Alutian Tigers, P-40E or K?

[Spitfires Forever]

Just got a hold of some decals featuring the Alutian Tiger markings from 1942 prior to the application of the red surround on the roundels used shortly in 1943. My question is which P-40 type was most likely used at the time. Also, when did the K models arrive in Alaska vir were they used in conjunction with the E- model? Thanks for any help on this.

Cheers

[stevehnz]

A quick google search showed up plenty of photos of -Es, I didn't see any later ones nor any with the red surround to the star, that is not to say they weren't there but not so easy to spot.

Steve.

[112 Squadron]

As far as I know the Canadian 111 Squadron that also participated in the Aleutian Campaign flew P-40Ks whereas the Aleutian Tigers of the 343rd FG were equipped with the E. However, additional P-40Ks arrived in the Alaskan Theatre of operations later on as can be seen here:

 

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p-40-warhawk/curtiss-p-40k-1-cu-warhawk-42-46319-aleutian-islands-alaska/

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

The last USAAF P-40E-1 were delivered in May 1942, the first P-40K in June, the first P-40M in November.  So all three types could be present in Alaska by early 1943.

 

28th Composite Group arrived in Alaska in February 1941, it included fighter squadrons.  It reports a P-40E accident in April 1942.

 

54th Fighter Group arrived in June 1942 and departed in December, P-39 and P-40.  During its time in Alaska it mostly reported P-39 accidents, P-40K accident in October 1942, two P-40E in November,   After leaving Alaska in February/March 1943 began reporting P-40M and L accidents.  (By the way after being in Alaska in December 1942, it was in Florida in May 1943)

 

343rd Fighter Group arrived in September 1942, P-38 and P-40.  First accident report involving a P-40E 27 July 1942, first with a P-40K on 28 September 1942, still reporting P-40E and K accidents in December 1943.  No P-40M accidents but P-40N from August 1943.

[Carl V]

            As far as the RCAF participation in the Aleutian campaign is concerned, two of the three fighter squadrons deployed to Alaska served there. 111 (Fighter) Squadron flew Kittyhawk I’s, USAAF P-40E’s and ex-USAAF P-40K’s, while 14 (Fighter) Squadron flew Kittyhawk I’s and USAAF P-40K’s.

            I have researched the subject for nearly a half a century and, for the benefit of my friends (and posterity?), have prepared annotated and captioned photo albums for each of the above units – 111 (F) with 65 photos and 14 (F) with 83 photos. If anybody is interested in obtaining these albums, simply PM me with an e- mail address and I will send them off in PDF form.

Carl

[ilj]

Here's a summary of my impressions concerning Aleutian P-40s, based on photographs and John H Cloe's books about the Aleutian air campaign.

first generation:
P-40Es, deployed at Umnak summer 1942, moved to Adak in September
these arrived in overall olive drab upper, neutral gray under (no medium green blotches) - on the vertical tail there were no complete serial numbers, only a six inch high yellow number (low) and a smaller number (high) - the larger number might correspond to the last two digits of the serial number.
e.g., http://aleutianplanes.com/P-40E-Umnak.html
White bars on the rudder, elevators and across the fuselage behind the cockpit were added during summer 1942 at Umnak. The famous Tiger Heads were painted on at Umnak in July likely to raise morale after the Japanese spent two days blowing up Dutch harbour in June with waves of carrier based aircraft while the USAAF were sleeping unawares.  At about this point the spinners were painted yellow and these yellow noses remained pretty much standard on all USAAF (but not RCAF) P-40s through the end of the campaign.
e.g., the world's most over exposed P-40 model subject: http://aleutianplanes.com/P-40E_tiger96.html
These tiger markings appear in various stages of being overpainted in summer 1943 images from Adak (I am aware of at least two of these tiger head planes in bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo) but by this time most of the active combat ac were P-40Ks.  The P-40Es that appear in the Life colour images (summer 1943) with various odd paint jobs, were I believe mostly obsolete units held back at Adak while the front line airfield was then at Amchitka (P-40Ks).
e.g., http://aleutianplanes.com/P-40E_1943.html

