Alaska Veterans by Suellyn Wright Novak Colonel USAF RET

Author:Suellyn Wright Novak Colonel USAF RET [RET, Suellyn Wright Novak Colonel USAF]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Social History
ISBN: 9781098071363
Google: U_w2EAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2021-07-01T22:11:44+00:00

Figure 7. An Aleutian Tiger of the 11th Fighter Squadron (US Army photo).

Seven

A Son’s Love for his Father Creates the Aleutian Tiger Squadron

This Army Air Force squadron was activated as the 11th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan in January 1941, training with Vultee BT-13 Valiant (pilots called it the Vultee Vibrator), and second-line Seversky P-35 Guardsman pursuit fighters. In September 1941 the squadron moved to Key Field, Mississippi, where it was upgraded to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, which at the time was our first-line fighter. It was no match, however, for the agile Japanese Zero fighter.

Shortly after “a date which will live in infamy” (December 7, 1941), the 11th Fighter Squadron was assigned to Elmendorf Field, Anchorage, Alaska, to reinforce the Alaska Defense Command against Japanese attack. The squadron departed Mississippi on December 19. Woefully untrained for flight conditions in the far north, they were the next unit up for rotation so moved anyway. Two weeks elapsed before their P-40s reached the Sacramento Air Depot for winterization. By December 31, 1941, the maintenance personnel were at Elmendorf Field, but none of its planes had left McClelland Field. Bad weather hampered the necessary test flights after winterization, and accidents caused loss of craft and pilots. The first plane left California on January 1, 1942. The lack of good landing fields along the flight path, poor or nonexistent communications, and pilot inexperience further held up movement.

By January 13 only thirteen of its twenty-two P-40s were at Elmendorf Field in flyable condition; six more had been lost in the California to Alaska flight.

The commander of the 11th Fighter Squadron (FS) was none other than Major John Chennault. He was the son of the famed Flying Tigers All Volunteer Group (AVG) commander, Claire Chennault, flying P-40 Warhawks in China. After arrival at Elmendorf, Major Chennault asked if there were any artists in the squadron, and two young men raised their hands. The major then asked them to design a stylized Bengal Tiger to paint on the cowling on either side of the nose of the P-40, and they’d be known as the Aleutian Tigers in honor of his father and the AVG. Recognizing the criticality of fighters to the Aleutian Campaign, the Army Air Force promoted Chennault to command of the 343rd Fighter Group, composed of the 11th, 18th, and 54th Fighter Squadrons

The 18th moved from Elmendorf to Kodiak, Alaska, and then on to a forward bases at Cold Bay, then Adak in 1942 to be closer to Kiska and Attu. The Japanese had invaded and occupied these islands in June 1942. Interestingly, these forward airfields/bases had been built using a ruse of war. Supplies were shipped to these islands with crates and equipment stenciled with seafood-packing company names. The Japanese never found out about this ruse until the fighters appeared over their camps. Just two days after landing on the newest forward base at Amchitka in February 1943, the 18th tasted its first blood. Eight P-40s had combat air patrol (CAP) over the newly completed fighter airstrip when two Japanese float planes came over.

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