Markings for P-40N Warhawk 1/48
COL A
P-40N-5, Lt. David R. Winternitz, 8th FS, 49th FG, New Guinea, March 1944
David Robert Winternitz was born on April 20, 1922, in Colorado Springs. He joined the army in March 1942 and was sent to the Pacific region after training. At the beginning of 1944, he was assigned to the 8th FS, 49th FG. In February of that year, he achieved his first kill when he shot down a Japanese Oscar in aerial combat. He left the service immediately after the war and later became a doctor. He died on July 11, 1982. His P-40N with nose art and the name Mary Lou is one of the most famous P-40Ns from the 49th FG. The drawing was based on Vargas’ “September Girl” of 1940 Esquire calendar. Many sources mention the color of the MARY LOU inscription as only a white border, but the red or dark blue color appears the same as Olive Drab on many black-and-white photographs, and on some of the nose sections of this aircraft, the inside of the inscription appears darker. Furthermore, it is more likely that the colored inscription was outlined with a white line than that someone painted only white line. The version with red lettering outlined in white is our reconstruction, but we also leave the option of a purely white outline in the decal. The aircraft later changed pilots and was flown by Lt. E. V. May, who had the inscription painted over with fresh paint of Olive Drab and added a yellow border to the cooling opening in the nose. Later, the aircraft was transferred to the 71st TRG. There, too, the drawing of the girl on the nose was left intact.
COL B
42-105174, P-40N-5, Lt. Col. Julian E. Thomas, CO of 45th FS, 15th FG, Makin atoll, January 1944
The home of the 15th FG was the Hawaiian Islands, where it was activated on December 1, 1940, and served as part of local defense system. During the war, however, it sent its individual squadrons to various locations in the central and southern Pacific. The Warhawks of the 45th FS took off for combat missions from Makin Atoll, which the unit reached via a detour. The squadron was first sent to Baker Island, where it operated until October 1943, then moved to Abemama Island. At the repeated request of Maj. Julian Thomas, the CO of the squadron, first a detachment and then the entire unit was transferred to Makin Atoll, where the 46th and 72nd FS Airacobras had been operating for several weeks already. Finally, the 45th FS was brought into action as they flew their first mission on January 17, when they attacked flak emplacements and barracks on Mili. Because the standard paint scheme was not effective on the coral atolls, technical personnel mixed a sand color that was suitable for the local conditions. In black-and-white photos, the paint sometimes appears as if the undersides were also painted sand color, but upon closer inspection, the color border is visible on the aircraft, and the undersides were most likely repainted with a light blue color mixed from insignia blue and white. The stencils were masked during repainting and therefore had original colour background. The Warhawk named Jickie IV was flown by Maj. Thomas, who later took command of the whole 15th FG on April 16, 1945. At the time he was already promoted to Lieutenant Colonel rank and the 45th was equipped with Mustangs P-51, conducting Very Long Range sorties from Iwo Jima.
COL C
43-22761, P-40N-20, Lt. Charles G. Whitley, 89th FS, 80th FG, India, late 1943
The 80th fighter group was set up at Farmingdale and Mitchel Field in New York in 1942 and originally was training with P-47s for European assignment. Things changed with new priorities and all three original squadrons, i.e., 88th, 89th, and 90th were diverted to Karachi, India, where they arrived on June 28 and 29 (fourth squadron, 159th FS, equipped with P-38Hs, was formed by October 1943). There, they obtained P-40Ns and after necessary preparations they deployed to the Assam Valley, where their mission was air defense of the 10th Air Force bases, engaged in the “Hump Airlift Operation” (flying supplies across the High Himalayas to the 14th Air Force bases in China). The very first engagement with Japanese enemy occurred on October 12, 1943, when flight led by Captain Harrell saw three medium bombers and four fighters. They dropped their belly tanks and headed up toward the enemy formation. In ensuing combat each of the four pilots achieved one victory. Harrell with his wingman Lt. McCarthy shot down one fighter and bomber. Lt. Whitley, who attacked from below after he shook off enemy fighter on his tail destroyed bomber as well as his wingman Sheppard. The P-40N-20CU flown by Charles Whitley was named after his habit to react to many situations by wording “Who Flung Dung”? The skull on the nose was typical endorsement of the P-40s of 80th FG. None of them was the same.
COL D
43-23194, P-40N-20, Lt. J. A. Thomas, 110th TRS, 71st TRG, Middelburg island, September 1944
The 110th TRS began combat operations in New Guinea in early 1944, armed with Airacobras with their distinctive nose numbers. In the summer of 1944, it began replacing its heavily worn aircraft with P-40N Warhawks, which came from the 49th FG, which was rearming with P-38 Lightnings at the time. This Warhawk was photographed one day in September 1944 at the airport on the island of Middelburg. The aircraft mechanic was Sgt. Kaminski, who was responsible for several aircraft designated with the number 34 at the 110th TRS. The pilot was most likely Lt. J. A. Thomas, who also flew the previous number 34, the Airacobra "Southern Belle." Another pilot flying aircraft under Sgt. Kaminski's care was Lt. W. O. Twiggs. The 110th TRS's combat duties consisted mainly of combat and reconnaissance missions, during which the unit also scored 21 Japanese aircraft destroyed in the air and 102 on the ground.