Despite criticism of inferiority to the Supermarine Spitfire, Messerschmitt Bf 109, and even the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Curtiss P-40 played an important – if not critical – role in America’s victory in the Second World War. It was the most numerous U.S. Army fighter plane at the time of Pearl Harbor, and it won fame with General Claire Lee Chennault’s “Flying Tigers,” who took on superior Japanese forces in China.
Curtis P-40: An Aircraft With Many Names
Known by many names, including Hawk, Kittyhawk, Tomahawk and Warhawk, by the end of the Second World War, some thirty-one variants of the P-40 were developed, and the aircraft saw service in every theater of operations.
The prototype for the P-40 series was first flown on October 1938, and while it showed promise it was far from the best aircraft upon its arrival. However, it greatly improved upon the radial-engined P-36 Hawk, which was an intermediate step between the Curtiss bi-planes and the P-40. The result was a prime example of evolution rather than revolution in fighter design, yet the Curtiss P-40 family was destined to serve widely throughout World War II.
Becoming a Legend in China
In 1942, a stalwart band of American “adventurers” began preparations to help defend Burma from the Japanese. They flew the P-40B Warhawk, marked with Chinese insignia, but under American control. Known as the First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, but more commonly remembered as the Flying Tigers, they had been recruited under President Franklin Roosevelt’s authority before Pearl Harbor, and their mission was to attack the Japanese and defend the Republic of China. Due to delays, the AVG first flew in combat on December 20, twelve days after Pearl Harbor.
They quickly demonstrated that in the right hands, the Curtiss P-40 could stand up to the best that Japan had to offer. The Flying Tigers in China were credited with 296 aerial victories, while losing twenty-three American pilots, including fourteen in combat. The AVG helped with the defense of Rangoon, but was soon forced to retreat to China.