1/32 P-40M Kittyhawk III - NZ3078 '20'

[dewobz]

I've wanted to build this one for years.
NZ3078 P-40M-5 27184 43-5496 - Assembled by No.1 Aircraft Depot, Hobsonville and BoC at Hobsonville on 13 March 1943. Coded "20". To No.14 Squadron. Collided with NZ3053 after landing at Sunlight Field at about 1545 hours on 30 June 1943. The aircraft landed ahead of NZ3053 after a tight turn onto final approach and was hit by the other aircraft after it had landed. Flying Officer Colin Guild killed.
Written off books on 12 July 1943.

01-DSCN0739 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

During it's short combat life NZ3078 '20' was apparently the personal mount of S/L M J Herrick, who shared the first 'kill' by an RNZAF fighter squadron in the Pacific on 6 May 1943 while flying NZ3075 '24' with F/L S R Duncan in NZ3060 '9', a Nakajima E8N1 'Dave' floatplane. Herrick subsequently had a Japanese Flag painted on NZ3078 '20' which may relate to the 6 May combat or possibly to 7 June 1943 when, flying this very aircraft, he shot down the second ever A6M Zero 'Zeke' destroyed by RNZAF after Sgt R A Martin in NZ3059 '23'. Herrick had claimed 5 German aircraft destroyed while serving with 25 Sqn RAF during the Battle of Britian.

03-DSCN0741 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

02-DSCN0740 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

06-DSCN0744 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

08-DSCN0746 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

12-DSCN0750 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

13-DSCN0751 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

24-DSCN0762 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

22-DSCN0760 by Wally Hicks, on Flickr

Most of my information aside from adf.serials at the top comes from Air-to-Air by Chris Rudge and during my research I discovered what appear to be a couple of minor anomalies in the book surrounding this aircraft and the application of white stripes to RNZAF P-40s. It's no big deal but on pg 75 the 6 May '43 claims chapter opens with a photo ostensibly of the 2 aircraft involved, '24' and '9', taken from a Hudson on the very day of the combat. These aircraft wear white ID stripes. Later on page 78 the book states that white stripes were only added to NZ and US P-40s after friendly fire incidents on 13 May '43. I figure both of these cannot be true?
Makes me wonder what early RNZAF combat zone P-40s looked like before the white stripes were applied? I haven't searched that yet.
NZ3078 '20' also makes a mysterious appearance in Air-to-Air on 23 September '43 flown by F/L A W Buchanan with 17 Squadron. I guess maybe he flew another aircraft coded '20' because this is more than 2 months after NZ3078 was apparently written off the books following the tragic and fatal collision with NZ3053.
My Hasegawa 1/32 P-40M Kittyhawk III is modelled on a photograph of NZ3078'20' on hobbyvista.com where the aircraft appears to have a black spinner and, perhaps, freshly applied white stripes ...? (Mine are painted on, not decals)
Built OOB with the addition of RB Productions seatbelts and Eclipse Models Diamond Tread wheels. AeroMaster acrylics and Tamiya enamels. Hasegawa + Ventura + Berna decals.
Thanks for looking. More photos on Flickr and the complete build on kiwimodeller.com, where there are currently 3 or 4 other 1/32 P-40s being constructed.
Cheers
Wally.

[Dave Homewood]

Nice job Wally.

[alanw]

Hi Wally,

Very nice RNZAF Kittyhawk.

Cool that the pilot displayed his Battle of Britain kills along with his "Pacific Theatre" kills on his aircraft.

Quick question, did the "dents" in the fuel tank come like that with the kit, or did you add them - looks really cool.

Thanks for sharing your build photos with us

Regards

Alan

[dewobz]

Cheers Dave and Hi Alan
Thanks for your comments and question.
Ever since I first saw a photo of NZ3148'G'"Gloria Lyons" (I think) with dented ventral drop tank I have been unable to resist 'dinging' most of the tanks on my Kittyhawks and Corsairs. I do it by heating the assembled tank with a ciggy lighter - thankfully I don't use that for anything else these days - and when I detect an area of softness I press a tweezers head or knife blade or little finger into that area. It's kind of risky but only one has ever holed and none actually caught fire! That particular 1/48 Corsair had to get a 500lb bomb affixed to the underside of it.
I'll be bringing this P-40M and hopefully a P-40N as NZ3178'E'"Erica" to Armistice.
Regards
Wally.

[Calum]

Nice work Wally, love the dent, really adds to the model

[Brenton]

Wally I don't want to take anything away from your latest model. That's truly a masterpiece, as good or better than any other I've seen. My question is to model makers of P40's generally and even to kit manufacture's perhaps. It's in regard to the wheel wells. I agree that the detail inside them looks great but from what I've seen of WW2 photo's I believe most and perhaps all of them had canvas linings /covers. Why not have them on the models ? That would mean very little light green paint showing and manufacturing your own covers. Perhaps modelling clay would do it?
Hope you don't think I'm been too nit-picky and I'm happy to be wrong about this but I just thought it worth mentioning as a question.
One more thing...Herrick was one of NZ's best it seems. What happened to him ? I would love to see a life profile of him posted here.
Once again. Well done on a wonderful model. I'm proud to have meet you.

Brenton.

[Dave Homewood]

Mike Herrick was killed when his No. 305 Squadron Mosquito FB.VI NS913 was shot down by a fighter over Denmark during a raid on an airfield at Alborg. He and his Navigator both baled out but were too low and both died. This happened on Friday 16th of June 1944. He was only 23 then, so he was only a teen when he was flying in the Battle of Britain! His brothers Brian and Demmis were also killed flying in WWII. Thanks to Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow Volume Two".

