Curtiss P-40Es enroute Philippines 8 Dec 41

[Popeye53]

From what I have been able to determine, there were 38 P-40E at sea en route the Philippine Islands when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Eighteen crated aircraft were on MS Blomfontein, part of the Pensacola Convoy, and twenty were on the USAT Ludington sailing independently. The Pensacola Convoy was diverted to Australia, and I have been able to locate the serial numbers for the aircraft carried onboard the Bloemfontein. The Ludington was also ordered to divert to Australia, but instead chose to return to the US West Coast, and I have been unable to locate the serial numbers for those aircraft. I assume they eventually made it to Australia sometime in early to mid 1942 as part of the hundreds of aircraft shipped there in the early days of the war. Does anyone have any information, and hopefully the serial numbers on the twenty aircraft on Ludington? THANKS in advance!!

 

[Buz101]

Popeye

If I have this right you should have the following for the M/V Bloemfontein (these aircraft are often said to have been on the USAT Meigs - I'm not sure which ship)
40-662, 40-663, 40-666, 40-667, 40-670, 40-671, 40-674, 40-675, 40-678, 40-679, 41-5305, 41-5314, 41-5332, 41-5333, 41-5334, 41-5336, 41-5337, 41-5338

Based on the information you can pull on these aircraft the following were likely on USAT Ludington 40-677, 40-681, 41-5306, 41-5308, 41-5309, 41-5310, 41-5312, 41-5313, 41-5316, 41-5317, 41-5318, 41-5320, 41-5321, 41-5322, 41-5324, 41-5325, 41-5326, 41-5328, 41-5329, 41-5330,

I may not be correct, but I used the basics of the histories of the first ones to find the second group

Buz

 

[Popeye53]

Buz

Thanks!!!

I have the same aircraft on the Bloemfontein, I also have a list of the 55 P-40E's that left San Francisco on SS President Polk for the Philippines/Australia (courtesy of the excellent ADF-serials website). The aircraft on the Ludington could not have made it back to the West Coast in time to make that sailing, so they would have ended up in one of the later shipments (a total of 514 P-40E's by June 1942). When you rule out the aircraft that were transferred via Lend-Lease to the USSR, your list looks like a winner!

Bev

 

[Buz101]

Popeye

Most, if not all, were shipped over on the Hammondsport to Australia, she departed on the 15th Jan 42

Buz