Aircraft Identity? German?

[Vermillion]

Over on a websight that is promoting a new book about WWII in the North Africa campaign, in the authors personal photo gallery (very nice, make sure to check it out) he has a photo he identifies as a downed German aircraft.

 


Caption: "Kiwi soldiers inspect a downed enemy aircraft outside Mersa Matruh"

Is this guy right? It sure looks like the spinner and air intake off a P-40 to me.

Here is the link to the full photo gallery.
 http://www.actrix.gen.nz/users/ngaiopress/smithpix.htm

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Vermillion
**MOL**, Men of Leisure

[Westy]

P-40.  Not an Axis aircraft.

 -Westy

(although I did think it could possibly a Stuka at first)

[AKSeaWulfe]

Definitely a P40. In response to Westy: Stuka's intakes have exposed and highly visable radiators. You can tell the difference mainly in the piece of metal structure inside the intake that is divided into 3 pieces, those are only on P40s.
-SW

[Maverick]

Depends on which side the kiwi's were on doesn't it??    

Mav

[Vulcan]

Could have been an Aussie P-40... in which case it definitely is an enemy aircraft.

[funked]

P-40

[Spatula]

 

Originally posted by Vulcan:
Could have been an Aussie P-40... in which case it definitely is an enemy aircraft.

<kiwi/assue tauntmode = ON>
If it was an Aussie P40, the Kiwis should have shot it down  
<kiwi/assue tauntmode = OFF>

[SFRT - Frenchy]

P40 if I had to bet my head. Now I have no idea how the BF109 looked like with their "sand filter" into their modified nose.

[Minotaur]

Could it be the nacelle and left wing of an early model P-38?

I don't see a cockpit.

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Anyway, more golf..."
Humble


[This message has been edited by Minotaur (edited 10-20-2000).]

[Maverick]

Don't think it's a 38. The wing is set below the enging level. You can see it is resting on the ground.

[Minotaur]

     

Originally posted by Maverick:
Don't think it's a 38. The wing is set below the enging level. You can see it is resting on the ground.

OK, that looked like a shadow to me.  Looking closer I think I see one guy standing on the wing.  

I was also wrong it would have to be a later model P-38.  I don't think the enlarger intake was present on P-38's in Africa, not sure though.

From the intake it has to be a P-40E.  Click on "P-40 Watch" and scroll down a little.

           

This is a picture of a P-38G, which I believe had the same nacelle and intakes  of the P-38F.

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

"Anyway, more golf..."
Humble

[This message has been edited by Minotaur (edited 10-20-2000).]

[Hans]

My gut reaction was to say it was a P-40, but on second look it appears to be a high wing aircraft (the trenchcoated soldier is leaning on SOMETHING, and its not down low).

P38?

Hans.

[Ketil]

Hans, the chap in the greatcoat is apparently pointing or somesuch. The wing is visible down low as is the shadow of it on the ground. If he was leaning on the wing, where is it between the mustached chap and the big fellow with his back to the camera?
P40, most definitely.
Ket

[GRUNHERZ]

Hi

Plus look at the little black rectangluar shadow behind the top prop blade, P40s had a carb untake in that location and it was that shape too. P40

thanks GRUNHERZ

[juzz]

Clearly a P-40.

In Alfred Price's Spitfire, there is a photo of a Spitfire in US markings crashed into the water at the edge of a beach in Salerno, with a troop ship disembarking in the background. Apparently the official US caption to the photo reads - "The Curtiss P-40(foreground) was shot down by mistake by our Anti-Aircraft..." Oops!

Minotaur, that's a P-38J - at least, it has the redesigned engine intakes. The older style were angled back and more streamlined with the engine cowling, thusly: