U.S. Navy Officers Review a Line of Brazilian PBY-5A Amphibians

U.S. Navy officers review a line of Brazilian PBY-5A amphibians with Brazilian naval aviators at Galeão International, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 1944. In the background is PBY-5A "Bettye Jayne". The PBY-5A was handed over by VP-94. A second batch of PBY-5As was delivered to Brazil in late 1944. One of the earlier batch, FAB 02, sank a German U-boat on 31 July 1943. Ex BuNo 46524, FAB 14 shows a painted-out US roundel underwing. Later FAB 6513. Redesignated as a PA-10 in 1945. Converted to CA-10A transport aircraft in 1958, but retired in 1959. Brazil, as the United States’ principal South American ally during World War II, engaged in active combat operations against Germany, including deploying forces to the Italian campaign. During the Battle of the Atlantic, Brazilian Consolidated PBYs, like these, participated in anti-submarine operations, and in the case of U-199, one successfully sunk the U-boat off the coast of Rio de Janeiro on July 31, 1943. Here, U.S. Navy officers review a line of Brazilian PBY-5A amphibians with senior Brazilian naval aviators.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 80-G-K-5258
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://laststandonzombieisland.com/2021/04/08/catalinas-of-rio/u-s-navy-officers-review-a-line-of-brazilian-pby-5a-amphibians-handed-over-by-vp-94-oct-1944-at-rio/

Free French air force formally receives a Curtiss P-40Fs

The newly reconstituted Free French air force formally receives its first frontline combat aircraft, Curtiss P-40Fs, on January 8, 1943, at Casablanca from the U.S. Army Air Forces. This was the first of 1,000 combat aircraft promised by President Roosevelt to General de Gaulle. This is Groupe de Chasse GC II/5, which had just adopted the designation Lafayette Escadrille as a reciprocal tribute to the World War I French squadron of American recruits that had fought the Germans before the U.S. entered WWI in 1917. Less than two months earlier, these P-40s had been catapult launched from a U.S. carrier with U.S. Army Air Forces pilots during Operation Torch, the U.S. invasion of North Africa, while the French pilots of GC II/5 were fighting U.S. Navy Grumman F4F Wildcats under the flag of Vichy France, allied to Germany. The hostilities lasted for only three days, when, on November 11, 1942, the Vichy French forces in North Africa swore allegiance to Free French commander General Charles de Gaulle, resulting in Germany occupying all of Vichy France.

Source :
National Archives and Records Administration, 342-C-K-91
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936

An Inspector looks over a Mustang Mk I fighter

An inspector with North American Aviation in Inglewood, California, looks over a Mustang Mk I fighter destined for the British Royal Air Force in fall 1942. In March of 1941, the US Congress passed the Lend/Lease Act which permitted the "lending" of US built aircraft to nations that were "vital to the security of the United States". This allowed the US to place an order for 150 Mustangs to be sent to Brittan. This allocation was NA-91, RAF designation of Mustang Ia. The Mustang Ia was equipped with four Hispano 20mm cannons installed in the wings. The nose guns were deleted. Out of the 150 ordered, only 111 were serialed for the RAF and probably less than that actually received. After the attack of Pearl Harbor, the US Army held the remaining Lend/Lease order of NA-91s to Brittan. These, about 55, were designated P-51 and were fitted with four .50 cal guns instead of the cannons. But not all were configured with the Brownings. Cameras were added and a new designation of F-6A. The US Army actually called the NA-91s "Apache".

Source ;
Library of Congress, Office of War Information, 1a35319u
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
https://www.flickr.com/photos/airandspace/albums/72157715574200936
https://www.mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/variants/raf_mustangs