Malta Spitfire – American fighter ace Claude Weaver III DFC DFM

Spitfire Mk Vb EP122, flown by British warbird pilot Pete Kynsey, shows off the unusual colors and markings it actually wore when it was involved in fierce aerial combats in defense of Malta in 1942. (Photo by John Dibbs/Facebook.com/theplanepicturecompany)

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Claude Weaver III, an American from Oklahoma City, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in February 1941 and flew Spitfires with 185 Squadron Royal Air Force in the fierce aerial battles in defense of Malta in 1942. Shortly after arriving on the island in July 1942, Weaver shot down five German Messerschmitt Bf 109s in a week, becoming the youngest Allied fighter ace at the age of 18. Four of his kills, plus a half-shared...

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