Re: Photo USAAF Aircraft
Clint the only one I can definitely ID is the P-35A; these are the May 1940 designators many planes still carried in late 1941 ( they had started to be camouflaged as on the B-18s). "4MP" is the 4th Composite Group - M= Miscellaneous, P = Pursuit ( probably the 17th, their colour was white but black on unpainted as on the "A" Flight band). The 4th CG was disbanded in Nov. 1941 and aircraft dispersed.
The 17PS was known as the "Consolidated" Sqn. at this time no doubt due to the situation in the P.I. One of their O-46s was coded "4MP / 69".
Correction. More likely to be 34PS, they still had P-35s when the airfields were attacked. Apparently a shortage of spray guns on Luzon meant some planes not camouflaged. The high number "80" suggests the fifth Pursuit Sqn. in Group.
The O-52 would be 2nd OS, they probably still had a few O-46s. The old B-18s were used for various duties including transport, they seem to be in the process of camouflaging. There were some A-27s too, scheduled for Siam but kept for instrument training still in Siamese colours.
Nick
Last edited by Buckeye30; 27th January 2024 at 11:26.
Reason: Correction
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