HELP! Lt. Gordon Sterling Jr's P-36 at Pearl Harbor

[ALOHADAVE]

Just to mix it up. here is a rare prewar photo of P-36s at Bellows Field. I do not believe these are from the 46th PS.

[ALOHADAVE]

On 1 November 1940, the 14th Pursuit Wing activated at Wheeler Field. Assigned units included the 18th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) with its 6th, 19th, 44th, 73d, and 78th Pursuit Squadrons; and the 15th Pursuit Group (Fighter) with the 45th, 46th, and 47th Pursuit Squadrons assigned initially, then augmented later by the assignment of the 72d Pursuit Squadron on 5 October 1941.

Perhaps some files exist in the National Archives at San Bruno.
It is by appointment only there, but I plan on visiting some day.

I've already searched all the records at Hickam and Wheeler.

[ALOHADAVE]

P-36C-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41
rare original photo
another painted P-36 very closely related

P-36C-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41.jpg (30.95 KiB) Viewed 1070 times

Last edited by ALOHADAVE on Fri Mar 13, 2020 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

[ALOHADAVE]

P-36A-15PG45PS-Y22-Hawaii-1942

P-36A-15PG45PS-Y22-Hawaii-1942.jpg (28.62 KiB) Viewed 1068 times

[ALOHADAVE]

P-36C-USAAF-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41
another painted P-36 Hawaii closely related
YES i would say Sterling's P-36 was painted!

P-36C-USAAF-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41.jpg (15.08 KiB) Viewed 1068 times

[junkman9096]

Just to mix it up. here is a rare prewar photo of P-36s at Bellows Field. I do not believe these are from the 46th PS.

P-36s_zpsf37f367a.jpg

The squadron emblem is for the 19th Pursuit Sqn.

[Dana M Bell]

P-36C-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41
rare original photo
another painted P-36 very closely related

P-36C-15PG47PS-B27-Brown-Hawaii-1940-41.jpg

Hi Dave,

That P-36 was assigned to the 23rd Composite Group at Maxwell Field, Alabama, to study the effectiveness of various camouflage schemes. This one tested water-based paints or lacquers applied without a primer coat - note the extreme weathering of the cowl.

Cheers,


Dana

[Warbird Kid]

Feels appropriate to bump this thread today. Always looking for more info.

[marine air]

Any chance it was downed by "friendly fire" and went down offshore? There sure was a lot of aircraft lost that way in WW II. IT would explain why no trace of it has been found. Did the Japanese keep accurate records of their kills?

[CoastieJohn]

According the Kaneohe After Action Report that I have, A Japanese plane was shot down by NAS Kaneohe and crashed into Kailua Bay. The report also states that no salvage was made of this aircraft. I have found no other references regarding this wreck. It most likely crashed at a high speed and high angle so that the debris would be small pieces and spread out.
Furthermore, the Bellows Field After Action Report also mentions a plane diving at high speed into Kailua Bay. Again at the time it was believed to be a Japanese plane. It is only much later determined that the Japanese did not lose a plane in the area. SO for both NAS Kaneohe and Bellows Field personnel to have seen the plane drive into the water, the wreck must be in Kailua Bay between the two.

For Dave.....have you pulled out a chart of that area and developed a search box(es) based on the field of view angles of the eyewitnesses on the ground at both bases? Intersecting those lines the two bases (eyewitnesses at both bases) were looking might help pinpoint possible impact locations. You would create your searchbox(es) based off of the impact locations you developed from the ground eyewitness intersects. You also might be able to determine the direction Sterling was heading based on the aerial eyewitnesses. If you were able to determine one or both of those, that might help re-create possible areas of impact into the water. Another also.....the eyewitness intersects might also show the angle of approach to the water right before impact. That would be handy in determining how big or small of a debris field, if any, there might be. John