dewertus
Active member
History background
Soviet P-40 was most broadly and intensely engaged in combat in the Far North. They began to arrive there beginning in January 1942, when the ice-free port of Murmansk began to assume the role as the "northern gateway" for lend-lease convoys. Because shipments of Soviet-produced aircraft to the Far North was complicated by a series of factors, this locale was in a unique position of having Soviet VVS aircraft requirements fulfilled by the Western allies. Significant part (in the winter of 1942 up to 95 percent) of British and American aircraft arriving at Murmansk port were assigned to VVS, PVO, and naval aviation units operating in this theater.
The first regiment in the north to receive Tomahawks was 147th IAP. Because the combat in this zone was of a positional nature, transition training was conducted in the operational zone. The regiment continued to fight in its I-153s and trained on the Tomahawk IIB and Hurricane IIB during breaks in combat. The first Tomahawks arrived in early December 1941 and transition training was completed by the end of January 1942. The regiment became the 20th Guards IAP on 1 April 1942.
On the whole, because of their durability and flight range, the pilots liked both the Tomahawk and the Kittyhawk. The strength of its 5-longeron wing became legendary after an aerial engagement on 8 April 1942. On this day, flight commander Lieutenant Aleksey Khlobystov rammed German aircraft two times in a single engagement. He cut off the tail assembly of one Messerschmitt in an overtaking maneuver and severed a portion of the wing of a second Messerschmitt. Both times he struck the enemy aircraft with the same right wing panel. Both Messerschmitts went down and the Tomahawk landed safely at its airfield, where it was repaired without any particular difficulty. Its pilot, who did not suffer even a scratch, was recommended for the HSU rank and received the monetary bonus of 2000 rubles for two destroyed enemy fighters. Aleksey Khlobystov executed a third ramming maneuver on 14 May 1942, which concluded with a prolonged stay in the hospital. He pointed Kittyhawk at a Messerschmitt that was attempting to engage him head-on. Khlobystov was saved by luck-during the ensuing collision he was ejected from his aircraft. Aleksey Khlobystov fought in the P-40 until the end. On 13 December 1943 he was pursuing a German reconnaissance aircraft along with his wingman, Lieutenant Kalegaev. He was shot down by the German rear gunner over enemy territory. Neither pilot returned to the regiment.
The 20th Guards IAP fought in the P-40 longer than any other regiment in the VVS-until the end of 1943, after which it received the P-39N Airacobra.
Model
My model present one of the Tomahawks form 20 GIAP, Murmansk, October 1942. I made it from the wreckage received from a colleague (fuselage and wings were glued together). In the beginning I had to dismember model, cleaned and sanded. Then I fix cockpit (as an example i used parts from P-36 model), next I drilled exhaust and finally assembled all out again together. In this model (as in the previous P-40 from 112 Sqn RAF) I was experimented with salt as a factor differentiating the surface color - unfortunately I a little exaggerated and the end result is not the best (but still better than the P-40M).
Soviet P-40 was most broadly and intensely engaged in combat in the Far North. They began to arrive there beginning in January 1942, when the ice-free port of Murmansk began to assume the role as the "northern gateway" for lend-lease convoys. Because shipments of Soviet-produced aircraft to the Far North was complicated by a series of factors, this locale was in a unique position of having Soviet VVS aircraft requirements fulfilled by the Western allies. Significant part (in the winter of 1942 up to 95 percent) of British and American aircraft arriving at Murmansk port were assigned to VVS, PVO, and naval aviation units operating in this theater.
The first regiment in the north to receive Tomahawks was 147th IAP. Because the combat in this zone was of a positional nature, transition training was conducted in the operational zone. The regiment continued to fight in its I-153s and trained on the Tomahawk IIB and Hurricane IIB during breaks in combat. The first Tomahawks arrived in early December 1941 and transition training was completed by the end of January 1942. The regiment became the 20th Guards IAP on 1 April 1942.
On the whole, because of their durability and flight range, the pilots liked both the Tomahawk and the Kittyhawk. The strength of its 5-longeron wing became legendary after an aerial engagement on 8 April 1942. On this day, flight commander Lieutenant Aleksey Khlobystov rammed German aircraft two times in a single engagement. He cut off the tail assembly of one Messerschmitt in an overtaking maneuver and severed a portion of the wing of a second Messerschmitt. Both times he struck the enemy aircraft with the same right wing panel. Both Messerschmitts went down and the Tomahawk landed safely at its airfield, where it was repaired without any particular difficulty. Its pilot, who did not suffer even a scratch, was recommended for the HSU rank and received the monetary bonus of 2000 rubles for two destroyed enemy fighters. Aleksey Khlobystov executed a third ramming maneuver on 14 May 1942, which concluded with a prolonged stay in the hospital. He pointed Kittyhawk at a Messerschmitt that was attempting to engage him head-on. Khlobystov was saved by luck-during the ensuing collision he was ejected from his aircraft. Aleksey Khlobystov fought in the P-40 until the end. On 13 December 1943 he was pursuing a German reconnaissance aircraft along with his wingman, Lieutenant Kalegaev. He was shot down by the German rear gunner over enemy territory. Neither pilot returned to the regiment.
The 20th Guards IAP fought in the P-40 longer than any other regiment in the VVS-until the end of 1943, after which it received the P-39N Airacobra.
Model
My model present one of the Tomahawks form 20 GIAP, Murmansk, October 1942. I made it from the wreckage received from a colleague (fuselage and wings were glued together). In the beginning I had to dismember model, cleaned and sanded. Then I fix cockpit (as an example i used parts from P-36 model), next I drilled exhaust and finally assembled all out again together. In this model (as in the previous P-40 from 112 Sqn RAF) I was experimented with salt as a factor differentiating the surface color - unfortunately I a little exaggerated and the end result is not the best (but still better than the P-40M).
