The British received P-40s and matched it against the legendary Messerschmitt Bf-109.... The Tomahawk (as the British called the early P-40 models--they named the later models Kittyhawk) did well in combat with the famous German fighter.... Although it was a bit slower and outclassed in rate of climb, its good dive speed, superior armor, maneuverability, and armament made the Tomahawk a force to be reckoned with..... The Germans felt that it was a more dangerous opponent than the Hawker Hurricane.... In fact, the British wanted to replace their old Hurricanes with new P-40s.... Other countries that operated P-40s (early P-40, B, and C export models were referred to as the Hawk 81A by Curtiss; later P-40D, E, K, and M export models were known as the Hawk 87A) included Canada, Russia (the USSR), Brazil, New Zealand, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and China, among others....