P-40s during Pearl Harbor attack

[INTREPER]

What base managed to launch P40's in the air during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and how many?

[digger]

http://www.acepilots.com/usaaf_welch.html

After partying all night.

[Threetoughtrucks]

Digger's info is the first I have read of Japanese planes shot down that were not the result of action by Welch and Taylor.

While many of our guys tried to get in the air, I had read all but Welch and Taylor were shot down on take off.

Great source of info Digger.

TTT

[immeww2]

Interesting info.

[INTREPER]

That's exactly what I was looking for Digger! Thanks!
Anybody know by chance what markings were on Taylor and Welche's P40's?
I'm looking to do some customs with their markings
Just finished watching TORA TORA TORA for the 15th time. What an incredible movie for its time!!!! WOW!!!

[eddie372]

Now I know why I like that Welch grape juice so much. Great story guys.

[Folkwulfe]

Both P-40s that were used by Welch and Taylor were from the 47th Pursuit and based at Wheeler Field. That is NOT where they took off from, but instead they flew from Haleiwa where there was a dirt strip. Welch and Taylor were the only P-40s from there (they were both "C" models) and the rest were P-36s. The color scheme used by then consisted of olive drab upper surfaces and neutral grey under. "US ARMY" was in black across the underside of the main wing and "47 PI" was on the vertical fin (not rudder) with "47" above the "PI". The blue and white circle/star national insignia was on both waist, both upper main wings, and both under main wings. All Wheeler P-40s also wore a "buzz number" on the fuselage sides between the cockpit and national insignia. It was very large, three digits, and white. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, these buzz numbers were deleted, but I have one B/W photo of a P-40C at Wheeler the day after the attack still wearing it's buzz number. Exactly which two aircraft Welch and Taylor used that day....I have yet to find a reference that got that specific. Your guess is as good as any other.

[INTREPER]

FOlk....

Any chance you can scan a copy of those pics for me? I would love to use them as reference.
And thanks for the info. Good stuff.

[eddie372]

Excellent information Folk. I think of you as our resident historian.

Good job.
Ed

[Folkwulfe]

I'll get that picture scanned as soon as I can...may take a day or two. Here's some more info though (hope you haven't started painting yet). The national insignia was a blue circle with a white star and a red circle in the center of the star. That red circle was not deleted until May '42....ergo Wheeler Field P-40's would have had it. Also, the insignia was only applied to the upper left and lower right main wing surfaces...not both as I stated earlier. That didn't happen until after May '42 as well. The red and white bands on the rudder were deleted a couple of months prior to Pearl Harbor. So...the rudder should show recent repainting (sometimes with a brush and in a hurry) and changed to olive drab. The olive drab of WW2 was greener than the brownish OD colors used later towards Vietnam and later. The neutral grey had a slight blue tinge to it when first applied and lightened with age and exposure to sunlight. Ditto for the OD tops...and remember, Hawaii was a sunny, volcanic sandy area (Haleiva Field was a "dirt" strip) so all the aircraft showed wear and tear from the elements as well as use. The Air Corps was strapped for money when it came to sundries like cleaning solvent and paint for patchwork. Different shades were not uncommon. Of coarse the money thing went away after Pearl Harbor....and like Paul Harvey says..."Now you know the REST of the story!"

[Folkwulfe]

OK....a couple of notes on this picture. It was taken a couple of days after Pearl Harbor and was taken at Wheeler Field. You will notice that the fin marking (and rudder too) have been hastily repainted OD green and only the 18P remains on the fin. This aircraft was probably being reassigned due to losses within the 18th Pursuit Group. The 300 buzz number has not yet been painted out, but there appears (its sometimes hard to tell with old B/W photos) that another color has been painted over under the nose as well. You'll also notice that the "meatball" in the center of the waist national star is missing, but clearly visible on the star under the right wing. A little more history for you....Welch and Taylor flew the only two P-40Bs left at Haleiwa Field, the rest were destroyed by attacking Japanese aircraft. Harry Browne, Johnny Daines, and Bob Rogers also got airborne from Haleiwa Field, but in P-36s. Tony Thacker and Gordon Sterling also got airborne, but from another field and also in P-36s. Johnny Daines was shot down by anti-aircraft gunners near Hickam Field. Welch shot down four of the attackers while Taylor only damaged one before being wounded himself. An hour after the initial attack, three P-40s tried to get airborne from Bellows Field when six Zeros came in for a straffing run. George Whitman was shot down immediately after liftoff, Hans Christianson exploded on takeoff, and Sam Bishop had his controls shot out and ditched just off shore swimming back to the beach without injury. Out of 79 P-40s present on Oahu that morning, 12 were listed as "flyable" (not combat ready) by the end of the day. 67 P-40 aircraft ALONE were either destroyed on the ground or taken out by Zeros during the attack. In all the Japanese lost 28 aircraft.

