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I've always like those photos of P-40's launching for Operation Torch from the USS Ranger and USS Chenango. I've never seen one of the P-40B models on a carrier, though. Thanks!View attachment 593409View attachment 593410View attachment 593411View attachment 593412
If you notice Fubar's first two photo's, it appears the airplane has "18" written on the nose, but Dana Bell's pic shows it was actually "181".Hi Fubar,
The tests began in 1940, not to assign new Army aircraft to the Navy, but to use Navy carriers to deliver Army aircraft to remote locations such as Iceland, North Africa, and Pacific islands.
The photos on board Breton were a squadron of the 15th Fighter Group being delivered in the Pacific - I can't remember the squadron or the island, but the best available aircraft were drawn from all the 15th's units. The artwork is almost totally wrong - aircraft #18 would have been from the 6th NFS, but this is actually aircraft 181 from the 47th FS. The nose bands would have been a Robin Egg Blue - much lighter from the unit records. And the unit emblem would have been entirely different.
Here's a pre-launch shot of the other side:
View attachment 593402
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Dana
That looks like an inflight arrestment in the making. Crunch!!Unsurprising the Navy might have trialed the aircraft, even the P-51 was trialed.