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


Sabrejet
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No P-43s went to the RAF but a good number went to the Chinese.

 

The Vultee 48C was initially refused by the British as being unsuitable for combat, but 100 examples from an embargoed Swedish order were later offered to the RAF. The British agreed to accept them, intending to use them as advanced trainers... in Canada, I believe. However, these aircraft were retained by the US Army after the USA entered the war, designated P-66, and most were eventually given to the Chinese.

 

Here's a look at the only two Vultee Vanguards to be finished in RAF colors... they carry the RAF serials BW208 and BW209.

 

BW209002a.jpg

Project 914 Archives

 

 

BW209001a.jpg

Project 914 Archives

 

 

Fade to Black...

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RAF Mohawks were still flying combat in the CBI at the beginning of 1944. Vultee Vengeance dive bombers also in the CBI as well as used by RAAF in the PTO. I don't think any Vanguards or Lancers saw operational service. The P400s were with 601 squadron briefly but withdrawn. Most 400s were sent back to the USAAF where they saw service in the PTO with a few making it to the MTO with the USAAF.

 

If you do some hunting there were a number of American made bombers that the USAAF didn't order that did serve for a long time with the RAF. Probably the most well known being the Martin Baltimore and Marylands that saw service in the MTO. Hudsons and Venturas also saw lots of service along with the Mitchells of 2 TAF and the Marauders that served with the RAF in the MTO.

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RAF Mohawks were still flying combat in the CBI at the beginning of 1944.

 

I believe that those were the only RAF-operated Mohawks to be flown in combat. The rest were used primarily for training.

 

The vast majority of the RAF's Curtiss Mohawks had originally been destined for the French. When France fell, Britain obtained the aircraft that had yet to be delivered as well as some that had escaped the continent. A very few Mohawk IVs (5 or 6) were license-built by Hindustan (formerly CAMCO) in India and yet a few more were ex-Persian machines.

 

The ex-Persian Mohawks and those built by Hindustan were among the ships operating from India, and were flown by 5 Squadron and 155 Squadron, RAF. Here's a look at some of those CBI Mohawks, circa January 1944...

 

8d43548ub.jpg

NARA via Library of Congress online archives

 

8d43554ub.jpg

NARA via Library of Congress online archives

 

8d43576ub.jpg

NARA via Library of Congress online archives

 

 

Not sure when this photo was taken, but the location is Bangalore, India which I believe is the place where Hindustan built their licensed Hawks.

 

Page2640tmpa.jpg

NARA via Fold3.com

 

 

A closer look at the Hawk...

 

Page2640tmpz1.jpg

 

 

Here's a couple from my collection...

 

Mohawk IV BK585

 

MohawkIVBK585001a.jpg

Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)

 

 

Mohawk III AR633

 

MohawkIIIAR633001a.jpg

Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)

 

 

More later...

 

 

Fade to Black...

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Great additions to the thread...thanks! I've had the pleasure of watching the only (?) airworthy Hawk strutting its stuff at "Flying Legends" at Duxford. It's in French markings. I believe I added some pics to the aviation forum at the time.

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This is from the second of the three volume set done by Christopher Shores on the airwar in the CBI.

 

It amazed me to see the later in the war SEAC roundels on this Mohawk about to depart on a combat sortie.

Mohawk.jpg

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Sabrejet, thanks for those pix of TFC's Hawk. I am quite envious of anyone who has been able to see that gal in person...

 

This is from the second of the three volume set done by Christopher Shores on the airwar in the CBI.

 

It amazed me to see the later in the war SEAC roundels on this Mohawk about to depart on a combat sortie.

I guess I had the same reaction as you when I first saw that photo, only it was in an ish of Air Enthusiast... same author.

 

I was going to post these the other day, but never got around to processing the scans til now. These next four images are from Air Enthusiast #23.

 

 

'Joe Soap' of 155 Sqn, Imphal late 1943

 

Mohawk155Sqn001a.jpg

 

 

Mohawk of 5 Squadron at Dinjan, May/June 1942.

 

Mohawk5Sqn003a.jpg

 

 

Two views of another 5 Sqn ship, later in 1942. Apparently this Hawk went on to serve with 155 Squadron and was destroyed in a landing accident in November of 1943.

 

Mohawk5Sqn001a.jpg

 

Mohawk5Sqn002a.jpg

 

 

These came from what now looks to be a defunct forum... unfortunately I didn't save the text of the posts, just a net shortcut. So I have none of the originally posted info for these images and do not know who posted them. However, they appear to show some of the few Mohawks which were built under license by Hindustan at Bangalore, India.

 

DSC01488.jpg

 

DSC01437.jpg

 

 

This shot doesn't show any Mohawks, but I included it just for the heck of it. The birds on the left are Harlow PC-5s while on the right is at least one Vultee V-12D.

 

DSC01438.jpg

 

 

This last image shows a Mohawk in the foreground with a Vultee V-12D and what look to be more V-12 fuselages.

 

DSC01442.jpg

 

 

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A few more Mohawks...

 

Mohawk IV AR645 or 646... not sure which, as the last digit of the serial is pretty muddy no matter what I do in Photoshop.

 

6681313959_fdaf6f14b8_oSDASMa.jpg

SDASM Archives

 

 

Another Mohawk IV...

 

7881239602_65e2fa10fb_oa.jpg

SDASM Archives

 

 

Mohawk IV gettin' a bit of TLC...

 

MohawkMaint001a1.jpg

Project 914 Archives

 

 

Fade to Black...

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IIRC a few P-43's were flown by the RAAF, in Australia, as photo-recce and fighter trainers. Of course China got and used in combat dozens of the Lancers.

 

Also, there was a Belgian Tomahawk sqn in West Africa that was equipped with seized/diverted French contract aircraft; they got the job because the instruments were all in French and (IIRC) the throttles were different.

 

Didn't the SAAF fly Mohawks full-sqn strength, in the Ethiopian campaign, and maybe Madagascar?

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As a matter of interest, re the Indian "Hindustan" factory which made the Hawks, these days they are better known for making the Ambassador...India's biggest selling car which is actually made using tooling for an obsolete British car from the early 50s... the Morris Oxford!

post-8022-0-86067400-1351961135.jpg

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The Belgian Tomahawk unit was 349 Sqn, at Ikeja. But it used the Tomahawks for only two months (Jan-Mar 43), when the aircraft were grounded and the personnel reassigned to ferrying aircraft from West Africa to Egypt and the Med. IIRC the Tomahawks were grounded because they had sat in their crates dockside in the tropics for about two years and/or the assembly in Africa was slipshod, and the Sqn had a high number of eqpt failures.

 

The SAAF No. 3 Sqn flew Mohawks in Ethiopia-Sudan-Egypt, but was perhaps too late to contribute to the combat activities in Abyssinia. Other SAAF people flew Gloster Gladiators there, for sure. Nearly all Mohawks received by the RAF in the UK were quickly shipped off to S Africa or India. The SAAF also flew them at home, for coastal patrols and convoy cover, as well as "advanced tuition".

 

Three RAF sqns operatd the Mohawk in India -- No.5 (well known), plus 146 (briefly) and then 155. It was 155 that flew them as late as Jan 44, then going over to Spit VIII (quite a thrilling ride?). Sqn code was DG. No. 5 gave up Mohawks in Jun 43, for Hurricanes. Code "OQ".

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