Curtiss P-36 Hawk photo gallery

Curtiss H-81A Hawk - Tomahawk photo gallery

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk photo gallery

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk photo gallery

History

The full fuselage and engine cowlings. Note how long the engine is. Some of the cowling panels had clearly originally come from a British Kittyhawk IIB (P40C) and were camouflaged brown and green. (Mark Sheppard)

The Soviet Union received their first 47 Kittyhawk IIBs in September 1941. They were assembled by an RAF team at Yagodnik airfield near Archangel and from here were flight- tested by USAAC pilot Lt. Zemke (later Col 'Hub' Zemke, 56 FG 8AF) and less so by Lt. Alison. The first two Kittyhawks, serials AK300 with Allison A.200767 and AK242 with Allison engine A.200663, were handed over to the Soviet Air Force on 5 October 1941. Unfortunately, in both cases, within half an hour both had crashed/emergency landed. It was found that both had suffered gear, generator-drive gear, and accessory-drive gear failure. It appeared that the generator-drive gear on these aircraft had not received the necessary modification prior to being dispatched for the Soviet Union! As of 28 November 1941, the Soviets had suffered 19 failures with their Kittyhawks due to no modification and they were not too happy! The Soviets grounded all their Kittyhawks until it was all sorted out.

According to Soviet research data, the Curtiss-Wright P40C 41-13350 arrived at Murmansk in early 1942 by convoy. It was then most probably assembled and flight tested at Yagodnik airfield before being assigned to a fighter regiment. The Soviets recorded American-supplied P-40 aircraft by their construction (factory) number, so in the case of 41-13390 it was recorded as '194' as painted on the pilot's back armor (the British-supplied aircraft were easier to inventory as they were recorded by the RAF serial). The first entry for '194' was the following: P-40 '194' was issued new to the 147 IAP VVS 14 Army (147th Fighter Regiment, 14th Army) in early 1942. On 5 February 1942, at 1340 CET (Central European Time) P-40 '194' suffered engine failure and had to make a belly-landing at Murmashi airfield, south of Murmansk. It was considered as 'medium damaged' (30-50%). Pilot was Sr. Lt. N. V. Jurilin, who survived unhurt.

After repairs and with a new Allison engine fitted, it was issued to 20 GIAP (Guards Fighter Regiment) on 12 July 1942. This regiment had 20 P-40s on strength, 16 of which were operational. 147 IAP became a Guards Unit on 7 March 1942, becoming 20 GIAP. The records mention Kittyhawk '194' as powered by a British Air Ministry-ordered Allison C-15 No A.200541. Whether this was from a damaged Kittyhawk IIB or a crated spare is still unknown. At this time, the 20 GIAP was a part of the 1SAD (Combined Air Division) of Soviet Air Force (VVS) and was on the Karelian Front as part of the defense of Murmansk.

On 27 September 1942, the Soviet War Diary records the following combat activities: 1617 - 1723 hrs (CET), five Hurricanes of 837 IAP covered the air over own bases when nine P-40s of 20 GIAP and one P-39 of 19 GIAP were engaged in combat with eighteen Bf 109s at altitudes of 4000 - 5000 meters. The air battle lasted 25 minutes. The Russians claimed three Bf-109s shot down (Luftwaffe records report undercarriage damage to a Bf-109F-4 of 7./JG5). Russian losses were two aircraft from 837 IAP and two aircraft from 20 GIAP (Jr. Lt. N. A. Fikljunin was shot down and killed in a Hurricane, Sr. Sgt. P. K. Prochan made a force landing in a Hurricane 3km east of Shonguj, Sgt A. P. Pakov was shot down and parachuted to safety from his P-40 and, finally, Major Ermakov belly-landed his P-40 '194'.

The last available record for '194' is on 5 January 1944, when it was written off from the inventory of 20 GIAP of the 1st Combined Air Division. It was a common Soviet practice not to strike off wrecked equipment immediately (the Soviet Navy did the same with ships and aircraft) until a period of time after the event. There is no evidence of P-40 '194' being on the inventory list of 20 GIAP on 31 December 1942, or on the inventory of 7 VA (Air Army) on 1 June 1943. It can safely be assumed that 27 September 1942 was when '194' was lost and 5 January 1944 was the date that '194' was eventually written off from Soviet records.

Further reading
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p40registry/p40-4113570.html
http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/sheppard/p40recovery/index.htm
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p40registry/p40registry.html

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk W11 a reserve aircraft 1945

Profile 01: P-40M Kittyhawk W11 a reserve aircraft 1945. RAF transferred to USSR became W11 ended up in storage 1945. USAAF serial number 43-5998 Curtiss construction number CU-27686.

Curtiss P-40M USSR GvIAP White 32

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP White 50 Pilot Major P. A. Pokryshev 1942

Profile 00: P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP White 50 Pilot Major P. A. Pokryshev 1942 00

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP White 65 Pilot Lt Com A. Matveev 1942

Profile 01: P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP White 65 Pilot Lt Com A. Matveev 1942 00

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP White79 Pilot N.A. Zelenov 1942

Profile 00: P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP W79 Pilot Zelenov 1942.