second generation
P-40Ks - these started arriving in September 1942 and I believe (based on the frequency of accident reports) Ks were by far the most common P-40 type deployed overall.  A colour image shows one newly uncrated at Adak (bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo, full serial number in yellow on tailplane, white tail bars).  These included both 1) olive drab (with medium green blotches) over neutral gray AND 2) bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo ac.  There were lots of both schemes, few or maybe just one had the Tiger Head motif.  I'm unable to disentangle which P-40K serial number blocks were OD/NG +MG blotches versus bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo (anyone?).  Canadian RCAF pilot Ken Boomer was posted to Adak and credited with shooting down an A6M2N at Kiska, apparently while flying a P-40K of uncertain camouflage colour scheme and serial number but probably with commonwealth roundels. Most P-40K images from the Aleutians are from spring-summer 1943 at Amchitka.
e.g., http://aleutianplanes.com/#P-40K_Levy
It is surprising difficult to discern which scheme you are looking at in some b&white photos!  Several P-40Ks loaned to the RCAF (interesting schemes with roundels) appear in images from Amchitka.

third generation
P-40Ns - these started to arrive in summer 1943 (colour image from Adak with beat up P-40Es).  None were in bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo, but had the OD/NG scheme with the medium green blotches (no Tiger Heads).  These were outnumbered by P-40Ks and I'm not sure they (Ns) actually engaged in combat at Kiska.

By autumn 1943 airstrips were established at Attu (Alexai and Casco) and Shemya and these were stocked with a mix of P-40Ks and P-40Ns that flew local patrols - they did not have much to do.  Beat up repainted P-40Es were retained at all bases as hack/training ac at Adak, Amchitka et c. right through to the end.

For those interested in the Aleutian air campaign, John Cloe's books are excellent:

Cloe, J.H. 1992. The Aleutian Warriors: A History of the 11th Air Force & Fleet Air Wing 4. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co. and Anchorage Chapter, Air Force Association.

Cloe, J.H. 2016.  Mission to the Kuriles (Little known air and naval air operations against the Japanese home islands from the Aleutian Islands). Todd Communications.

Hope everyone is making the best of the situation and staying safe.

ilj

Edited January 14, 2022 by ilj
minor corrections

[TAG]

13 hours ago, Spitfires Forever said:

Just got a hold of some decals featuring the Alutian Tiger markings from 1942 prior to the application of the red surround on the roundels used shortly in 1943. My question is which P-40 type was most likely used at the time. Also, when did the K models arrive in Alaska vir were they used in conjunction with the E- model? Thanks for any help on this.

Cheers

 @Geoffrey Sinclair and @ilj have sorted out the dates, so here's some pix for inspiration. Found some in my stash with red surrounds on the stars-and-bars, and even an M/N model, so they definitely used both E's and later models at the same time. Note all birds have FOD covers and firmly sealed canopies to avoid the volcanic ash:

 

Cheers,

- Thomaz

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by TAG
Added info

[Spitfires Forever]

Wow! An incredible response! That's why Britnodeller is always been my go to site when I need info on various WWII aviation subjects. Thanks to all for your valuable input. I'm dating myself a bit here but built Revell's 1/32 P-40 E Alutian Tiger back in 1970 years later the Otaki 1/48 version where I noticed the slightly swept back wing vs the slightly raked forward wings on my other kit. I have a Pro Modeler 1/48 E madel ready to go and feel it superior to the AMT offerings and the fiddly and expensive Hasegawa build. I have always felt the Alutian campaign has been an oft neglected part of WWII and look forward to building my P-40 in honor of that campaign. What really launched this query was seeing a beautiful warbird P-40K on YouTube painted in a blotchy OD Green over NG with the Alutian Tiger motif so it raised the question regarding which kit gets the decals. Thanks again to all who participated.

