high-performance Soviet aircraft.
 The Spitfire Vb/trop, however, begins to lose its edge below 280 km/h IAS. It begins to slow down, become sluggish, and starts to show its weaknesses. Although it has good energy retention, it will lose a lot of speed turning above 400 km/h, and loses speed slowly but steadily in a turn below that speed. Beginning at 270 km/h IAS, the aircraft begins to lose speed and agility until it becomes heavy and unwieldy beginning at 250 km/h.
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 == Usage in battles ==
 <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
-The Spitfire Vb/trop fills the role of an aerial superiority fighter in the early Italian tier III lineup. It cannot fulfil any ground attack duties due to its low cannon ammunition pool and the absence of any heavy machine guns which can penetrate a tank's thin roof armour. In addition, the aircraft cannot carry any bombs or other air to ground ordnance. Like most Spitfires, the Spitfire Mk Vb/trop is meant to be used as a pure aerial superiority fighter, while fighter-bomber duties are relegated to other aircraft, such as the [[Ro.57 Quadriarma]].
+The Spitfire Vb/trop fills the role of an aerial superiority fighter in the early Italian tier III lineup. It cannot fulfil any ground attack duties due to its low cannon ammunition pool and the absence of any heavy machine guns which can penetrate a tank's thin roof armour. In addition, the aircraft cannot carry any bombs or other air-to-ground ordnance. Like most Spitfires, the Spitfire Mk Vb/trop is meant to be used as a pure aerial superiority fighter, while fighter-bomber duties are relegated to other aircraft, such as the [[Ro.57 Quadriarma]].
 A possible strategy is akin to that used on the [[C.205 serie 1]], using the cannons sparingly. Use the cannons when in the aircraft's most effective convergence range and envelope, and use the machine guns to 'sight' the cannons. Fire the machine guns tracer belts for maximum AP-I and tracer ammo, using the similar muzzle velocities to get an idea of where the cannon rounds will go, and then fire cannons once you are getting consistent hits. If your cannon ammo drops to 50 rounds or below that, try and return to base quickly. That way, if you get bounced on the way back, you can at least have some cannon ammo left to surprise any raider looking to kill you.
-Go for deflection shots against enemy aircraft. These shots are side-on shots where you "lead" an enemy aircraft in front of you, and get off a burst when you're not directly behind them, but instead when they're turning. While this may be difficult for newer players, it provides valuable training and is a good learning experience for later tiers. In addition, should you use this technique, you can easily cause enemy planes' wings to completely fall off if you pull it off right and hit a wing spar. Bf-109s, with their single-wing spars, are especially vulnerable to a well-aimed side-on shot.
+Go for deflection shots against enemy aircraft. These shots are side-on shots where you "lead" an enemy aircraft in front of you, and get off a burst when you're not directly behind them, but instead when they're turning. While this may be difficult for newer players, it provides valuable training and is a good learning experience for later tiers. In addition, should you use this technique, you can easily cause enemy planes' wings to completely fall off if you pull it off right and hit a wing spar. Bf 109s, with their single-wing spars, are especially vulnerable to a well-aimed side-on shot.
 === Manual Engine Control ===
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 '''Pros:'''
-* Excellent turn time positioning it amongst the best of the rank
+* Excellent turn time, positioning it amongst the best of the rank
 * Decent all-round performance; only lagging behind in frame durability
 * 2 x 20 mm cannons allow a firepower advantage against some lower ranked adversaries armed only with 7.7 machine guns
@@ Line 187: / Line 187: @@
 After the Italian Armistice on 3 September 1943 and the separation of Italy into the Axis-sided Italian Social Republic and the Allied-sided Italian Co-Belligerent Army.  The Allied command decided to reinforce the  Italian Co-Belligerent ''Regia Aeronautica'' with British and American fighters to replace the ageing previous Italian aircraft, which spare parts and factories were now a portion of the controlled Axis areas in northern Italy.
-The Spitfire Mk. Vb was part of those used materials given to the Italian Air force. Over 53 were given since late 1943, mixed with Mk. Vc variants. The completed batch of Spitfires finally arrived in the Summer of 1944. Despite some Spitfires being not suitable to fly safely anymore - as they had extensive use in the RAF and Yugoslavian Air force. The Italians assigned the Spitfires into the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo ('''''51º Stormo Caccia Terrestre)''''' at Leverano as Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud.