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 196GvIAP Red 50 winter 1942-43

Profile 01:P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 196GvIAP Red 50 winter 1942-43

Kittyhawk P-40E USSR White 01 Russia 1942

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 196GvIAP White 93 Leningrad 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40M of 196th IAP, Nothern Front, Leningrad 1943

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 20GvIAP White 51 Pilot Ermakov ditched Karelian Front Sep 27 1942

USAAF serial number 41-13570 and Curtiss construction number CU-16786 was recovered from Russia and is now on display at Frontline Museum, Sandown Airport, Isle of Wight, UK. Brillent Photo's of the recovery.

Curtiss P-40E USSR 20GvIAP White 51 Pilot Ermakov 41-13570 01-04

Kittyhawk P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 29GvIAP White 12 Karelian Front 1943

Photo 01: P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 29GvIAP Karelian Front 1943 01

http://allaces.ru/p/people.php?id=7181 (Just press 'English Translation' button)...
http://avia-hobby.ru/publ/sovcolors/Lend.html
http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero id=345
http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/romanenko/p-40/index.htm

Curtiss P-40K Kittyhawk USSR 436 GvIAP White 79 Pilot N.F. Kuznetsov Russia 1942

Profile 01: P-40K Kittyhawk USSR 436 GvIAP White 23 Pilot St/Lt N. F. Kuznetsov 1942-43
Photo's: P-40K Kittyhawk USSR 154GvIAP W79 Pilot N.F. Kuznetsov Russia 1944 01

Curtiss P-40K Kittyhawk 7CHF IAP White 50 Pilot Major K. D. Denisov Black Sea Fleet 1943

Profile 01:P-40K Kittyhawk 7CHF IAP White 50 Pilot Major K. D. Denisov 1943 00

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 7GvIAP White 96 Black Sea Fleet

Profile 00-01: P-40E Kittyhawk USSR 7GvIAP W96 Black Sea Fleet 00-01

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk Northern Fleet Air Force NFAF White 10 Pilot Boris Safonov 1943

Profile 00 P-40E Kittyhawk of the Northern Fleet Air Force 1942. Pilot was Boris Safonov

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk NFAF White 8 1943

Profile 00 P-40E Kittyhawk of the Northern Fleet Air Force 1942.

Aircrew Soviet 2GvIAP pilots VP PokroVsky with PI Orlov Vaenga 1942

Curtiss P-40M USSR White 281 Research Institute of the Air Force Tests

Profile 00-01: P-40M USSR W281 Research Institute of the Air Force Tests

 

 Umnak Island, Aleutian Islands, United States Map

 

    Bibliography: +

  • Baugher, Joe. 'Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Tomahawk, Kittyhawk.' American Military Aircraft.
  • Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945. ISBN: 2913903479 Author: Anis Elbied Publisher: Histoire & Collections Paperback Pages: 84
  • Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the CBI (Aircraft of the Aces 35) ISBN: 184176079X Author: Carl Molesworth Publisher: Osprey Paperback Pages: 96.
  • Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55) ISBN: 1841765368 Author: Carl Molesworth   Publisher: Osprey Paperback Pages: 96.
  • RAAF Camouflage & Markings 1939-45 Vol 1 ISBN: 0858800365 Author: Geoffrey Pentland Publisher: Kookaburra Hard Cover Pages: 144
  • RAAF Camouflage & Markings 1939-45 Vol 2 ISBN: 0858800373 Author: Geoffrey Pentland Publisher: Kookaburra Hard Cover Pages: 144
  • Jane's - Fighting Aircraft of World War II ISBN: 1851701990 Author: Bill Gunston Publisher: Janes Hard Cover Pages: 320

    Magazines: +

  • Airfix Magazines (English) - http://www.airfix.com/
  • Avions (French) - http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/rubrique10.html
  • FlyPast (English) - http://www.flypast.com/
  • Flugzeug Publikations GmbH (German) - http://vdmedien.com/flugzeug-publikations-gmbh-hersteller_verlag-vdm-heinz-nickel-33.html
  • Flugzeug Classic (German) - http://www.flugzeugclassic.de/
  • Klassiker (German) - http://shop.flugrevue.de/abo/klassiker-der-luftfahrt
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://boutique.editions-lariviere.fr/site/abonnement-le-fana-de-l-aviation-626-4-6.html
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://www.pdfmagazines.org/tags/Le+Fana+De+L+Aviation/
  • Osprey (English) - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/
  • Revi Magazines (Czech) - http://www.revi.cz/

    Web References: +

  • Wikipedia.org - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109
  • Wikipedia.org - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_variants#cite_ref-100
  • Wikipedia.org - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109_operational_history
  • Flickr.com - https://www.flickr.com/photos/farinihouseoflove/2209839419/in/photostream

This webpage was updated 6th April 2021

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