[TopHat]

Originally Posted by jim

The AVG was supplied with planes diverted from the consignment meant for the RAF. 100 planes in total although not all of them made it there.

Give that man, er, dog, a cigar! That was done so the US could "distance" itself from the AVG, officially at least.

[skysurfer808]

And the Aussies at Port Moresby called them Tomorrowhawks, as they were waiting far too long for aerial reinforcements, which were finally provided by 75th Squadron RAAF...in Kittyhawks. Not too sure about what a P-40B/C would be called in American service...except P-40...not too sure if they were ever known as Tomahawks in the USA. As far as I know, the rest of the P-40s in US service were officially known as Warhawks, but apparantly they were still known as P-40s.

Skysurfer808

[STARMAN 352ND]

Originally Posted by skysurfer808

And the Aussies at Port Moresby called them Tomorrowhawks, as they were waiting far too long for aerial reinforcements, which were finally provided by 75th Squadron RAAF...in Kittyhawks. Not too sure about what a P-40B/C would be called in American service...except P-40...not too sure if they were ever known as Tomahawks in the USA. As far as I know, the rest of the P-40s in US service were officially known as Warhawks, but apparantly they were still known as P-40s.

Skysurfer808

Tomorrowhawks ??

[skysurfer808]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

Tomorrowhawks ??

As in you'll be getting tomahawks...tomorrow, which went on for several weeks till the 75th Squadron arrived to provide aerial defense for Port Moresby.

Skysurfer808

[CKS1]

Originally Posted by skysurfer808

As in you'll be getting tomahawks...tomorrow, which went on for several weeks till the 75th Squadron arrived to provide aerial defense for Port Moresby.

Skysurfer808

New Guinea early 1942: Australians doggedly defended Port Moresby with the limited resources they had at hand. Indeed, so desperate was the need to provide some form of air defence for the beleaguered troops that the RAAF’s 75 Sqn was pressed into service after a crash training programme on Kittyhawk 1A’s that lasted just nine days (several aircraft were lost when the squadron flew from its training base in Townsville to Port Moresby, not a good start)! Led into action by Sqn Ldr “Old John” Jackson, who had become an ace in 1941 whilst serving with number 3 Sqn RAAF in Nth Africa, the unit managed to keep the JNAF at bay for 44 days. In that time its pilots shot down 18 enemy aircraft, and destroyed a further 17 on the ground, but in turn suffered heavy losses. The survivors of 75 Sqn were withdrawn on the 7th of May, replaced by USAAF units rushed into the area from Australia.

The troops (mainly Militia units) had been told for weeks that they would be receiving this air support, the only aircraft they were seeing were Zero's and Betty's bombing them, thus the moniker Tommorrowhawks. When the squadron eventually made it to Port Morseby after losing some of their craft enroute they were shot at by allied AA gunners, so certain were they that 75 Sqn couldn't possibly be "friendly". Poor blighters!!!!

Good one Mr Sky Surfer.
Cheers CKS1