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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2022 19:05:23 GMT 12
Photo Date: June 1942 to April 1943 Is anyone here able to pin down the date any further? I researched the photo a year or so back. In the No. 16 (Fighter) Squadron Operations Record Book there are the following entries: 31/10/1942: A Flight on week-end leave. A formation of 6 KITTYHAWKS led be F/Lt Robins proceeded to AUCKLAND via OHAKEA. The weather was good for this trip. In the afternoon the formation went to have a look at WAIPAPAKAURI and returned to AUCKLAND without landing. No-one saw much of the aerodrome at WAIPAPAKAURI as the flight flew in tight formation over the area. On the return to AUCKLAND a lookout was kept for a missing aircraft but nothing was seen. 1/11/1942: In the morning the flight of 6 KITTYHAWKS proceeded from AUCKLAND to GISBORNE via TAURANGA - all the pilots were very impressed with GISBORNE as being the ideal location for an Air Force station. In the afternoon the return was made to WOODBOURNE via WAIPUKURAU. An interception was made by No. 14 Squadron and a few moments of dogfighting was carried out. the flight arrived back over base at about 1600 hours flying this strange formation. ...............................+ ..................................+ ..................... +....................+ ................................................ + .............+ Apparently B Flight require lots of formation practice. The two day trip was enjoyed by all the pilots and rumour hath that although the R/T was severely overtaxed the R/T gear stood up exceedingly well. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2022 19:07:58 GMT 12
So the date of this photo will surely have been the 1st of November 1942. There are no other such visits to Gisborne noted in the ORB.
Flight Lieutenant John Donovan Robins, known as Don, NZ1071, was the B Flight Commander at the time and also the squadron's Signals Officer, which may account for the comment about the radio telephone communication between the aeroplanes.
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Post by davidd on Mar 4, 2022 19:19:38 GMT 12
Well Zac, we can indeed narrow the window down just a little. In my opinion, these aircraft are largely in their original paint scheme as applied at the factory, with exception of the unit code letters and NZ serial number. These were changed on such aircraft as Kittyhawks, Hudsons, and Vincents, etc, in New Zealand (but not the Kittyhawks overseas in Tonga, which had American identification markings) by modification of the roundels and fin-flashes to the "C1" types, that is, narrow yellow and white rings, and enlarged blue and red. This occurred around about November or December 1942, but unfortunately no documentary evidence has ever been discovered (at least by me) on this change of roundel, although it is obviously following (rather tardily) the contemporary RAF practice. I think the RAF adopted the Type C1 in latish-1941, but other Board members will probably leap to their better-organized libraries and put me in my place. However these "new" markings did not remain for very long, as the first, uniquely RNZAF, roundels were about to appear on operational aircraft in late March 1943, beginning with Kittyhawks in New Zealand, quickly followed by Hudsons, then the first PBY Catalinas and C-47s. These differed in flaunting even broader areas of blue, but somewhat smaller red centres, and the latter were reduced to the infamous one inch diameter type in about June or July 1943, after the Americans tried to shoot down one of our Kittyhawks in the forward area (in fact they did shoot it down, although I think the Japanese air force had already chewed at it a bit!)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2022 21:51:44 GMT 12
Maybe you missed my posts above, David, as they were over the page? My research from last year puts the photo at 1st of November 1942.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2022 7:36:35 GMT 12
So the date of this photo will surely have been the 1st of November 1942. There are no other such visits to Gisborne noted in the ORB. Thank you Dave, I must have missed your original post - and such fantastic detail! I really appreciate you taking the time to share it again for me. |
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Post by martymonsta on Mar 5, 2022 12:04:52 GMT 12
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Post by martymonsta on Mar 5, 2022 12:08:10 GMT 12
Did anyone notice the nose art on the machine (behind the chap on the left in the distance) in the uncropped RNZAF pic? |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 5, 2022 17:34:29 GMT 12
Yes there are two aircraft in the photo with nose art actually.
Most of the No. 16 Squadron P-40E's seem to have gained some artworks, some of them under the cockpits rather than on the nose.
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Post by Antonio on Mar 16, 2022 13:15:51 GMT 12
Some more photos that I have unearthed. The comments are as listed.  NZ3006 belly landed based at Tauranga or Masterton  NZ3008 believed to be at Woodbourne  RNZAF-ground-crew-from-2-Fighter-Maintenance-Unit-at-Espiritu-Santo I like this one - -Great moody shot  P-40N Kittyhawk NZ3282 FE-U 2OTU after landing with undercarriage retracted at Ohakea. Another code matched to serial, Dave  18Sqn A NZxxxx with 4 Servicing Unit Torokina Bougainville 1944. Looks like NZ3177 to me.  Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk RNZAF 4 Operational Training Unit-T29 NZ3256 (sic) at Ohakea NZ3253 to me. Note Erica in the background. |
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Post by Antonio on Mar 16, 2022 13:27:31 GMT 12
Couldn't resist:  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2022 14:40:38 GMT 12
Where did you find these gems, Antonio?
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Post by Antonio on Mar 16, 2022 15:48:05 GMT 12
Where did you find these gems, Antonio? Stumbled across them purely by accident. I had been looking for photos of the (apparently unloved) NZ3039 then a subsection of photos 'appeared'  No complaints from moi. www.asisbiz.com/There are aviation & military boards but I have not explored them as yet. |
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Post by Antonio on Mar 16, 2022 16:12:25 GMT 12
A few more: 
Another view of NZ3006 
NZ3039 from Hudson. Awesome formation 
Air to air view of three No. 15 Squadron P-40E's in formation over Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. Middle aircraft is NZ3018 JZ-J Photographed from the ubiquitous Harvard 
Cropped view of NZ3039 
Cropped view of NZ3018 |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 16, 2022 16:36:20 GMT 12
They are all on the Air Force Museum of New Zealand's FotoWeb site in high res.
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Post by Antonio on Mar 16, 2022 17:33:08 GMT 12
They are all on the Air Force Museum of New Zealand's FotoWeb site in high res. Ahhhh. So typing P-40 does NOT bring up all the images. Right |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 16, 2022 17:35:33 GMT 12
No. Try Kittyhawk and also Warhawk.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Mar 16, 2022 18:00:15 GMT 12
Nonetheless, absolutely fantastic images. Very clear camouflage demarcation and other interesting details
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 16, 2022 21:40:19 GMT 12
Yes they are terrific, and some of the AFMNZ versions are even better.
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Post by Antonio on Mar 17, 2022 9:45:07 GMT 12
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Post by Antonio on Mar 28, 2022 12:05:19 GMT 12
NZ3019 A crop from the Auckland Weekly News photo-spread of 15 Sqn at Whenuapai 
NZ3019 |
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