Editing Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (section)

====Europe and Mediterranean theaters====
[[File:Curtiss P-40 Warhawk USAF.JPG|thumb|Top to bottom: P-40L, P-40F, and P-40K Warhawk]]
On 14 August 1942, the first confirmed victory by a USAAF unit over a German aircraft in World War II was initiated by a P-40C pilot. 2nd Lt Joseph D. Shaffer, of the 33rd Fighter Squadron, intercepted a [[Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor|Focke-Wulf Fw 200]]C-3 maritime patrol aircraft that overflew his base at [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]]. Shaffer damaged the Fw 200, which was finished off by a P-38F. Warhawks were used extensively in the [[Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II]] by USAAF units, including the [[33d Operations Group|33rd]], [[57th Operations Group|57th]], [[58th Operations Group|58th]], [[79th Fighter Group|79th]], [[324th Fighter Group|324th]] and [[325th Operations Group|325th Fighter Group]]s.<ref name="P40MTO2">Molesworth 2002</ref> While the P-40 suffered heavy losses in the MTO, many USAAF P-40 units achieved high kill-to-loss ratios against Axis aircraft; the 324th FG scored better than a 2:1 ratio in the MTO.<ref name=autogenerated1>Higham 2004, pp. 3–4.</ref> In all, 23 US pilots became aces in the MTO on the P-40, most of them during the first half of 1943.<ref name = "P40MTO2"/>
 
P-40 pilots from the 57th FG were the first USAAF fliers to see action in the MTO, while attached to Desert Air Force Kittyhawk squadrons, from July 1942. The 57th was also the main unit involved in the "[[Operation Flax#Palm Sunday Massacre|Palm Sunday Massacre]]", on 18 April 1943. Decoded [[Ultra (World War II intelligence)|Ultra]] signals revealed a plan for a large formation of [[Junkers Ju 52]] transports to cross the Mediterranean, escorted by German and Italian fighters. Between 1630 and 1830 hours, all wings of the group were engaged in an intensive effort against the enemy air transports. Of the four Kittyhawk wings, three had left the patrol area before a convoy of a 100+ enemy transports were sighted by 57th FG, which tallied 74 aircraft destroyed. The group was last in the area, and intercepted the Ju 52s escorted by large numbers of Bf 109s, Bf 110s and [[Macchi C.202]]s. The group claimed 58 Ju 52s, 14 Bf 109s and two Bf 110s destroyed, with several probables and damaged. Between 20 and 40 of the Axis aircraft landed on the beaches around [[Cap Bon]] to avoid being shot down; six Allied fighters were lost, five of them P-40s.

On 22 April, in [[Operation Flax]], a similar force of P-40s attacked a formation of 14 [[Messerschmitt Me 323]] ''Gigant'' ("Giant") six-engine transports, covered by seven Bf 109s from II./JG 27. All the transports were shot down, for a loss of three P-40s. The 57th FG was equipped with the Curtiss fighter until early 1944, during which time they were credited with at least 140 air-to-air kills.<ref name="Weal p. 91">Weal 2003, p. 91.</ref> On 23 February 1943, during [[Operation Torch]], the pilots of the 58th FG flew 75 P-40Ls off the aircraft carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|6}} to the newly captured Vichy French airfield, Cazas, near [[Casablanca]], in [[French Morocco]]. The aircraft supplied the 33rd FG and the pilots were reassigned.<ref>USAAF General Orders; USAAF History of the 58th FG. [Sic. These need checking.]</ref>

The 325th FG (known as the "Checkertail Clan") flew P-40s in the MTO and was credited with at least 133 air-to-air kills from April–October 1943, of which 95 were Bf 109s and 26 were Macchi C.202s, for the loss of 17 P-40s in combat.<ref name="P40MTO2"/><ref name="325MTO2">Cathcart, Carol. [http://www.325thfg.org/totalvic.htm "325th Fighter Group: Total Victories by Type of Aircraft".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210183837/http://www.325thfg.org/totalvic.htm |date=10 February 2012 }} '' Official 325th Fighter Group WWII: "Checkertail Clan" Association''. Retrieved: 25 March 2006.</ref> The 325th FG historian Carol Cathcart wrote:

{{blockquote|on 30 July, 20 P-40s of the 317th [Fighter Squadron] ... took off on a fighter sweep ... over [[Sardinia]]. As they turned to fly south over the west part of the island, they were attacked near [[Sassari]]... The attacking force consisted of 25 to 30 Bf 109s and Macchi C.202s... In the brief, intense battle that occurred ... [the 317th claimed] 21 enemy aircraft.|Cathcart<ref name="325MTO317">Cathcart, Carol. [http://www.325thfg.org/317his.htm "History of the 317th Fighter Squadron".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210183840/http://www.325thfg.org/317his.htm |date=10 February 2012 }} ''Official 325th Fighter Group WWII "Checkertail Clan" Association''. Retrieved: 5 September 2006.</ref>}}

Cathcart wrote that Lt. Robert Sederberg assisted a comrade being attacked by five Bf 109s, destroyed at least one German aircraft, and may have shot down as many as five. Sederberg was shot down and became a prisoner of war.<ref name="325MTO317"/>

A famous [[African-American]] unit, the [[Tuskegee Airmen|99th FS]], better known as the "Tuskegee Airmen" or "Redtails", flew P-40s in stateside training and for their initial eight months in the MTO. On 9 June 1943, they became the first African-American fighter pilots to engage enemy aircraft, over [[Pantelleria]], Italy. A single [[Focke-Wulf Fw 190]] was reported damaged by Lieutenant Willie Ashley Jr. On 2 July the squadron claimed its first verified kill; a Fw 190 destroyed by Captain Charles Hall. The 99th continued to score with P-40s until February 1944, when they were assigned P-39s and P-51 Mustangs.<ref>[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1356 "Tuskegee Airmen".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114174554/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1356 |date=14 January 2012 }} ''National Museum of the USAF''. Retrieved: 19 June 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/uploads/stats.pdf "The combat record speaks for itself".] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130173210/http://www.tuskegeeairmen.org/uploads/stats.pdf |date=30 November 2010 }} ''National Museum of the USAF''. Retrieved: 19 June 2010.</ref>

The much-lightened P-40L was most heavily used in the MTO, primarily by US pilots. Many US pilots stripped down their P-40s even further to improve performance, often removing two or more of the wing guns to improve the roll rate.