On Aug 14,1942 the first combat between USAAC and Luftwaffe crews took place northwest of Reykjavik,Iceland, when FW-200 C-4, F8+BB of I/KG-40 was shot down by P-40C of 33d Fighter Sqn (Second Lieutenant Joseph D. Shaffer) and P-38s of 27th Fighter Sqn. (Lt. Elza E. Shahan and Major John W. Weltman) I am looking for info on Shahan’s aircraft, Lockheed P38F-1-LO Lightning, s/n 41-7540 #40 (allegedly) I have all sorts of conflicting info on the encounter. Some reports say the 33d FS aircraft was a P-39 … they did convert to P-39s but not sure when. Another ?? … Allegedly the attached photo is of 27th FS aircraft at Reykjavik, with #42 being Shahan’s. (Have also seen the photo captioned as P-38s being ferried to the UK. 27th, as part of 1st FG , WAS deploying to the UK when they were held over to reenforce the 33d. Sooooo …) The main questions I have are … did the P-38s have the “U.S. ARMY” under the wings still (blue or black?) ? (I forget when they were discontinued … though I have seen a P-40K with it as late as 44) Photos are inconclusive. Looks like markings were just nationals, s/n in white on the tail, ID # in yellow (white) on the nose. Yes? No? Maybe? Any other pointers? Last photos are WIP 1/48 P-40C , 33d Pursuit Sqn. Kaldadarnes Airfield, Iceland , Aug. 1941, and real thing. World War II Crash Sites in Iceland - Fw 200 Condor, NW of Grótta, Faxaflói. August 14, 1942 (stridsminjar.is)
did the P-38s have the “U.S. ARMY” under the wings still (blue or black?)
Detail and Scale’s new P38 book has a color photograph from underneath a P-38E that clearly shows “us army.” The caption states it’s black. Other research states that most P-38s did not have that under the wing.
The US ARMY thing is clear as mud. The photo is "P-40K 42-45831
This P-40K was flown by Capt. George Hicks at the time this photo was taken at Amchitka
in January of 1944. Hicks had just taken command of the 18th FS and inherited this ship
from the squadron’s previous CO, Major William Booth. The Hawk appears to be finished in
the RAF green/earth scheme, and it looks like cowling from an OD/gray ship has been fitted.
Or maybe it’s the other way’round… whatever the case, there’s been some cowl swapping. "
Looks like 831 was diverted from an RAF Lend Lease batch in July 42 … "45829 to RAF as Kittyhawk III FR239 Jul 1942. Shot down by flak
over L.G.104 Oct 9, 1942. 45830 to RAF as Kittyhawk III FR240 Jul 1942. Shot down by
Bf 109s over L.G.21 Oct 21, 1942. 45831 salvaged Mar 15, 1945. 45832 to RAF as Kittyhawk III FR242 Jul 1942. Crashed near Bagnara, Sicily Aug 21, 1943 after pilot abandoned aircraft following
damage by ground fire. 45833 to RAF as Kittyhawk III FR243 Jul 1942. Missing from sweep
near Lake Ampolino Sep 9, 1943. According to SquadronSignal “AirForce Colors 1926-1942” manufacturers requested to stop painting the “US ARMY” in April 42, to save material and man hours. Material Division approved in May. Training aircraft were exempted in Nov. Appears no directive to over paint the markings was issued . Sooooo … depending on depending on when the P-38s were built (ordered in 41, but …) Sounds like I should flip my good luck Carson City silver dollar…
Chasing down and trying to pinpoint markings is always fun. So it was circa 2008, and in one of the aircraft modeling magazines, I can’t remember which one, if it was an American publication or one from england, but they had an article about the mirrored of markings on a P-40 in italy. I’m reaching way back so take this as a nebulous example instead of precise. There is a P-40 belly landed in like late 44 or sometime in 1945. It was Allison powered and that’s all I can remember about the model. I recall it had been a Commonwealth airplane that was then grabbed up by USAAF. RAF desert camo, but you can see in the photos the US Army under the wings. However, it had the American Star on all six places on the fuselage and wings, presumably covering up the RAF roundels, yet had the red white and blue RAF tail flash, and I’m pretty sure it had the RAF serial number near the openage. Then it had been given to an Allied air force and had RAF roundels reapplied. I think the fuselage American markings had the bar on it, although the wing ones did not.
If I ever find that magazine again, I will buy it just for that article.
Michael Clarongbould’s Pacific Profiles series delves deeply into the myriad of marking inconsistencies and contradictions in P-40s, P-39s haven’t even P-47s. He explains all the swapping between squadrons, sometimes due to a transition other types, sometimes because aircraft coming out of in-depth maintenance rebuilds were diverted to other squadrons instead of their parents squadron, etc.
I did a Brazilian P-47 years ago (odd story, the pilot had a U-boat kill. Was piloting a Brazilian PBY that sank U-199 on 31 July, 43. He was a buy boy.) They got second hand P-47s when they arrived in Italy. Standard US OD/ Grey paint job and markings. The painted their markings over the US ones and added the extra 2 to the wings. Some markings had white bars, couple didnt. ( Republic P-47D “Thunderbolt”. 1 Grupo de Aviacao de Caca, Forca Aerea Brasileria (1st Fighter Group, Brazilian Air Force) Italy. 1945. Brazil supplied pilots and ground support (Mechanics, armorers, meteorological, intelligence) to assist the Allies in Italy. (Also a 25,000 man ground force was deployed ) 1 GAVAC started operational flights on 31 Oct. 1944. (Note graffiti on the 500 lb bomb) A-4, 42-26756, was flown by Tenente Alberto Martins Torres. Torres flew 99 missions before end of hostilities on May 6 , 1945. (Crew names and mission marks are under cockpit.) Bulge at front of the bomb rack is a field fabricated housing for a K-25 camera for post strike photos.) I hate people not documenting everything so us in the future will know what was done! I was an American Civil War reenactor for 12 years.
(1/1 scale Pvt. Co.B, 2nd New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regt. 1863)
We’d find out they had a piece of gear, but how was it used. Like today we do not document everyday stuff, like how to tie shoe laces. Hundreds of years from now researchers will find a shoe lace and say “WTF is this”… History research ain’t for sissies! (If you want a good laugh find a copy of Motel of the Mysteries" by David Macaulay. About an archeologist doing dig of a flop motel in NYC WAAAY in the future. They find an “inner chamber” with a body in a porcelain sarcophagus, next to an alter with a roll of paper to write messages to the gods and leave under the lid of the alter. { bathroom with body inthe tub, next to the toilet and roll of TP!} How much do WE get wrong?)
I hate people not documenting everything so us in the future will know what was done! 
I was an American Civil War reenactor for 12 years.