US Army Air Force

American Beaufighter

U.S Air Force

A night fighter Bristol Beaufighter Mk VIF of US Army Air Force's 416th Night Fighter Squadron at Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, November 1943. Equipped with this British-built night fighter through a "reverse Lend-Lease" program until an American aircraft could be produced, after an operational cycle in England, achieving the first victory on July 24 1943, and an other cycle in Algeria and Tunisia, the 416th FS was transferred in Italy in Autumn 1943. From its Italian bases, in Southern and Central Italy, the last was, from end March 1945, Pontedera, in Tuscany, carried out defensive patrols and offensive night attacks on Axis positions on Sardinia, Corsica and in Southern France. In 1945 the Beaufighters were replaced by the Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Victor Sierra