Cheers

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

10 hours ago, ilj said:

P-40Ks - these started arriving in September 1942 and I believe (based on the frequency of accident reports) Ks were by far the most common P-40 type deployed overall.  A colour image shows one newly uncrated at Adak (bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo, full serial number in yellow on tailplane, white tail bars).  These included both 1) olive drab (with medium green blotches) over neutral gray AND 2) bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo ac.  There were lots of both schemes, few or maybe just one had the Tiger Head motif.  I'm unable to disentangle which P-40K serial number blocks were OD/NG +MG blotches versus bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo (anyone?). 

I do not have photographic evidence, the short answer to the camouflage schemes is usually whether the aircraft was a P-40K-1 or not.

 

The longer answer, before the adoption of block numbers the P-40 used the -1 as the designation for export version, so P-40E/E-1, domestic/export, K/K-1 the same.  The serial allocations and contracts were

42-9730 to 10429, 700 P-40K, Air Corps 22714 (AC-22714)
42-45722 to 46321, 600 P-40K-1, Defence Aid 913 (DA-913)

 

The K-1 were accepted May to September 1942 (1 in September) the K August to December 1942.  As block numbers had been introduced by the time the US order was in production acceptances were actually 200 K-5, 335 K-10 and 165 K-15.

 

As with E-1 acceptances during 1942 the USAAF also accepted K-1, some 336 of the order May to September 1942, including 14 initially meant for China, Britain received 191, Russia 73.  In turn the acceptances from the US order were 213 USAAF, 44 Australia, 30 Brazil, 148 Britain, 22 New Zealand, 241 Russia, with several of the Russian aircraft diverted to the USAAF.

 

You would expect new K-1 to be delivered with RAF style camouflage, K-5 and on US style.  Similar for any E/E-1. Then comes any local changes.

[ilj]

I just had a look through my Alaska P-40K images, and this is what I can see re camouflage scheme - for many photos it is very difficult to discern which scheme you are looking at

 

42-45315 bicolour

42-45381 bicolour

42-45849 bicolour

42-45948 bicolour

42-46311 bicolour

42-46315 bicolour

42-46319 bicolour

 

42-9765 bicolour

42-9801 bicolour

42-9831 bicolour

 

42-45945 looks like bicolour (RCAF)

42-45951 looks like bicolour (RCAF)

42-45943 olive drab

42-45954 olive drab

 

[Spitfires Forever]

19 hours ago, ilj said:

I just had a look through my Alaska P-40K images, and this is what I can see re camouflage scheme - for many photos it is very difficult to discern which scheme you are looking at

 

42-45315 bicolour

42-45381 bicolour

42-45849 bicolour

42-45948 bicolour

42-46311 bicolour

42-46315 bicolour

42-46319 bicolour

 

42-9765 bicolour

42-9801 bicolour

42-9831 bicolour

 

42-45945 looks like bicolour (RCAF)

42-45951 looks like bicolour (RCAF)

42-45943 olive drab

42-45954 olive drab

 

The P-40K that's on the warbird circuit is definitely not purely OD green, it is a very blotchy OD oversprayed with medium green. I don't know if I can duplicate it. I decided to build the E version because it is most likely that the markings were very common on early war aircraft with the roundels sans the red bars and outline used shortly between July and  October 1943 before the official adoption of the blue surround in October. It won't so much be the type of P-40 but getting the paint scheme right. It would be interesting to find a pic of the actual subject I am modelling but I'm not going to stress over it. Thanks for your input.

Cheers

[Jackson Duvalier]

As a mere dilettante with a few Aleutian planes in the build queue I've nothing to contribute here, but I wish to thank you experts all very much for generously sharing what you've learnt.

[VT Red Sox Fan]

@Spitfires Forever This is a great thread—thanks for starting it.  One area that has confused me on Aleutian P-40s in the winterization kits—I have read these were installed, but I don’t know what they consisted of—& were they only seen on P-40Es?  Best I can make out about what a winterization kit would consist of is a fairing over the first few exhaust stubs—thanks for the info and I hope I did not high jack the thread—best, Erwin

[72modeler]

All I could find on the subject was that the P-40F-15 and P-40K-15 were winterized, and what this entailed is found below. Best I can do from my references, but maybe @BS_w has something in his Curtiss aircraft files.

