Bonus

[Snafu]

Never seen P40 on carrier .....

P-40F Warhawk of the US 33rd Fighter Group takes off from the deck of the USS Chenango. North Africa, 1942.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Definitely early pics. Looks like it would be pretty hairy too, very tight quarters there. No surprise, the USS Chenango was very a small escort by comparison to an end war aircraft carrier such as the Midway. Here's the comparison http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Chenango_(CVE-28) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Midway_(CV-41)

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I was unaware P-40s operated off carriers. I learn somthing new here every visit.

[yoopercollector]

Sure they were just ferried somewhere and just took off, can't land back on a carrier. Doubt the air frame could handle an arrested landing.

[Paul S.]

Ship to shore one-way flights during the North Africa landings (Operation Torch). Part of the plan was to use airborne forces to take and secure aerodromes, launch fighters from various escort carriers and have them land at aerodromes after they were secure.

[Bob Womack]

Escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25) did both Atlantic anti-submarine work and two cruises to Casablanca in Occtober to December of 1943 ferrying aircraft. She later ferried elements of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) to Vietnam in 1965, including the author of Chickenhawk, the most highly regarded monograph of helicopter warfare in Vietnam.

Bob

[Mike Haas]

Ship to shore one-way flights during the North Africa landings (Operation Torch). Part of the plan was to use airborne forces to take and secure aerodromes, launch fighters from various escort carriers and have them land at aerodromes after they were secure.

A lightly loaded P-40 would lift off anywhere from 65-75 MPH indicated airspeed. If the carrier is traveling 15 MPH+ into a 20 MPH headwind a P40F model can do it easily. That means the aircraft only has to gain 30 to 40 MPH on the Deck roll. Easily achieved. 10 to 20degree flaps may be necessary. Remember Dolittles heavily loaded B-25 Mitchells did it off the USS Hornet. Oddly enough the only one that had a problem was the last pilot to take off, simply because he forgot to lower his flaps. The P40F Model had the Packard built Merlin engine in it and not the original Allison V 1710. I see no issues with this event in the hands of an experienced pilot.

[RT Ellis]

USS Ranger CV-4 made two trips to North Africa transporting 68, and 72 Army P-40s, which were flown off and landed in Accra each cruise.

In the image subject of this post everyone, including the pilots sitting in the aircraft, are watching what was probably one of the first planes launched, to see how it goes.

[JCFalkenbergIII]

Here is another lesser known action. This time by P-47s, "On 7 May 1944 MANILA BAY sailed for overhaul at Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 18 May. After loading 37 Army P-47 fighters, MANILA BAY sailed 5 June for the Marianas. Steaming via Eniwetok, she reached the eastern approaches to Saipan 19 June. During the next four days she remained east of the embattled island as ships and planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force repulsed the Japanese Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and inflicted staggering losses on the enemy, thus crippling the Imperial Japanes Navy's air strength permanently. On 23 June, MANILA BAY came under enemy air attack during refueling operations east of Saipan. Two fighter-bombers attacked her from dead ahead, dropping four bombs which exploded wide to port. Intense antiaircraft fire suppressed further attacks, and as a precautionary and rather unusual move which Admiral Spruance later characterized as "commendable initiative," MANILA BAY launched four of the Army P-47s she was ferrying to fly protective CAP until radar screens were clear of contacts. The Army fighters then flew to Saipan, their intended destination. She launched the remaining planes the next day and returned to Eniwetok, arriving 27 June. After embarking 207 wounded troops, MANILA BAY departed 1 July, touched Pearl Harbor the 8th, and reached San Diego 16 July 1944."

[CINDERS]

My question - is that piece of wire at 7 o'clock under the tail plane of the aircraft just airborne, it may be a FB on the print or the lense !