The Mosquito was the largest World War II light bomber. Its performance and speed were only exceeded by the early German jet fighters. As one of the fastest and most manoeuvrable World War II aircraft the versatile Mosquito proved itself as a precision day and night bomber, as a pathfinder and as a reconnaissance plane. This fighter, built primarily of wood, went into use with the RAF in 1941 and, due to its outstanding performance, received the nickname "Plywood Bomber" or "Wooden Wonder". Due to its light weight and powerful Merlin engines, developing 1,650 hp each, it reached a maximum speed of 612 km/h. The Mosquito B Mk.IV version was used for precision bombing by two RAF squadrons from 1942 onwards and one of its achievements was the release and escape of French resistance fighters on 18th February 1944. Later it served in a total of 6 RAF squadrons on the front line.