+The Spitfire Mk. Vb was part of those used materials given to the Italian Air force. Over 53 were given since late 1943, mixed with Mk. Vc variants. The completed batch of Spitfires finally arrived in the Summer of 1944. Despite some Spitfires being not suitable to fly safely anymore - as they had extensive use in the RAF and Yugoslavian Air force. The Italians assigned the Spitfires into the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo ("51º Stormo Caccia Terrestre") at Leverano as Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud.
 In 1945 the Italian Spitfire squadron was moved to Lecce-Galatina, where they operated reconnaissance missions and fighter escort for allied bombers along the rest of the 51st Stormo, all equipped with Macchi 202 and 205. They were also involved in the strafing of a German convoy near the Balkans, in which one of the 3 Spitfires attacking got downed by Flak.
@@ Line 197: / Line 197: @@
 == Media ==
 <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 {{Youtube-gallery|VCLkoumEdqU|'''Premium Review: Spitfire Vb/trop <nowiki>[Foreign Donna!]</nowiki>''' - ''Jengar''}}
@@ Line 219: / Line 224: @@
 <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''other literature.'' -->

@@ Line 223: / Line 223: @@
 * [[wt:en/news/5371-development-spitfire-mk-v-model-update-and-new-modifications-en|[Devblog] Spitfire Mk.V: model update and new modifications]]
 {{AirManufacturer Supermarine}}
 {{Italy fighters}}
 {{Italy premium aircraft}}

@@ Line 196: / Line 196: @@
 == Media ==
-<!-- Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos. -->
+<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
-{{Youtube-gallery|VCLkoumEdqU|Jengar's review of the Italian Spitfire}}
+{{Youtube-gallery|VCLkoumEdqU|'''Premium Review: Spitfire Vb/trop <nowiki>[Foreign Donna!]</nowiki>''' - ''Jengar''}}
-== See also ==<!-- Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
+== See also ==
-reference to the series of the aircraft;
+'''British version'''
 * [[Spitfire Mk Vb/trop]]
@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 * [[A6M2]]
 * [[J22-B]]
-* [[Bf 109 F-4/trop]]
+* [[Bf 109 F-4/trop]]
 * [[P-63A-5]]
 * [[La-5F]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm"]].
 This Spitfire, part of the 51°Stormo, represents the Italian side known as the Italian Co-belligerent Air Force (Aeronautica Cobelligerante Italiana), which fought along the allies in the last years of the war.
 The capabilities of this British Spitfire provide a fresh air in performance, plus an excellent premium boost useful for the aspiring Italian pilots looking to master the powerful planes down the ranks.
 == General info ==
 === Flight performance ===
 {{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
-<!--''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''-->The Spitfire Mk. Vb/trop is a well-rounded fighter that can turn excellently. When the plane has not been fully upgraded, the Spitfire Vb/trop's Merlin 45 engine has less power than the Merlin XII engine of the Spitfire Mk IIb. The Spitfire has outstanding energy retention and easily gains speed in a dive and retains it after pulling out into more level flight. In addition, it does not lose speed too quickly in a turn and thanks to outstanding acceleration from the Merlin 45, the aircraft easily accelerates after pulling a high-G turn that initially bled a large amount of speed.
+<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
 However, the newer, more powerful, heavier engine and airframe only has more energy retention capability due to being heavier than the Spitfire IIb. This means that the aircraft cannot turn as tightly or as fast as its predecessor. The extra weight comes from the new cannons, which are slightly longer than the more powerful Merlin 45 engine.
-The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop has a quoted rate of climb of 17.8 m/s at around 255 kph in a moderate climb, however, when factoring in 20 minutes of fuel reduces is capability and it can manage around 22.7 m/s in a climb at 251 kph IAS. In addition, by alternating between shallow and sharp climbs, one can make the Spitfire climb much faster in the initial stages of the match. Through practising these techniques, it is possible to achieve an end result of an average of around 20-21 metres per second in a single, steady climb to 4,000 metres. The aircraft's nose was kept pointing 15 - 20 degrees during this climb.
+The Spitfire Mk Vb/trop has a quoted rate of climb of 17.8 m/s at around 255 km/h in a moderate climb, however, when factoring in 20 minutes of fuel reduces is capability and it can manage around 22.7 m/s in a climb at 251 km/h IAS. In addition, by alternating between shallow and sharp climbs, one can make the Spitfire climb much faster in the initial stages of the match. Through practising these techniques, it is possible to achieve an end result of an average of around 20-21 metres per second in a single, steady climb to 4,000 metres. The aircraft's nose was kept pointing 15 - 20 degrees during this climb.