Mike

 

Taken from ww2aircraft.net:

they put a "boot" around the exhaust openings to prevent snow
from getting inside the engine, different canopy seals, and SAE 70
weight oil, also treaded tires even for paved runways. they also
used a "chimney" from the exhaust manifold to the carb inlet.
cabin always had provision for heated air. they had to keep oil
dilution on for around 4min. before starting.

[ilj]

In terms of visible external modifications visible on a model, the 'winterization'  feature presents as sheet metal (often appear as bare metal) items affixed around the exhausts (not present in all contemporary images).  I suspect a lot of these were improvised field modifications as there is a lot of variation.  Best to use a good reference photograph of the ac you are modelling and try to duplicate that (I have had some success with both cut brass sheet and sheet styrene).

 

ilj

 

 

http://aleutianplanes.com/P-40E-Umnak.html

[Spitfires Forever]

3 hours ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

@Spitfires Forever This is a great thread—thanks for starting it.  One area that has confused me on Aleutian P-40s in the winterization kits—I have read these were installed, but I don’t know what they consisted of—& were they only seen on P-40Es?  Best I can make out about what a winterization kit would consist of is a fairing over the first few exhaust stubs—thanks for the info and I hope I did not high jack the thread—best, Erwin

Thanks I have always found the Aleutian campaign to be one of the most neglected of all WWii subjects especially where the air war was concerned. I am planning on building a P-38 in Aleutian campaign markings and a B-24. I wonder, did the P-47 make it in to the theater? Happy modelling!

Cheers

[Spitfires Forever]

1 hour ago, ilj said:

In terms of visible external modifications visible on a model, the 'winterization'  feature presents as sheet metal (often appear as bare metal) items affixed around the exhausts (not present in all contemporary images).  I suspect a lot of these were improvised field modifications as there is a lot of variation.  Best to use a good reference photograph of the ac you are modelling and try to duplicate that (I have had some success with both cut brass sheet and sheet styrene).

 

ilj

 

 

http://aleutianplanes.com/P-40E-Umnak.html

I guess it was rare for fighter aircraft to have de-icing boots.

[ilj]

On 2/12/2022 at 2:44 PM, Spitfires Forever said:

I wonder, did the P-47 make it in to the theater? Happy modelling!

Cheers

 

Combat aircraft used in Aleutian Campaign 1942-1944:

USAAF:  P-38EGJ, F-5A, P-40EKN, P-39F, B-25CDG, B-17E, B-24D, B-26, A-24B

RCAF: Kittyhawk I (corrected), P-40K

USN: F4F-4, PV-1, PV-2, PBY-5,5a, OS2U

IJN: A6M2, A6M2N, B5N, D3A, E13A1,1a, G4M1, H6K, F1M, E7K, E8N

 

http://aleutianplanes.com

 

a few more American and Japanese ac types appeared as the Aleutian air war transitioned to American attacks on the Kurile Islands 1944-45

 

ilj

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by ilj
added RCAF, added B-17E, added F1M

[BS_w]

On standard aircraft, the hot air for carburetor was taken under the fuselage behind the coolers. On winterized airplanes, the hot air come from new exhaust shroud. Air flow go around the exhaust stacks then exit at the rear of shroud to the carburetor. At the front there is an airscoop which help the air flow to enter in the shroud.

 

For de-icing propeller, a tank is installed behind the headrest and the cap filler was on right side under the rear glass.  A cutout of 2"3/4 diameter in the plexiglass allowed the access to the cap.

Other modifications were not visible externally

[gingerbob]

14 hours ago, Spitfires Forever said:

I wonder, did the P-47 make it in to the theater?

 

No, though having said that, chances are someone will show one that was sent there for cold weather evaluation, or some such!

[BS_w]

On 1/14/2022 at 5:06 PM, ilj said:

second generation
P-40Ks - these started arriving in September 1942 and I believe (based on the frequency of accident reports) Ks were by far the most common P-40 type deployed overall.  A colour image shows one newly uncrated at Adak (bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo, full serial number in yellow on tailplane, white tail bars).  These included both 1) olive drab (with medium green blotches) over neutral gray AND 2) bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo ac.  There were lots of both schemes, few or maybe just one had the Tiger Head motif.  I'm unable to disentangle which P-40K serial number blocks were OD/NG +MG blotches versus bi-colour earth/green commonwealth camo (anyone?).

