Word: kittyhawk
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Warhawk (Curtiss P-40). One of the most heavily criticized of U. S. fighters, the rugged null (of the earlier Tomahawk and Kittyhawk series) were the backbone of U.S. defense in the early days of the war, drew many a slam because critics blamed them for results stemming from inexperienced tactics, lack of radar and other cause? outside the aircraft's ability. From Feb. i, 1942 to June 30, 1943, P-405 in all theaters, including Northwest Africa, destroyed 560 enemy craft, damaged 128, while losing 204. Yet the P-4O, of which more than 10,000 have been...
...where more Zeros undertook to protect it. Then George Kenney's airmen really started to work. Besides Fortresses, Liberators and Lightnings, George Kenney has samples of almost every type of combat plane the U.S. can produce: twin-engined Boston (A-20), Marauder (B26) and Mitchell (B25) bombers, Kittyhawk (P-40) fighters, plus some Australian Beaufighters and Beaufort bombers. The turbo-supercharged Lightnings can hit the Zeros high, and the heavily-armed Kittyhawks catch them when they come down...
...protecting planes. Mitchell bombers sank a transport which rolled over in the shallow water near the Lae jetty, knocked down five Zeros which attempted to interfere. Beaufighters swept into the Lae airdrome, burnt up one Zero, shot up others on the runway. In the late afternoon the oft-derided Kittyhawks were attacked by 18 Zeros. Score: 13 Zeros shot down, one Kittyhawk (pilot safe). When 20 more Zeros jumped some Lightnings they lost all but five. Total Jap planes lost in three days: 85 certain, 48 more maybe. Said MacArthur's communiqué dryly: "The enemy...
...that the antiquated Curtiss P-40 (Tomahawk) knocked the whey out of it. Reports said the Bell P39 (Airacobra) had too fragile a landing gear for the rough fields of Russia; other reports from the Red Front had Airacobras fighting German planes to a standstill. The later P-40s (Kittyhawks) supposedly couldn't get high enough to fight Messerschmitts, but in Libya the Kittyhawk, with Spitfires, took control of the air and held...
...Kittyhawk...