[Folkwulfe]

Looks like I get to muddy the waters even further here. The above picture shows "18P" on the fin....that's the correct fin marking (18th Pursuit Group was the higher HQ for 47 Pursuit Intercepter Squardon). However, the national star was on ONLY the left upper and right lower wings surfaces. "US ARMY" was also used under the main wing. I have found another pic or two that clearly shows this. Several references I have conflict heavily on the markings...and two conflict directly with Welch and Taylor's exploits that morning. Lt Brown was directly quoted in one and excerts are what you read above. The others give no definate reference...so I'm going to label them as "suspect" until I can find more valid research that quotes their sources. I'll scan and post the other pics this evening as time alows. Is that as clear as mud?

[INTREPER]

Youre awesome Fulke!!! Thanks again!

[Folkwulfe]

Your welcome...glad to help. Here's two more pics I found.

This is a pre-Pearl Harbor picture of a P-40B. The tail stripes are still present and the waist circle/star has not yet been added. Circle/star insignia is applied to the upper left and lower right like indicated above. Also (barely) visible is the "US" under the right wing whereas "ARMY" would be under the left wing. Notice the fin markings..."47" indicating the 47th aircraft in the 31st Pursuit Group (Mitchell Field). This picture is dated late 1940, approximately one year before Pearl Harbor.

I know it's large, but I had to blow this picture up for the detail. These are P-40Bs over Hawaii (unknown squadron) and dated August 1941...a couple of months before Pearl Harbor. They have had the rudder strips and individual aircraft number painted out....the waist circle/stars added. It may not look like it here, but the original print has the red center of the star present, but bleached out because of the monochrome B/W photopaper. You can just make out the "18P" (18th Pursuit Group...Hawaii) on the fin. You can also see the circle/star is ONLY on the upper left wing, not both. No individual (personal) markings were allowed during this time. Hope this helps some with markings suitable for your project.

I almost forgot to add....the tailwheel had a nasty habit of falling into the down position on early P-40s. The hydraulic system required the pilot to place the gear selector in the "up" position and watch the pressure gauge. When the pressure climbed, it meant the gear was up and the selector was placed in the neutral position. Pressure would then drop, and the tailwheel would fall opening the tailwheel well door as it did. The gear was not "locked" until the selector was set to "down" (watch that gauge!!!) and when the pressure increased, the gear was down and the locks ingaged. If the selector was left in the up or down position, the pressure would continue to build until the system blew a line or a gasket. That meant manually cranking the gear down (against the air drag they produced) while trying to maintain sufficient airspeed....not easy. Later P-40s had a redesigned tailwheel up-lock that solved this problem, but if you see pictures of P-40s with the tailwheel down in-flight....now you know why (check the in-flight picture above and you'll see the nearest aircraft's tailwheel doors open...TADA!)

[theToyFederation]

Here is a limited edition print called "America Strikes Back" by Robert Taylor that might help.


As the assault mounted on the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, simultaneously the air base at Wheeler Field came under heavy attack, most of the P-40s and P-36s neatly lined up making easy targets for the marauding Japanese aircraft. Almost all were hit.

Bleary-eyes from an all night party, two young USAAF pilots, Kenneth Taylor and George Welch, quickly assessed the situation: Not waiting for instructions Taylor called Haleiwa Field in the north of the island, and ordered their 47th Pursuit Squadron P-40 Tomahawk fighters to readiness. Running through a hail of gunfire and shrapnel, they leapt into Taylor's car and raced northwards, bullets chewing up the road as they went.

Surviving the strafing, within minutes of arrival at Halewia the two pilots got their P-40 Tomahawks airborne. Only then did they realize what they were up against: "There were between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft" said Taylor "There were just two of us!". Winging southwards towards Ewa Field they ripped into a dozen or more enemy planes attacking the marine field. Diving into the formation they each downed "Val" fighter-bombers.

Low on fuel and ammunition they landed at Wheeler, where ground crews got them back into the air replenished in minutes. As he followed Welch into the air, Taylor's aircraft was hit and the young pilot was wounded in shoulder and leg. Welch jumped on his attacker immediately scoring his third kill. Ignoring his injuries Taylor continued into the fray. Wheeling and turning in the humid air above the lush green terrain of Oahu, Taylor and Welch continued their solitary combat against the hordes of Japanese attackers, bringing their total to at least six victories before the Japanese, having done their worst, headed out for sea. For their quick thinking, and courageous action both Taylor and Welch were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. They were the first American pilots to strike back at an enemy that would take four long years to defeat.

Robert Taylor's carefully researched painting shows Ken Taylor in his P-40 Tomahawk bringing down his second enemy aircraft on December 7, 1941, an Aichi D-31A1 :Val" dive-bomber. George Welch is in close company as a group of Japanese planes head for the sea over Barbers Point. In the background palls of smoke rise from Hangar 6 housing the naval float planes, and the upturned battleship Oklahoma. Joining the artist and Brigadier General Ken Taylor in signing this important collector print are four highly distinguished American veteran pilots from World War II.

[Folkwulfe]

As much as I like Robert Taylor art, I have to disagree with him on the markings. I now have several pictures taken just before or just after the attack that clearly show the buzz numbers like the first picture I posted above. There's even another painting done by Tom Freeman showing Welch downing a Val...and his aircraft bears "155" as a buzz number on the side. Where he got that number is a mystery....every one of the pictures I have seen thus far have the numbers in the 300's. I'm still looking though....there's got to be more out there.