A shape in the sky that retreating German troops came to dread in 1944, the Hawker Typhoon made its mark as a lethal fighter-bomber, its pilots carrying out high speed, diving attacks on the enemy during and after D-Day. Grim though its business was — pinning down and destroying German troops and armour at the infamous Falaise Gap, for example — there can be no doubting the Typhoon's utter efficiency. In the bitter fighting after D-Day, Typhoon squadrons played a crucial role. That said, the machine did not have the easiest start in life. Originally intended as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, the Typhoon only had limited success — although its ultimate development, the Tempest, was a much better fighter. The 'Tiffy' came of age later on, and in a role it had not initially been devised for.
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