 

Found this note(jun 42) on original paint scheme Curtiss technical drawing", may be the case of some Aleutian K & K-1?

I understood that camo was OD/NG, without MG fringes(added jan 43), and brown(earth) areas over OD according the british scheme

 

 

 

[VT Red Sox Fan]

@BS_w—-most helpful—I understood the plate over the engine exhausts was to keep the engine warm, but never quite how it worked—now I do thanks to you!  From an asthetic point of view, the use or non use of this plate is very apparent on Aleutian Tigers to my eye given the contrasts created by the yellow.  I am familiar and a big fan of the http://aleutianplanes.com site.  It’s probably me, but I have never seen plans to assist in creating the plate over the exhausts or perhaps none exist as it was a unit level modification.  Thank you all for this Trevor trove of great info and sorry if I missed an obvious source—great thread Spitfire!  Best, Erwin

[Carl V]

Carl the nitpicker here. A few posts back, ilj posted a very useful list of combat aircraft in the Aleutian campaign. In it, the RCAF was credited with deploying Kittyhawk Ia’s. That is, I fear, incorrect. It should be Kittyhawk I’s. The RCAF received 72 Kittyhawk I’s but only twelve Kittyhawks Ia’s, none of which ever made it to Alaska. As the aircraft were quite similar, this information would add very little to the accuracy of the model but certainly improve that of a caption.

Incidentally, I have seen fairly frequently, mainly in Canadian “sources”, that the Bolingbrokes of 8 (BR) participated in the Aleutian campaign. While they operated from and over most of Alaska, none ever made it to the Aleutians. It depends, I suppose, on what your qualification is for participation in the Aleutian campaign.

Carl

[BS_w]

@VT Red Sox Fan, the normal exhaust shroud was a part which seals the space between the engine and the cowl to reduce drag. Air flow could'nt enter in engine compartment. For winterized shroud; a plate was added to close the shroud except at the forward. At the rear an outlet to connect a boa hose. The air flow enter in front, reheat around the stacks exhaust then escape to the carburetor.
On the drawings,  at mid we can see the fitting for the hose at the rear, at bottom, the plate which close the shroud. This plate, in .020 stainless steel was under the cowling.
the side views is seen on the centerline of exhaust, not horizontally.
On Aleutian's P40, it seems that the design of inlet was longer and semi cylindrical.

 

[ilj]

5 hours ago, Carl V said:

Carl the nitpicker here. A few posts back, ilj posted a very useful list of combat aircraft in the Aleutian campaign. In it, the RCAF was credited with deploying Kittyhawk Ia’s. That is, I fear, incorrect. It should be Kittyhawk I’s. The RCAF received 72 Kittyhawk I’s but only twelve Kittyhawks Ia’s, none of which ever made it to Alaska. As the aircraft were quite similar, this information would add very little to the accuracy of the model but certainly improve that of a caption.

Incidentally, I have seen fairly frequently, mainly in Canadian “sources”, that the Bolingbrokes of 8 (BR) participated in the Aleutian campaign. While they operated from and over most of Alaska, none ever made it to the Aleutians. It depends, I suppose, on what your qualification is for participation in the Aleutian campaign.

Carl

 

Thanks Carl - I thought those were Kittyhawk 1as so good to know.

 

The Bristol Bolingbrokes never made it anywhere near the Aleutians as far as I can tell.  I have seen an image of a Bolingbroke in Anchorage, and I heard a rumour that at least one may have visited Nome in Alaska's north.  If a Bolingbroke ever visited the Aleutians, it would have been to Umnak where the Kittyhawks were deployed, but I've never seen anything indicating that, and it seem unlikely.     btw Kodiak Island is not in or anywhere near the Aleutian Islands.

 

Cheers!

 

ilj