Identity of a beached P-40, x6*6?

[Dénes Bernád]

Does anyone know the details of the beaching of this Curtiss P-40, coded x6*6?


[Source: eBay]

[kaki3152]

Hi Denes,

Long time no talk. Its a 79th FG P-40, though I could not identify the incident,its obviously N.A./Tunisia.

Carlos

[Pilot]

One of the planes force landed during operation Torch maybe. Hope I could have time to see in my files about this particular aiplane but I am not sure that I have something [this is pile of material to rgeret, not very tidy arranged...]

[F19Gladiator]

Hi,
I have several photos downloaded from ebay of this bird. One seller’s info stated:
„erster Abschuss der 1./ schwere Heeres-Flak Abt. 313 in Italien 1943.“

Another info was:
„Flugzeuges mit Soldaten der Kriegsmarine (10.S.St.A.) auf Korsika 1943 (rückseitig Bleistiftnotiz)“

Your copy seems to be the one up for sale 2008-11-18 from where the first info above is from:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=390009101127

Cheers
Goran

[Graham Boak]

Definitely not Torch. This is an aircraft of the 86th FS, 79th FG, 9th AF, as operating with the 8th Army in the Western desert from early 1943.

The photo could date from later than this. The 79th continued using its "X and a number" style of codes after the formation of the 12th AF, and retained the red spinner. The star and disc also points to an early date, but P-40s were seen with this on Sicily.

[Pilot]

So white border arround insignia make confusion?

[Graham Boak]

It's yellow.

Didn't all Torch P-40s have US Flags on the fuselage sides?

[Pilot]

Oooopppss- insted of wide I write white... I know that it is yellow, I have some of images from that area and also made few profiles.

[Faenor]

Hi all,

did anybody send me by PM this photo from e-bay ? On the page number 60 of Don Woerpel´s book The 79th FG (Schiffer publ.) is a photo of P-40 of Fred Borsodi - crashed on beach in Gulf of Tunis on 22.4.1943 and number of this looks like X6o6. Pilot unhurt, but his plane was total write-off.

Thanks Faenor