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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 12, 2022 0:02:08 GMT 12
I am not entirely sure now, either way. But the more I look, the more I think it could actually be a P-40N-5 or later. And then it should have the white stripes. It's too hard to tell in this low resolution though.
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Post by Antonio on Feb 12, 2022 0:13:35 GMT 12
This has been such an enjoyable thread.
Garnered a lot of enthusiasm.
BIG ups to all
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Post by shorty on Feb 12, 2022 9:34:13 GMT 12
They must be stripes, if it was reflections it would continue through the roundel, which it doesn't
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 12, 2022 9:58:16 GMT 12
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Post by Antonio on Feb 12, 2022 9:59:00 GMT 12
Musing here: If the pilot was Mort Vanderpump, it was certainly a good grounding for his topdressing career.
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Post by markrogers on Feb 12, 2022 10:24:09 GMT 12
They certainly do clearly look like white stripes on the P-40's wings to me. No reflections, if it was the roundels would have had the reflection crossing over them. They certainly don't look like artifacts to me at all, If it were I would see the obvious but no.
What a great thread. Also it's rare to see the opposite's view of the Allies. I think the answers to the identification of the Jap squadron, etc, is in that old thread that Dave found! Seeing by the date, it's possible the P-40 would be a later model P-40N.
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Post by davidd on Feb 12, 2022 10:36:50 GMT 12
M T Vanderpump (given names Mortimer Tuke) was NEVER a Mike!! Known variously as Mort or "Van". The thirteen pilots of 16 Squadron shown above are the full number prepared for the operation (B-24 escort, top cover), three sections of four pilots each, plus one "spare". Latter would accompany formation on early part of the journey, and at a certain point would turn around and return to base. At this stage of the war, fighter squadrons had a pilot establishment of 21 pilots, including CO, comprised five sections of 4 pilots each, plus one reserve ("spare").
This day the sections were led by F/L Vanderpump, DFC, F/L M C P Jones, and W/O C A McDonald. The "spare" for this day was Sgt F A Donaldson, and because this formation (and the other NZ Squadron) were to refuel at Torokina before proceeding to Rabaul, the spare pilot flew his aircraft all the way to Torokina. On the trip to Torokina, the aircraft of F/O K W Starnes (54) developed an oil leak, but he continued on to land at the Bougainville field, and there took over the aircraft of Sgt Donaldson (45) for the actual operation. W/O Colin Alexander McDonald and F/O James Nelson Williams failed to return from this operation, although latter was engaged in a rather different operation led by F/L Vanderpump later in the day. He was involved in collision over Puriata River near Torokina with Mulligan, the latter parachuting from low altitude and surviving, was later rescued. Four other of these pilots were killed later in the war, all in the Pacific theatre (Ernest Charles "Annie" Laurie, Denis Page, Keith Starnes, and Fred Donaldson).
Also the aircraft in the great 16 Squadron photograph ("66", NZ3173) clearly has diagonal wing bands, no ifs, buts or maybes. The aircraft involved in this operation (including two somewhat older P-40Ms) were: P-40Ms NZ3071/18 (Vanderpump), NZ3087?/45 (Donaldson, reserve), plus following P-40Ns: NZ3154/49 (Williams), NZ3155/50 (Laurie), NZ3157?/51 (Burke), NZ3158?/52 (Jones), NZ3150?/54 (Starnes), NZ3152/61 (Tilyard), NZ3162/62 (Page), NZ3160/63 (McDonald), NZ3176/64 (Mulligan), NZ3173/66 (Mitchell), NZ3190/67 (Boyd), all aircraft on strength of 2 SU. The four aircraft with interrogation marks after serial number are not confirmed, speculative only. My reasoning is that they do match the order that replacement NZ P-40s arrived in the forward area, and the protocol seemed to be to allocate the cowling numbers in rising order of their serial numbers if several replacement aircraft with assorted serial numbers arrived in a group, so NOT guaranteed! We also have the first date that the new numbers normally appeared in the Form 541s in that order.
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Post by chinapilot on Feb 21, 2022 4:12:09 GMT 12
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tangelo
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by tangelo on Jun 5, 2022 17:46:04 GMT 12
17 December 1943 :- F/L Mike Vanderpump and F/O John McFarlane overflew Rabaul, with at least F/L Vanderpump flying at 'zero feet' over Rabaul and to the south-east, as described in Air-to-Air, Rudge, pages - 212-213... Rudge states F/L Vanderpump was flying P-40 '63', without identifying the aircraft serial. Well here's a picture of F/L Vanderpump with P-40 Kittyhawk '66'. One could assume P-40 '63' may be close by..? NB: Looks like a white tail and stripes on the wing..?  "Group of No. 16 Squadron pilots with Kittyhawk '66'. This group was involved in the first bomber assault on Rabaul, 19 December 1943.
L-R: Merv Jones, Dennis Page, Pat Tilyard, Keith Mulligan, Alan Mitchell, Turkey Burke, MT Vanderpump, Fred Donaldson, Ernie Laurie, Jack Williams, Ramsey Boyd, Colin McDonald, Keith Starnes." (PR3001)  |
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