Strana 73
BUILT
11th FS, 343rd FG, Atoll Kiska, Aleutian Islands, summer 1943
The Aleutian Tigers represent some of the most
attractively colored P-40s, thanks to the tiger
head that adorned the nose of most aircraft of this
type. The 343rd FG was founded on September 3,
1942, at Alaskan base Elmendorf Field. Initially,
the group consisted of the 11th FS and 18th FS,
both armed with P-40s, and the 54th FS, which
used P-38s and operated out of Adak. The pilots of
the 11th FS went operational almost immediately
after moving to Umnak Island in the Aleutian
Islands. In October 1942, the 344th FS joined the
group, also with P-40s. The group provided air
defense of the Aleutian Islands and also bombed
or strafed Japanese targets on Kiska Island
itself. Its pilots flew their last combat mission in
October 1943, and subsequently conducted patrol
and reconnaissance flights until the end of the
war, with the exception of high-altitude flights
in early 1945, during which the pilots engaged
Japanese balloons with incendiary charges.
All units were already using P-38s for this purpose,
but the P-40s remained in service alongside
them. The Tiger Heads were a reminiscence of
the AVG, the Flying Tigers of Claire Chennault,
since the 343rd FG was initially led by his son
Lt Col John S. Chenault. The aircraft depicted
here received a name, in this case Flossie,
as one of the few Aleutian P-40s. The insignias
had short-lived red lining.
INFO Eduard
73
February 2025