DEKL'S International Military Aviation Series.
1/48 scale waterslide decal markings.
This decal is released as a tribute to American airmen who defended Australia in the early days of the Pacific War during WWII.
At 9:58am on the 19th February 1942, the first wave of collectively 260 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy raided Darwin, Northen Territory, Australia.
It was the first attack on the Australian mainland of WWII and thankfully remains the largest ever attack on Australia.
There were NO fighters, Australian or Allied, based at Darwin. Australia did not posess a modern frontline fighter at the time. (e.g. Wirraway trainers had been used in the defence of Rabaul in late January 1942.)
That there were any fighters present on the day was only by a vagary of nature. And the circumstances were not favourable.
Ten P-40E WARHAWK aircraft of the USAAF 33 Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) led by Major Floyd Pell had departed Darwin at 9.15am bound for Timor to provide air support against anticipated Japanese landings. (They had only arrived in Darwin on 15th Feb after a transcontinental flight from Amberley, Queensland, via Melbourne, Victoria, Port Pirie, South Australia and then up the centre of Australia.)
The flight had to turn back due to bad weather. On their return to Darwin, Pell and four others landed at the RAAF Darwin airfield to refuel while five others were kept in the air on patrol duties.
A flight of twelve Zeros from the IJN carrier KAGA came in behind the top cover. 2nd Lt. Robert G Oestreicher alerted the P-40s and dove away at speed. The other four were engagaed by the Zeros from a position of advantage and shot down.
The flight that had landed attempted to get airborne but none got enough altitude to take the initiative. Again, all were at serious disadvantage, this time to 12 Zeros from the carrier HIRYU, and all were shot down.
In a matter of 15-20 minutes, the 33rd PS (Prov) Darwin detachment was annihilated with four pilots killed and nine WARHAWK aircraft destroyed.
The only surviving aircraft was Oestreicher's.
Further tragedy awaited the 33rd PS (Prov). The aircraft in Darwin were half the squadron. The other half had flown to Perth, Western Australia, where their aircraft were loaded as deck cargo aboard USS LANGLEY (AV-3) at the port of Fremantle. They were to be tranported to Java, but the LANGLEY was attacked south of Java by Japanese bombers on the 27th Feb. The damage was fatal for the ship and she was scuttled by a torpedo from the destroyer USS WHIPPLE.
Markings are provided for;
* Maj. Floyd Pell, #28 (black). Attacked by multiple Zeros immediatey following take-off, Pell baled out of his P-40E from about 80ft. He did not survive. KIA 19Feb42
* 2nd Lt. Jack Peres, #189 (black). Top cover flight, shot down. KIA 19Feb42
* 2nd Lt. Elton S Perry, #51 (black). Top cover flight, shot down. KIA 19Feb42
* 2nd Lt. Charles Hughes, #94 (black). Strafed on takeoff. KIA 19Feb42
* 2nd Lt. William Walker, #46 (black). Top cover flight, attacked and damaged. Crash landed at RAAF Darwin. Walker survived to see his aircraft strafed and burnt to the ground on the runway.
* 2nd Lt. Max Wiecks, #9 (black). Survived after he bailed out over the sea following concentrated Zero attacks.
* 2nd Lt. Burt Rice, #31 (black), got airborne, attacked by Zeros and his aircraft damaged, he bailed out. He landed in a swamp and was found alive several hours later.
* 2nd Lt. John Glover, DUMBO #36 (black), got airborne, ttacked by Zeros, wards off the Japanese attempting to shoot Rice in his parachute, Crash landed over the threshold of the RAAF base runway and survived.
* 2nd Lt. Robert Oestreicher, Miss Nadine #43 (black). Claimed two D3A ‘VAL’ dive bombers shot down.
* 2nd Lt. Bob McMahon, #22 (white). Got airborne, climbed to engage a Kate. Return fire from the Kate and an attacking Zero caused his engine to fail. McMahon abandoned his P-40E between 1500-2000 ft and parachuted to safety with slight injuries.
McMahon's White #15, an option provided on the sheet, was the 2nd Warhawk used by McMahon during his short time in Darwin.
He had arrived in Darwin flying Black #22 that had been damaged enroute and subsequently severely damaged on his arrival landing. #22 was his original BAHOOTEE THE COOTEE.
He had White #15, an ex 3rd PS (Prov) that had been left behind in Darwin, repaired and he painted it with his personal artwork and named it BAHOOTEE THE COOTEE No.II. The starboard side was named MAC. #15 was damaged on landing following a test flight on 17th February. Thus, this was not the aircraft he was flying on the 19th during the raid.
McMahon then had White #22, another ex 3rd PS (Prov), repaired and ready for the transit to Timor on the 19th Feb. Whether he had time to “personalize” his third P-40E with Bahootee the Cootee No.III artwork is open to question.
Tail Numbers Black or White? The above is what I have concluded.
The few images available of 33rd PS aircraft show the tail number in black.
Some images of 3rd PS aircraft show numbers in white. Images of 5th AF P-40Es assembled at RAAF Amberley generally show black numbers, with some in white.
The sheet provides optional black or white tail numbers for the aircraft that there was some doubt about.
A final option on the sheet is for:
* 2nd Lt. Robert Buel, White #54, 21st PS, 35th PG.
On Feb. 15, 1942, the P-40E WARHAWK fighter of 2nd Lt. Buel was one of only two planes that were available for the defence of Northern Australia. The other was Oestreicher. On this date, both aircraft were sent to defend an allied convoy under attack from a Japanese Mavis flying boat.
Only Buel found the Mavis and attacked. Return fire from the Mavis's 20mm tail cannon shot down and killed Buel, but not before his attack damaged the Mavis forcing it ditch. The action was confirmed post-war by surviving members of the Mavis crew.
Robert Buel was the first Allied airman to be killed in combat in the direct defence of mainland Australia during WWII.
An image of Buel's #54 confirms the tail (and forward fuselage) numbers in white.
Suggested Kits; Any.
This item is a DECAL Sheet. A model kit is NOT included.
Recommended for Ages: 12+
These are Laser print decals on continuous carrier film. Each individual design needs to cut out of the sheet.
PLEASE READ THE DECAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS SUPPLIED.
Some designs are supplied with additional 'whites' (for backing) should the modeller wish to use them.
Keep in mind that these Decals and the instruction drawings are not intended as a technical or historical document of the aircraft type.
Price: $15.00
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