 This Spitfire has a good turn time compared to its opposition and cannot be out-turned by anything save for a Japanese Zero. However, its 16.8 second turn time and slightly wider turn radius are a far cry from the first Spitfire Mk Ia's turn radius and turn time. Don't expect to out-turn everything. While you have good energy retention, you have low manoeuvrability below 250 km/h. A prime tactic used by enemy pilots is cutting speed near the ground, resulting in you ramming into terrain. Don't let that happen. If the target's too slow, break in the opposite direction and turn back at them, beginning another series of scissors. If not, then pull out. They'll have lost a lot of speed by cutting the throttle and nearly nothing rivals the acceleration of a Spitfire Vb/trop under 4,000 metres save for high-performance Russian aircraft.
@@ Line 135: / Line 136: @@
 == Usage in battles ==
 <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 The Spitfire Vb/trop fills the role of an aerial superiority fighter in the early Italian tier III lineup. It cannot fulfil any ground attack duties due to its low cannon ammunition pool and the absence of any heavy machine guns which can penetrate a tank's thin roof armour. In addition, the aircraft cannot carry any bombs or other air to ground ordnance. Like most Spitfires, the Spitfire Mk Vb/trop is meant to be used as a pure aerial superiority fighter, while fighter-bomber duties are relegated to other aircraft, such as the [[Ro.57 Quadriarma]].
 A possible strategy is akin to that used on the [[C.205 serie 1]], using the cannons sparingly. Use the cannons when in the aircraft's most effective convergence range and envelope, and use the machine guns to 'sight' the cannons. Fire the machine guns tracer belts for maximum AP-I and tracer ammo, using the similar muzzle velocities to get an idea of where the cannon rounds will go, and then fire cannons once you are getting consistent hits. If your cannon ammo drops to 50 rounds or below that, try and return to base quickly. That way, if you get bounced on the way back, you can at least have some cannon ammo left to surprise any raider looking to kill you.
@@ Line 175: / Line 176: @@
 * Low ammo count for the Hispanos; trigger discipline is needed
 * Requires good skill & knowledge of energy fighting to be used to its full potential as is not the fastest plane in the rank.
 * Float carburettor causes engine failures on prolonged negative Gs manoeuvring and inverted flying
 * .303s have a low damage output, worse with the distance
 * Poor high altitude performance (+4,000); due to the lack of a supercharged engine
@@ Line 183: / Line 184: @@
 == History ==
-<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''-->After the Italian Armistice on 3 September 1943 and the separation of Italy into the Axis-sided Italian Social Republic and the Allied-sided Italian Co-Belligerent Army.  The Allied command decided to reinforce the  Italian Co-Belligerent ''Regia Aeronautica'' with British and American fighters to replace the ageing previous Italian aircraft, which spare parts and factories were now a portion of the controlled Axis areas in northern Italy.
+<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
-The Spitfire Mk. Vb was part of those used materials given to the Italian Air force. Over 53 were given since late 1943, mixed with Mk. Vc variants. The completed batch of Spitfires finally arrived in the Summer of 1944. Despite some Spitfires being not suitable to fly safely anymore - as they had extensive use in the RAF and Yugoslavian Air force. The Italians assigned the Spitfires into the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo ('''''51º Stormo Caccia Terrestre)''''' at Leverano as Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud.
+The Spitfire Mk. Vb was part of those used materials given to the Italian Air force. Over 53 were given since late 1943, mixed with Mk. Vc variants. The completed batch of Spitfires finally arrived in the Summer of 1944. Despite some Spitfires being not suitable to fly safely anymore - as they had extensive use in the RAF and Yugoslavian Air force. The Italians assigned the Spitfires into the 20th Gruppo of 51st Stormo ('''''51º Stormo Caccia Terrestre)''''' at Leverano as Aeronautica Cobelligerante del Sud.
 In 1945 the Italian Spitfire squadron was moved to Lecce-Galatina, where they operated reconnaissance missions and fighter escort for allied bombers along the rest of the 51st Stormo all equipped with Macchi 202 and 205. They were also involved in the strafing of a German convoy near the Balkans, in which one of the 3 Spitfires attacking got downed by Flak.
 Fortunately, Italian pilots at both sides never faced each other during the last years of the Second World War as the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force was focused on the Balkans and not over German-controlled territory. The 5th of May of 1945 being their last mission of the war.
 Ultimately the Mk.Vs were replaced with Spitfires LF in 1948.