152 IAP late P-40 Warhaws with red star on white circle insignia Aug 1944

[Kari Lumppio]

Servus!

During the Finnish counter attack of the Ilomantsi battles August 1944 was made one peculiar sighting (for us modelling-minded ones at least).

Five Finnish HLeLv 28 Messerchmitts covered Finnish troops over Vellivaara area 9.8.1944. They fought aerial battle with five Il-2 escorted by five P-40 claiming two Il-2, the last confirmed FinnAF victories.

I quote from Keskinen & Stenman book LeR 2 (SIH No 17) the topical part:

""Kohtasimme viiden koneen KH- ja viiden koneen IL-2-muodostelman...
...Vihollisella valkoiset täplät kansallisuusmerkin kohdalla (punainen tähti keskellä). Näyttää kauempaa suomalaiselta kansallisuusmerkiltä.""

(it is direct quote from battle report, "KH" = Kittyhawk).
The translation:
We met five plane KH- and five plane IL-2 formation...
the enemy (had) white spots on national marking location (red star on middle). Looks like Finnish national insignia from far away.

It is almost certain the fighters were P-40 from 152 IAP then based at Aitalampi. No other Soviet fighter unit was in the range AFAIK. If someone knows otherwise, all the better.

152 IAP seems to have avoided all publicity. Valeri Romanenko wrote something about the unit, but not of the later 1944 period ( http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis...p-40/index.htm )

Book Luftwaffen pohjoinen sivusta by Hannu Valtonen has something more for the unit.

152 IAP bases

20.6.1944 Sekee (Segeza) with 43 P-40

2.7. to Aitalampi (Ajta-Lamba 2)
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/RS/28/Aytalamba.html
14.8. to Verhnii Idel
2.9. to Sorokka

While Romanenko writes only about early P-40, 152 did clearly receive later P-40 Warhawk models as it lost P-40 N already in 9.12.1943. Also the P-40 strength at June 20 is full strength (new style) regiment.


My questions for the collective here is:

• Are there known photos of lend-lease P-40N (or other later marks) with red stars on white circle?
• When was the white circle/red star insignia taken in use in US (P-40) factories?
• Are the serial numbers for the 152 IAP P-40N (and possible other 1944 subtypes) known? i haven't been able to follow Russian research for ages. Romanenko seems to have faded away? He was The Russian P-39/P-40 guy.
• Did 152 IAP use bort numbers derived from serial or was it according pilot preference (like 195 IAP, for example)?

I really would like to crack this nut. Photo of 152 IAP P-40N would be the ultimate answer...


Cheers,
Kari