[dewobz]

Thanks Dave and Brenton.
Brenton, I have only just now at your prompting discovered these 1/32 P-40 CMK Undercarriage Bays with canvas covers - www.hannants.co.uk/product/CMK5052
I had no idea such things existed either in reality or scale as no kitset ever mentioned them nor have I seen mention or photos of RNZAF use of them. You don't usually see into the wheelwells in photos.
So you're the first I've heard of RNZAF use but it certainly makes sense in the dusty environment of the islands.
Might get me some for my next 1/32 build ... P-40N NZ3178 'E' "Erica"

[Dave Homewood]

I got this photo some time back from Jack Cook, of Mike Herrick's P-40. I am not certain if that's Herrick in he seat.

[Dave Homewood]

It looks to me as if the Japanese flag was glued on rather than painted.

And note what looks to be a leather cover on top of the instrument panel cover.

[Brenton]

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 146, 22 June 1943, Page 4
16 JAP PLANES

N.Z. AIRMEN'S SCORE

BATTLES IN THE PACIFIC

Sixteen aircraft definitely destroyed^ and one probably destroyed is the latest four-day score of two Royal New Zealand Air Force fighter squadrons operating against the Japanese in the Russell Island and Guadalcanal areas. The tally was begun about three weeks ago, when a Japanese float plane was destroyed; a week later four Zeros fell to R.N.Z.A.F. fighters; five days later another six aircraft were bagged; and on Wednesday last the score was raised to 16, when New Zealand fighter pilots accounted for a further five. In all these operations only one aircraft was reported missing. The list of successful pilots and their scores are:—Flight Lieutenant J. A. Oldfield, formerly of Wellington, three; Squadron Leader M. J. Herrick, Hastings, Flight Lieutenant E. H. Brown, Hamilton, Flying Officer N R. Clarke, Wanganui, and Flying Officer G. B. Fisken, Martinborough, all two each; Flying Officer C. T. Guild, Temuka, Flying Officer A. G. Stanley, Frankton Junction, Flight Lieutenant D. A. Greig, Auckland,. Flight Lieutenant S. R. Duncan, Nelson, and Sergeant R. A. Martin, of Te Puke, all one each.
Two weeks ago 12 pilots of an R.N.Z.A.F. Kittyhawk squadron based on Guadalcanal were sent to supplement aircraft of the' United States Army Air Force which were assigned to intercept 50 Zeros over Russell Island. In the ensuing engagement four Zeros were definitely destroyed and one probably destroyed. The successful pilots were Squadron Leader Herrick, the squadron commander, Flight Lieutenant ' Greig, Flight Lieutenant Duncan, and Sergeant Martin, each of whom accounted for one of the enemy force. In this action Squadron Leader Herrick pursued his Zero for 120 miles before lining it up in his sights and destroying it.

PILOT BAILS OUT.

After this encounter Squadron Leader Herrick was attacked by another Zero over Russell Island, but the attacker was driven off by an American pilot flying a Corsair fighter. In giving this assistance, however, his Corsair was badly damaged and he was obliged to bail out. As he parachuted down Japanese pilots unsuccessfully attempted to strafe him. That they were unsuccessful was due only to the intervention of Squadron Leader Herrick, who thus repaid the Corsair pilot for his earlier assistance in driving, off the Zeros even though the Kittyhawk at this stage had no guns operating. Squadron Leader Herrick landed with a .20 mm. cannon hole in the wing of his aircraft, and six other holes caused by Japanese 7.7 cannon shells. Saturday week last saw, another R.N.Z.A.F. fighter squadron under the command of Sergeant S. G. Quill make its debut with a liberal sprinkling of Japanese blood. Seven New Zealanders set off to intercept a Japanese aerial force, six aircraft of which were destroyed. These were accounted for by Flying Officer Fisken and Flight Lieutenant Brown, two each, and Flying Officer Stanley and Flight Lieutenant Oldfield, one each.
Four days later, Wednesday last, saw the R.N.Z.A.F. fighters in action again, when eight New Zealand Kittyhawks joined United States fighters in the breaking up of a force of 120 Japanese fighters and dive-bombers. The New Zealanders accounted for another five Zeros, bringing the total for four days' operations to 16 definitely destroyed and one possible, thus having a worth-while share in the total destruction of 94 enemy aircraft by the Allied Air Forces, participating in the clash. The successful pilots were Flight Lieutenant Oldfield and Flying Officer Clarke, who each destroyed two Zeros, and Flying Officer Guild, who accounted for the fifth. This action brought Flight Lieutenant Oldfield's personal score to three definitely destroyed.

[davidd]

There are two small errors in the above newspaper accounts of the Kittyhawks early battles over Guadalacanal, although these relate to specific details of the personnel involved. Stan Quill was NEVER a sergeant pilot (I think he was a squadron leader at this juncture!), and Flying Officer N R Clarke should read M R Clarke (for Maurice Richard). Otherwise all excellent stuff.

As to Dave H's comment re the appearance of the Japanese vistory flags on the P-40M, these were almost certainly the standard (US Navy?) victory markings (which saved a lot of finnicky hand painting) which were apaprently also made available to America's smaller Allies!
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Yes Quill was a Squadron Leader at this time, CO of No. 14 Squadron.

[Dave Homewood]

David, have you any idea what the flags were made from? Were they printed card? Vinyl?

[davidd]

Dave H,
I have never seen an actual example of these "Victory flags", nor read of any detailed description of them, but have always imagined that they were manufactured from some type of tough, flexible material and simply glued into place in the normally used location for such items. They may even have been manufactured in long strips (and these would be rolled up for convenience), and could be cut off as single examples, or multiples depending on what was required on a particular aircraft. I am fairly certain that they were also used by bombers and patrol aircraft to signify claims by gunners, and glued into place adjacent to the relevant turret or gun position.
David D