Les P-40F francais

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:17 am

A new one on me, and a couple of great colour shots of P-40Fs being handed over to the Free French Air Force in Casablanca.

More here: http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot. ... olour.html

Anyone know where the colour images originally come from?

CDF · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:18 am

Quote:

Groupe de Chasse GC II/5 'La Fayette' consisted of two escadrilles, the 3rd, with the Indian’s head, and the 4th, with the flying stork as emblem. Former Vichy units originally had no nickname, and got one added like Free French units, and the numerotation scheme changed: GC II/5 -> GC 2/5 "La Fayette". Casablanca and the date was January 9th, 1943. Despite the caption describing thirteen P-40s, there are only twelve Hawks in the photo. All were formerly with the USAAF 33rd FG and were officially handed over to the French GC II/5 'Groupe La Fayette' or 'La Fayette Escadrille' during this presentation ceremony.

Christopher Shores in USAAF Fighter Units in MTO 1941-1945 ISBN 0 85045 244 9, has 30 P-40F going to the French in Morocco from the 33FG. pg 6

source:
http://afrikaaxisallied.blogspot.com/20 ... yette.html

BenG · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:55 am

James,

The french air force flew also the -L.
Please note the Lafayette group is not a Free French group.

EDIT: found an interesting website thanks to Google (sorry in french): http://maquette72.free.fr/themes/lafaye ... avions.php

BG

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:37 pm

Thanks CDF, Ben,

Appreciate the feedback. I'm interested that the Merlin Hawks are so under-documented (or perhaps better to say under recognised) and it's interesting to see where they come up. Certainly they were more widely used than I'd thought.

Dunno where my Lafayette group error came in, I must've been tired! I'll correct that.

Cheers
James

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2629

There are a couple of D520's and a Hawk 75 inside the hangar.

James, your color (colour) picture most likely came from the US National Archives, either from the Air Force or Office of War Information(OWI) collections.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2629

Another on the French theme.

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:32 pm

Great stuff, Mike, keep it coming...

Neat to see small-tail A-20/Bostons in use.

Cheers

CDF · **Posted:** Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:13 pm

BenG wrote:

James, EDIT: found an interesting website thanks to Google (sorry in french): http://maquette72.free.fr/themes/lafaye ... avions.php BG

Yeah thats all I did too, just a basic google search. I did a cross check with USAAF Fighter Units in MTO 1941-1945 ISBN 0 85045 244 9 as well

Keith Gaff · **Posted:** Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:23 am

Hello James,

If you pop along to this years Friends of the RAAF Museum's George Merz Memorial Lecture in September we'll tell you all about Merlin engined Kittyhawks.

Regards,

Keith Gaff

Invader26 · **Joined:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am **Posts:** 843

All FAF P-40's have number '114' on the fin???????

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2629

Invader26 wrote:

All FAF P-40's have number '114' on the fin???????

Perhaps the AAC serial number (41-14xxxxx) or a FAF Squadron marking?

Regards,

yankeepapa · **Joined:** Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:48 am **Posts:** 28

JDK wrote:

Great stuff, Mike, keep it coming...

Neat to see small-tail A-20/Bostons in use.

Cheers

DB 7 is I believe the right name. escape from france at the time of armistice with H75, D520 etc
YP

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