Identification, friend or foe: US types in RAF service, WW2.

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I came upon this booklet at an antiques fair a few days ago. It was published in 1941 and is probably quite scarce if not rare as I doubt whether many survive today. Although it deals with military aircraft it is in fact a "civilian" publication, intended for aviation enthusiasts. Essentially, it's a catalog of all of the US types then in service with the RAF. Each type is illustrated by four photographs, plan drawings and technical data.

 

I was very surprised to see the range of types featured in the book as many are relatively "obscure"....even by American terms! I had no idea that some of these more "exotic" types were taken into service by the RAF, never having previously seen any pictures of them nor any surviving examples in British aviation museums, but clearly they did exist. What has happened to any surviving examples in the intervening years is anyone's guess!?

 

You'll notice that many of the types have been given names as opposed the American-style type designators, eg P-38. This was typical practice within the RAF, hence Mustang, Boston, Havoc, Martlet and Harvard etc. (We also named your tanks Sherman, Stuart, Grant and Lee etc! It's the British way! )

 

The following posts will cover all of the featured types.

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19. Examples of photographs...P-38 "Lightning" and Curtiss "Cleveland".

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Cont'd...Note that both types have had British markings applied.

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It's interesting to learn that a number of the more "exotic" types were actually ordered by other European nations, but as they fell one after another during the rapid German "Bitzkreig" of 1940, their undeliverable planes were diverted to Britain instead. I wonder if any RAF squadrons were equipped solely with these types, and if so, where were they deployed?

[Harlan]

I wonder if any RAF squadrons were equipped solely with these types, and if so, where were they deployed?

 

Great Tread Ian! It takes a lot of work scanning photos like that.

 

You're corret - There was a large number of P-40's that were destined for France, but when it fell they were given to Britain under lend lease. Britain deployed many of them to North Africa early in WWII.

 

I have a really good booktitled The Desert War by George Forty and found some images of US aircraft being used.

 

Yes, there were squadrons of P-40's in North Africa and they did a lot of damage to the Germans.

 

It's very difficult to see when taxiing tail draggers and it was common for crew chiefs to help

 

 

This one is under repair. Most of the time they had to do it out in the open.

 

This is a photo of my best friend inthe CAF V-77 which was called Reliant in civilian trim before WWII. The civilian Reliants were a family business. Vultee took over during WWII and made 500 Reliants during the war and every one of them were flown to England. They were used in England for coastal patrols and training.

 

 

 

This was from an airshow in east Texas and my wife and son went along with us.

 

 

I always liked this photo of flying to a show early on a Saturday morning. There was a cool front coming through but the clouds burned off even before we got there.

[Harlan]

Of interest, General Rommel said he both hated and admired the RAF in North Africa.

He was know to fly low over his own troops and if there was no enemy in front of their positions, he'd write a note and tie to a rock and say "There is no enemy in front of you - advance at once"

 

Hi had his own Stork and pilot, but he sometimes flew it by himself to check the lines. He never had a flying license.

 

I just added this photo because it an interesting example of having the correct camo for the area.

 

Here's another use of American aircraft used by the British - The Wildcats flew support missions during Operaction Torch.

Yes, there were many American tanks used by the British in North Africa - Stuarts, Grants, and Shermans. Despite it's small size, they really liked the Stuart because of it's dependability. I got to help work on one and I had no idea they were powered by a radial engine the same as most aircraft of the time.

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Thanks for those additions Harlan...great air-air shots! The P-40 squadrons of "the Desert Air Force" are perhaps the best known. I just wondered if there were squadrons based around the less well-known types such as the Republic Lancer or Vultee Vanguard etc? If they were in the inventory they must have been deployed somewhere?!