FlyPast 06.2018

June 2018 FLYPAST 37

SAND STORM

war machine of fuel eventually

won the day for the Allies – but at

significant cost to both sides.

This month’s cover star –

photographed by Mark Jessop and

also featured on these pages – is

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk 41-25109

(VH-KTY) which represents

ET953, the fighter flown by Royal

Australian Air Force ace Wg Cdr

Bobby Gibbes DSO DFC* OAM.

Gibbes led the RAAF’s 3 Squadron

in North Africa from February

1942 to April 1943, and is credited

with at least ten victories, though

his true ‘score’ is likely to have been

considerably higher. The port side

of his Kittyhawk was decorated with

nose art depicting a cartoon kangaroo

kicking a dachshund.

Tango-Yankee is today maintained

by Vintage Fighter Restorations,

and is part of the warbird collection

put together by the late Col Pay in

Scone, New South Wales. Bobby

Gibbes visited the company and

signed the aircraft’s cowling in

2007, shortly before his death in

April of that year.

http://www.paysairservice.com.au

38 HAWKS OVER THE

DESERT

Steve McLean charts the

exploits of the South African

Air Force’s 4 Squadron,

which went into battle using

Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and

Kittyhawks.

46 BLENHEIMS IN ACTION

In the early days of the

conflict, hard-pressed RAF

units flew Bristol Blenheims

into combat against Italian

fighters. Andrew Thomas

reflects on these challenging

operations.

52 BREAKING ROMMEL’S

LINES

Torpedo-equipped Vickers

Wellingtons undertook

hazardous strikes on Axis

shipping. Bryn Evans details

these costly but hugely

significant missions.

Below

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk

VH-KTY represents the

fi ghter fl own in the

desert war by RAAF ace

Wg Cdr Bobby Gibbes.

MARK JESSOP