Aircraft and Vehicle Service Dates - get ur pencils out

[Mister Fork]

Guys, it's time to update our A&VSD list.  We really really need your help. 

I've bolded aircraft were we don't know the service dates. If you list a new service date or change, you need to list your reference.  Saying "I think it was available in 1943" is not good enough. 

This list is a very accurate collection from the hard work of this forum topic's members that include countless WWII aircraft historians and even HiTech staff who have helped us keep this list as accurate as possible. We wish to ensure it's kept up to date as much as possible and now is the time.  Thanks for your assistance:


Aircraft and Vehcile Service Dates
Last Updated: November 15, 2005


Aircraft
USA
A-20G ... 5-42
B-17G ... 6-43
B-24J ... 5-43
B-25C ... ???
B-25H ... ???
B-26B ... 5-42
C-47A ... 12-41
P-38G ... 11-42
P-38J ... 12-43(ETO) 2-44(PTO)
P-38L ... 7-44
P-39D ... ???
P-39Q ... ???
P-40B ... 1-41
P-40E ... 8-41
P-47D-11 ... 3-43(D5) to 1-44(D11)
P-47D-25 ... 5-44
P-47D-40 ... 1-45(ETO)
P-47M ... ???
P-47N ... 6-45
P-51B ... 12-43(ETO),8-44(CBI)
P51D ... 5-44(ETO),1-45(CBI&PTO)
F4F-4 ... 9-41(ETO),5-42(PTO)
FM-2 ... 6-44(ETO),10-44(PTO)
F6F-5 ... 7-44
F4U-1 ... 2-43(ETO),4-44(ETO)
F4U-1A ... ???
F4U-1D ... 4-44
F4U-1C ... 4-45
F4U-4 ... 4-45
F6F-5 ... 7-44
SBD-5 ... 5-43
TBM-3 ... 2-43

Britain
Boston MK III ... 5-41
Hurricane Mk I ... 5-40
Hurricane IIC ... 4-41
Hurricane IID ... 6-42
Lancaster III ... 3-42
Mosquito Mk VI ... 7-43(ETO),11-43(PTO&CBI)
Spitfire Mk IA ... 8-40
Seafire IIC ... 10-42,11-43(ETO)
Spitfire V ... 4-41
Spitfire VIII ... 7-43
Spitfire Mk IX ... 7-42
Spitfire Mk XIV ... 5-44,7-45(CBI)
Spitfire Mk XVI ... 7-44
Tempest V ... 6-44
Typhoon IB ... 6-43

Finland
B-239 Brewster ... ???

Soviet
Il-2 Type 3 ... 10-42
I-16 ... ???
La-5FN ... 3-43
La-7 ... 6-44
Yak-9T ... 1-43
Yak-9U ... 7/8-44

Italy
C.202 ... 11-41
C.205 ... 1-43

Japan
A6M2 ... 7-40
A6M5b ... 8-43
B5N2  ... 7-40
D3A-1 ... 7-40
Ki-61 ... 6-43
Ki-84-la ... 8-44 (CBI),10-44(PTO)
Ki-67 ... 4-44
N1K2-J ... 1-45

Germany
Ar 234B ... 12-44
Bf 109E-4 ... 5-40
Bf 109F-4 ... 6-41
Bf 109G-2 ... 6-42
Bf 109G-6 ... 2-43
Bf 109G-14 ... 7-44
Bf 109K-4 ... 10-44
Bf 110C-4b ... 8-40
Bf 110G-2 ... 5-42
Fw 190A-5 ... 6-43
Fw 190A-8 ... 2-44
Fw 190D-9 ... 12-44
Fw 190F-8 ... 4-44
Ju 88A-4 ... 5-41
Me 262 ... 10-44
Me 163 ... 9-44
Ta 152H ... 1-45

Vehicles
USA
LVT(A)2 ...2-44
LVT(A)4 ...3-44
M-3 Halftrack...3-41
M-8 ...9-42
M-16 ...5-43
Sherman VC ...?

Germany
SdKfz 251 ... ???
Ostwind ... 8-44
Panzer IV Type H ... 8-44
Tiger I ...8-42
Wirbelwind ... ???

Soviet
T-34/76 ... 2-43
T-34/85 ... ???

Theatres of Operations
PTO - Pacific
ETO - Europe
CBI - China-Burma-India/CHINA-BURMA-INDIA

[Karnak]

Dunno why you have the Spitfire Mk Ia listed as August, 1940.  They were in combat over Dunkirk (May 24th to June 4th, 1940) and against German recon flights over Britain earlier than that.  But for serious combat operations, Spitfire Mk Is should have a service date of 5-40.

If you need a reference, I'll just name a book that springs to mind, "Fly for Your Life", Robert Stanford Tuck's biography.  He was flying Spitfires with 92 Squadron to cover the Dunkirk evacuation.  On his first day over Dunkirk he scored a Bf109 and two Bf110s.

EDIT:

Hurricane Mk I should have a 4-40 date as it was used in the Norwegian Campaign, which started in April of 1940.

