First time German Me109 pilots met the Defiant, it was in 1940 over Dunkirk. They thought they were Hurricanes and logically dived on their tails. The only thing to avoid in this precise case! They lost 3 or 4 planes and never be caught again. Next time, they fired in frontal affack...The Defiants, too vulnerable once the lesson learned, were then used in Night Fighting and target-tug duties.