Captured Aircraft

[fots2]

Here is a link to an interesting web site describing WWII allied aircraft that were captured by the Japanese. These include P-40 fighters and B-17 bombers.

I have never heard of US aircraft being captured in the Philippines. Usually you read about all the aircraft either being destroyed or flying to Australia.

It also describes enemy aircraft captured by the US etc.


Sample text:
Author and historian Bill BARTSCH confirmed that, "Three P-40Es were brought by the blockade runner SS Anhui that left Brisbane on February 22, 1942, bound for Cebu. This event is included in my book "Doomed at the Start," (pp. 339-40). The Warhawks ended up being re-shipped to Mindanao, where they were assembled by American mechanics under USAAC 1st Lt. Pete Warden. All three were flown to the field at Maramag, where two were captured by the Japanese (p. 422)."

Follow this link:
www.j-aircraft.com/captured/




Flying Fortresses with meatballs. “These three B-17s were captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies.”



P-40s and a B-17.

I expect batteryboy knows about this but I thought I would post this for everyone else to see.

[okla]

Hey Fots...."Meatball" insignia on those P-40s and B-17s is enough to gag a maggot off a "gut wagon". I like to think I am fairly informed about the 1941-42 debacle with our Air Forces in those dismal days, but I swear I had no idea that the enemy captured any of our aircraft. Had always thought that the aircraft that weren't destroyed at Clark and Iba, or used in the shoe string operation on Bataan, were either chewed up down in the Dutch East Indies or made it to Australia. A little voice in the back of my head tells me that a limited number ended up being used in Egypt against Rommel. Somebody help me out on this last thought. Senility may be raising its ugly head here. Learn something almost every day on this website. Good stuff.

[victor]

Here's another one Okla, but they haven't repainted it yet.

[Deleted]

I remember reading that early in the war, "Pappy" Gunn flew his civilian aircraft from Darwin Australia back to Del Monte Field on Mindanao. While there, he was able to make some repairs on a battle damaged B-17 and was able to fly it back to Australia with a cargo of marooned fighter pilots aboard. One wonders how many other aircraft were left behind. Re: those captured P-40's. IIRC, they ended up becoming the air force of Burma until they were grounded for lack of parts.

[batteryboy]

On the B-17 photo flyover Japan, only the B-17D was captured in the Philippines. The two 'E" models were captured in Malang, Java.

On the "shark mouth" P-40E, that was captured in Malaybalay airstrip in Mindanao

On the meatball P-40Es, most of them were captured also in Malang Java, while some were still in their crates.

They also captured an intact P-35A seversky, a PT-17 or 76D Stearman in the Philippines.

FWIW,

[fots2]

Great info there guys. There are lots more photos and info on the Burma P-40s also on that web site.

As a USAF man, I thought you would be interested in this okla.

[okla]

Hey Fots...Good stuff, as usual. Those were, indeed, "hairy" days for the guys in the USAAC. John, you are "into" military history up to your ear lobes. Maybe, you can shed some light on this vague memory that I have about some remnants of the B-17 outfits ending their 1942 odyssey in Egypt flying recon/scattered bombing missions,etc against the Afrika Korps. If memory serves there was even a plan floated to use these "fugitives from the law of averages" as a nucleus in a posible raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Rumania. For the life of me, I can't remember where I read/heard/learned about these rag tag survivors ending up in the Western Desert. Over the years I have read everything I could get my hands on that pertained to those desperate days of early 1942. It might have been when I wrote a term paper, many years ago in college, or in random readings,etc in the many intervening years since. Lots of time has elapsed since the mid and late 1950s when I was in search of my GI Bill backed mortar board. Hopefully, one or some of you learned guys on this website can straighten me out. Battery Boy...are you out there?? Phantom, how about you?

[EXO]

From memory, okla, I think the working name for that unit mission was the Halverson Project, named after the CO. That can allow you to Google the rest of it.

[fots2]

Thanks EXO.

[chadhill]

Not exactly "captured", but how about this: