Camera Equipped Tomahawk IIBs

[Bruce Archer]

Hi All!

    I am currently building my third Airfix P-40B kit and would like to finish it as a camera equipped 414Sqn (RCAF) Tomahawk IIB. The problem is I have not found ANY images of 414 Sqn Tomahawks with a camera fitted. I have images and decals for 26 (Army Cooperation) Sqn Tomahawks but I would rather do a 414 Sqn Tomahawk.  Did 414 Sqn Tomahawks carry cameras, and does anyone have an images of one?

    I do wish to thank Airfix for providing the camera and camera port in the kit.

 

Bruce

Edited February 4, 2017 by Bruce Archer

[TBC]

I have several pictures of 414's Tomahawks, and not a single one of them which shows the port side has anything other than a solid radio compartment hatch.

[Jonny]

Was 414 RCAF a Tac-R / Reconnaisance / Army Cooperation squadron?  26 and 2 Squadrons RAF were and both carried cameras in Tomahawks and later, Mustangs.

 

The 414 RCAF website refers to the squadron undertaking offensive patrols - 'Rhubarbs', and 'Roadsteads', as well as recce sorties after fighting over Dieppe.  THey might have operated mainly in the pure fighter role.

 

Just thoughts .

..

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Jonny
spelling corrections

[TBC]

414 was an Army Cooperation squadron when it had the Tomahawks, but only in a training role and no operations were flown with the type. It was not until after conversion to the Mustang Mk.I that they commenced operations in the TacR role. Don't know why their Tomahawks didn't have cameras like their RAF counterparts.

[ColFord]

Bruce,

 

I think it will be very difficult for you to identify which Tomahawks, if any, used by No.414 (RCAF) Squadron were fitted with the oblique camera installation. 

 

Army Co-operation Command initially set the basic objective of having as a minimum two but preferably three Tomahawk aircraft of each Squadron fitted with the oblique camera installation.  However, the Air Ministry and Ministry of Aircraft Production, who were dealing with the bigger issues confronting serviceability of the Tomahawks and modifying them somewhere close to an operational standard, put a very low priority on the modification.  As a result, they advised ACC any such modification would have to be done utilising ACC resources.  So production of the camera installations had to be worked out and conducted by maintenance assets within ACC.  Air Ministry were kind enough to arrange supply of cameras!  Similar story for later ACC requirement for vertical camera installation in Tomahawks.  As a result, priority was given to those Squadrons of ACC that were most likely to use the camera installations operationally or to provide support to major UK Army Commands - remember at this stage they were still considering the possibility of a 1941 German invasion of the UK.  A lot of their early photo work, which supplemented that still being done using Lysanders retained by those Squadrons, was of Army camouflage, Army exercises, UK beach defences, 'home based' work not against the enemy as such.  There was a lot of re-learning going on about what was required to get good, usable oblique photos from a low flying, relatively fast single seat aircraft compared to what they had been used to with Lysanders and earlier ACC aircraft.

 

Some early operational oblique camera use was to back up visual sightings made during shipping reconnaissance sorties - photos to provide more detail and confirm what the pilot had visually sighted.  (ACC pilots typically, in the early days, over estimated size and type of shipping sighted, so having photographs helped intel a lot.)  So hence why Tomahawks of 2 and 26 were early Squadrons to get oblique cameras, 268 didn't get their first oblique camera equipped Tomahawk until November 1941.

 

Once ACC knew that the Tomahawk was going to be an interim type and due to be replaced in 1942 with the N.A. Mustang, a lot of the urgency to get Tomahawks modified with camera installations disappeared.  April 1942 is earliest reference I can find to arrival of vertical camera equipped Tomahawks arriving with ACC Squadrons. 

 

However, if you can find details, a serial, for a Tomahawk (or Tomahawks) retained by No.414 (RCAF) Squadron after they received their Mustangs and went operational on them, that would usually be a camera equipped Tomahawk retained to provide Photo/R capability until such time as the Mustangs were fitted with cameras.  Any Tomahawk retained by an operational ACC Squadron until mid 1943 would also be a good candidate for being a Tomahawk fitted with the vertical camera installation - pre Mustang vertical camera installation design and trials being finalised and wider installation being commenced.   

 

The No.414 (RCAF) Squadron Operational Record Books might contain details if the Squadron did receive any oblique camera fitted Tomahawks, it was the type of item worthy of mention.  But that may not give you the serial or Squadron aircraft id letter for the aircraft involved.  I had to cross reference aircraft record cards, Squadron ORBs and pilots log books, plus got lucky with a couple of photos in a pilot's log book to be able to identify the oblique camera equipped Tomahawks used by 268.  2 & 26 lucky there are photos showing some of their oblique camera equipped Tomahawks - again had to cross reference ORBs, pilots log books to get firm identity of the camera aircraft.

 

Regards.

 

 

 

 

[Buz]

Hi Bruce and Co

 

If you are still trying to track down a 414 SQN Tomahawk IIb with the Camera fit, try what I believe to be AH935 coded RU-M. It was with the unit Sep 41 to Jul 42 (was possibly coded RU-Z early in its SQN time - still trying to confirm). Looking at the markings I suggest this was taken later in its Sqn Life. Another noted was RU-B (no serial known)

 

Buz

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by Buz

[brewerjerry]

Hi

   great photo, thanks for posting it

    cheers jerry

Edited August 16, 2017 by brewerjerry
typo

[TBC]

Nice photo of RU-M - one I didn't have . There was an RU-Z s/n AH-90? The forward half of the "0" can be seen on the sky fuselage band but the last digit is in shadow under the left horizontal tail and I can't adjust image quality sufficiently to see it.

[BS_w]

Airmen of the Photographic Section of No. 26 Squadron RAF record details on the film magazine removed from a Type F.24 aerial camera mounted in the camera port of a Curtiss Tomahawk at Gatwick, Sussex, following a tactical reconnaissance training sortie.

 

notice the fuselage door was not hinged and be entirely removable, just fixed by four fasteners

[Buz]

15 hours ago, TBC said:

Nice photo of RU-M - one I didn't have . There was an RU-Z s/n AH-90? The forward half of the "0" can be seen on the sky fuselage band but the last digit is in shadow under the left horizontal tail and I can't adjust image quality sufficiently to see it.

TBC

 

Probably AH903, was with the Unit Sep 41 to May 42 - I have it coded as Z (taken from a Hi Res scan), other options would be AH902 or AH906, however to my eye it looks like a 3

 

Buz

[Buz]

Close up of the original mount and also the bulge caused by the cover. Later aircraft the mount seemed to be more refined and the cover had no bulge

 

 

 

Buz

Edited August 18, 2017 by Buz

[ben_m]

Really nice photos in this thread.

 

Just an idea about the covers/mounts:

The cover with the bulge allows for the camera to point backwards at around 45 degrees. In the photo the F24 camera is fitted with a wide-angle lens, probably 5". Without the bulge, I would guess bits of the airframe and/or the edge of the fuselage opening itself would get in field of view of the lens.

 

The flush cover is used with a longer lens- maybe 11", and it is has much less of a rearward angle, so it can be mounted right back inside the fuselage without anything obstructing its view.

[colonelpablo]

thank you for the pic! I have the same problem for MC202/205 recce variants, no pics!