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TIMJOT -> RE: Call for change input (4/17/2005 1:00:30 AM)
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The 70th Squadron had been equipped with P-36 prior to embarkation - it was at sea 12/7/41 enroute the Philippines. The convoy turned around after Pearl Harbor and the squadron re-equipped with P-39 on returning to San Francisco. The question is whether or not the P-36 were still with the 70th while it was at sea.
No longer saying they must be embarked, but they were flying P-36s up to 12/5/41 so if they are going to be in SF on December 7th then IMHO they should be so equiped. The US deployement is overly quick as it is without an additional early upgrade.
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A shipment of 55 P-40E left San Francisco 12/15/41 aboard the President Polk (bound for Australia). Some of these aircraft may have been those intended to completely re-equip the 35th Group and perhaps to upgrade the 24th Group as well.
Yes these aircraft and the 18 P-40E in the Pencecola convoy, were initially intended to be ferried to the FEAF in the PI via Darwin, Timore, Celebes, Mindanao. Several dozen pilots from the FEAFs 24th group were airlifted from the PI to do so. But the fall of Menado. Kendari, Ambon in succession pretty much nixed the idea. They were instead used to fill out the 5 provisional squadrons formed in Oz in early 42.
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I believe the 70th had shed it's P-36 and it's intended P-40s were to be shipped separately. Since it was fully equipped with P-39 within a week I have decided it to appropriate to so equip it on the first day of the war
I am curious were did you find that they had been fully equiped with P-39s within a week? The 70th FS history states none of the pilots had seen or flown a P-39 before uncrateing them on the beach in Fiji. They didnt re-embark and sail for Fiji until the 2nd week of Janaury.
OH BTW, I think I may have stumbled upon the 70th FS missing aircraft. Just been reading Bartch's "Doomed at the Start" and he has, as we knew the 34th FS's 18 P-40s sailing on the Pencecola convoy. Expecting to arrive in the PI on January 3rd. BUT, he also states that an additional 20 P-40Es were aboard the SS Lundington schedule to arrive a week later on January 10th. Now since the Pencecola convoy was around Canton on December 7th. Wouldnt a ship arriving a week later put it close to the departure of the Johnson convoy from SF on the December 5th? Havent been able to find much information on the Lundington other than it was perhaps a Great lakes type Freighter. Do you have any sources that would have additional info on the Lundington's history? I never came accross the Ludington as being one of the ships bringing initail aircraft to Oz. I am going to guess it may have been diverted to replenish the PH fighter squadrons.
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The 68th was the Squadron that went to Tongatabu in early 1942. It's squadron history lists P-36, P-40 and P-43 in 1941 and P-38, P-39, P-40 and P-400 in 1942. Apparently it spent a few months in Australia working up and delivering P-39 and P-40 before going to Tongatabu in May. I have seen several reports of a mixed P-39/P-40 complement prior to Tongatabu but the squadron apparently converted to P-40E on or immediately after arrival. I do not now recall why I decided on P-39 but inertia is on the side of leaving it that way
The USAAF history of WWII and 454th FG history has them deploying to Tonga with P-40E after you correctly state ferrying duties in Oz. Since its first operational deployment was the P40E I would think that would be the proper aircraft to start with, but perhaps an upgrade to P-40E would do as well.
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This is a mistake - should be B-17E
Why B-17Es? Edmunds "They fought with what the had" Shores " Bloody Shambles II and the 11 BS history site has them deploying to SEA with LB-30s. I would think one of the main advantages of breaking airgroups down to squadrons is to allow for the historical mixed aircraft compliments within groups. The 11th BS did fly LB-30s operationally in the NEIs campaign afterall.
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