Curtiss P-40 Carrier Operations

[pampa14]

The Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British-American invasion of French North Africa, specifically Morocco and Algeria, in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942. The Operation Torch was the first Allied amphibious operation of the war. The USS Chenango loaded and shipped 72 P-40F airplanes of the 33rd Fighter Group at Norfolk, VA, on 10-21-42. The carrier steamed for North Africa on 10-21-42. The P-40s were launched off of the carrier on 11-10-42 and established a base at the airport at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. On 01-19-43, The USS Ranger launched USAAF P-40 aircraft off Accra, Gold Coast to reinforce Allied forces fighting in North Africa. Some photos of P-40’s transport and operations onboard US Carriers, can be found in the link:

Curtiss P-40 Carrier operations

Hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting!

[Tom G]

Thanks for sharing, that was really interesting. There were some pictures I hadn't seen before.

I'm not sure if this is Operation Torch or not but here is a video of P-40 carrier operations.

Tom

[Slartibartfast]

I am not seeing the yellow surround on the cocarde. Of course, the film is rather over-exposed as shown; if the yellow is there, the contrast is too low to see it by my eyes.

[Jennings]

I'm not seeing yellow surrounds anywhere except the prescribed yellow outline on the fuselage roundels. Yellow on other roundels didn't come back in until 1945.

[Slartibartfast]

Interesting. I can't see the yellow surround.

[agboak]

Some of the stills are Torch - you can see the yellow surrounds and the US Flag. The video is from an earlier delivery of the aircraft that ended up with the 8th Army in the Western Desert.

[Slartibartfast]

Ah, once again a conversation has devolved due to implicit assumptions about a subject. My comments were directed at the movie Tom G posted and his questioning if it involved Operation Torch.

[LanceB]

I am not seeing the yellow surround on the cocarde. Of course, the film is rather over-exposed as shown; if the yellow is there, the contrast is too low to see it by my eyes.

I can't see them either. There is a decent shot of an underwing insignia around 47 seconds in, and I would expect the contrast difference to be enough to see a ring if it was there, but I don't see one. Still, I am not sure all planes had the yellow around all stars - some seem to have only done so on the fuselage.

The P-40 at 12 seconds in seems to have a "halo" around the star, but I don't think that's a yellow ring, I think it is an effect of the film used.

[Slartibartfast]

pampa14's link does show some Torch P-40s toward the bottom of the page. TomG's video link is post-Torch.

[dnl42]

Hmmm, the 3rd and 2nd from the last clearly have a yellow ring; others are fairly certain to not have them; others still are equivocal. Also the 5th from the last has bars. Are these all Torch?

[Slartibartfast]

No, not all are Torch photos. If there is no yellow circle surrounding the cocarde, then it's not Torch.

[bigjugs]

Seen this before, big photo dump without context or explanations, and then a less informed second hand interpretation.

It seems some of Chenango's P-40s for Op Torch may have been without the yellow surround on the national markings. Although it appears the yellow was added soon before takeoff. Pictures seem to indicate this. A later drop from HMS Archer most likely had them. Also, the yellow may have been added when the aircraft were land based.

Many of those photos are of earlier and later deliveries of of P-40s, including the delivery of the over-all sand coloured aircraft that had nothing to do with Torch. The 57th FG's P-40Fs were delivered on Ranger in July 1942.

Edited April 7, 2014 by bigjugs

[rpeck]

Thanks for sharing, that was really interesting. There were some pictures I hadn't seen before.

I'm not sure if this is Operation Torch or not but here is a video of P-40 carrier operations.

Tom

http://youtu.be/Yv-zadd3zvE

These are 57th FG P-40F's short tails.

At the time 57FG was part of the 9th Air Force around Nov. 1942.

They flew in the Eastern part of the North African Campaign, Egypt side, as part of the 233rd RAF Wing.

They flew off the USS Ranger.

Link to 57 FG web sight which is where I got info.Very well done web sight I might add.

http://www.57thfightergroup.org/index.html

So no yellow around the insignia.

As for the first link of just photo's those are a mixture or photo's with some Operation Torch P-40's.

If I remember correctly the yellow around the star was done on the carriers.

Operation Torch P-40's were part of the 12th AF, 33 FG and 325 FG.

Rick, back after 2 months of the IP address problems ,so I may not reply after this since who knows if tomorrow

I can get on this forum.

Edit *** Sorry bigjugs I didn't see your post.

Edited April 10, 2014 by rpeck

[flip marchese]

The VII FC also launched P-40K, N amd 318 Fg P-47D from sea. Some f series Warhawk might have been launched as reinforcements but if so not in Squadron strength.