P-40's
with Royal New Zealand Air Force
Between 1942 and 1946, the Royal
New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) operated 297 P-40's (although
four were destroyed before being officially brought on strength)
of various models (E, K, L, M, N). The aircraft were assigned
to Nos 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 Fighter Squadrons, and
No's 2 and 4 (F) OTU. Nos 14 thru 19 Squadrons flew P40's in
the Pacific, carrying out offensive and defensive fighter operations,
bomber escort, and dive-bombing duties. A total of 99 Japanese
aircraft were destroyed in the air, with 14 probables recorded.
20 P-40's were lost in combat, and a further 152 in accidents
in New Zealand and overseas.
The P-40 began to be replaced
in front line duties by F4U-1A's from 1944. The remainder were
sold for scrap in 1948.
The RNZAF serials were as follows:
Kittyhawk IA: NZ3001/3044, NZ3091/3098,
NZ3100/3108, NZ3271 (all P-40E)
Kittyhawk II: NZ3074 (P-40L)
Kittyhawk III: NZ3045/3065 (P-40K),
NZ3066/3073(P-40M), NZ3090 (P-40K), NZ3075/3989 (P-40M), NZ3099
(P-40K), NZ3109/3119 (P-40M), NZ3180 (P-40M).
Kittyhawk IV: NZ3120/3179, NZ3181/3270,NZ3272/3293
(all P-40N)
Sources:
War Planes of the Second World
War, Fighters, Volume Four, William Green, Doubleday, 1964.
The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion
Books, 1987.
United States Military Aircraft since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.
Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute
Press, 1979.
The Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk, Ray Wagner, Aircraft in Profile,
Volume 2, Doubleday, 1965.
Hawk Dynasty: The Curtiss Hawk Monoplanes, Ken Wixey, Air Enthusiast
No 72 (1997).
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.simplenet.com/
© Joseph
Baugher
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