[Saxman]

Fork,

As I said in the other thread, the F4U-1D only hit the production lines in April, 1944. Units in the States didn't start receiving them until sometime after June or July 1944 (units training at MCAS Cherry Point in preparation for Project Danny in June 1944 were using 1s and 1As). The earliest date I can get for certain is VMF-511 and 512 transitioning to 1Ds in September while at MCAS Mojave. The first carrier-borne squadrons equipping 1Ds were VMFs-124 and 213. They were also the first carrier-borne squadrons to see combat which occurred as part of the Navy's first carrier operations of 1945. Considering the carrier-borne squadrons were most likely to be the first of the new Corsairs to arrive in the war zone, the 1D shouldn't be listed any earlier than January 1945.

The 1A is MUCH more complicated since the differentiation between the 1 and 1A was a later, back-dated addition due to the manner in which updates were introduced at whatever point they happened to be on in the production line. According to the CAF, the first 1A was accepted by the Navy in August, 1943. Other sources I can find aren't very specific, but a few note September 1943 as first combat based on squadron service records (VMF-214 equipped with 1As prior to their first tour under Boyington in September 1943). Since there was no specific "block" for the 1A and the designation was instead applied to F4U-1s that carried a certain set of updates (stall strip and bubble canopy appear to be the key differentiation. Early 1As still used the R-2800-8 engine, which was replaced with the -8(W) after the first few hundred airframes) the CAF date of August, or September 1943, would be an acceptable estimate.

[Masherbrum]

Ki-61 was around April or May of 1943.

[thorsim]

define service date please ...

[Masherbrum]

define service date please ...

Are you really this inept?

[thorsim]

no i saw no criteria for defining service date ...

remind me please ...

[Soulyss]

According to Dean (America's Hundred Thousand) the P-39D was first delivered the the U.S. Military in April 1941.   I have a couple books here that I can try to comb through tomorrow and may be able to get the dates for the B-25's.

[thorsim]

which p51d?

[Saxman]

Are you really this inept?

Thorsim makes a good point. There's often a BIG difference between when an aircraft was first accepted, and when it was first actively deployed to the war zone (IE, the first F4U-1s were given to VF-12 and VF-17 in July, 1942, but the aircraft didn't actually arrive in theater until February, 1943). When the aircraft was accepted into service is really rather unimportant, it's the date of its arrival in the war zone that really matters, especially if you're looking at its context in scenarios (to use the F4U example again, the first F4U-1Cs were pulled from the 1A production line in late-1943, but it would be inaccurate to use them in scenarios set any earlier than April 1945).

[Masherbrum]

Thorsim makes a good point. There's often a BIG difference between when an aircraft was first accepted, and when it was first actively deployed to the war zone (IE, the first F4U-1s were given to VF-12 and VF-17 in July, 1942, but the aircraft didn't actually arrive in theater until February, 1943). When the aircraft was accepted into service is really rather unimportant, it's the date of its arrival in the war zone that really matters, especially if you're looking at its context in scenarios (to use the F4U example again, the first F4U-1Cs were pulled from the 1A production line in late-1943, but it would be inaccurate to use them in scenarios set any earlier than April 1945).

Saxman, he just beats everything to death and it gets old. 

[Saxman]

That may be true, but in this case it's a legitimate question.

[Masherbrum]

That may be true, but in this case it's a legitimate question.

Understood, however the following has happened with most of his posts.  Whatever answer he's given, will not be good enough. 

[thorsim]

that is just cuz i ask the questions you don't want to consider ...

Understood, however the following has happened with most of his posts.  Whatever answer he's given, will not be good enough.  

 no point in asking for a non specified date, it will only lead to arguments.

also imo first combat kill or combat death are usually well documented and very specific,
first first enemy encounter is almost as "good", and first combat mission also usually well documented for most types.  most often if you  look the criteria above is confirmable in enemy AARs or other intel.

otherwise the arguments will be endless ...

fyi since the pony D has the built in rocket HPs it is a #25 block or later, and i believe a feb 45 or later entrant ...

 

[USCH]

that is just cuz i ask the questions you don't want to consider ...

 no point in asking for a non specified date, it will only lead to arguments.

also imo first combat kill or combat death are usually well documented and very specific,
first first enemy encounter is almost as "good", and first combat mission also usually well documented for most types.

otherwise the arguments will be endless ...

fyi since the pony D has the built in rocket HPs it is a #25 block or later, and i believe a feb 45 or later entrant ...

 

This is the part that gets me, we have... The aircraft its self (say the P-51D) are we looking for the 1st p51D's or are we looking for the 1st P-51D's with the ability to have 6 zero linght rockets with XXX Ave. Gas, and so on.

To me (a guy who has played the game long enough) we have a said aircraft, then sub groups of said aircraft, like the I-16 has 3 different gun packs with 3 different production dates (witch would pro sumably be 3 different service dates)

so are we going to sub group every aircraft we have with more than one gun pack / ord pack?

Or are we going to look for the 1st of any aircraft of that group IE: I-16 was used in July 1939 in the Second Sino-Japanese War but some gun packs we have came later.
I-16 t24  M63, 4 x 7.62 Shkas +/- drop tanks or FAB 100 or 10 x FAB15 (production mid 39 to v early 41)
I-16 t28  M63, 2 x 7.62 ShKas, 2 x 20 Shvak +/- drop tanks or FAB100 (production mid 39 to late 40)
I-16 t29  M63, 2 x 7.62 ShKas, 1 x 12.7UBS  +/- drop tanks or 6 x RS82 (production mid 40 to mid 41)

I think we should take out time to figure out just what we want.
So without picking a fight I think it is correct in asking for more info of what we are looking for. I am more than willing to help.