Lend Lease aircraft

From question@adf-serials.com.au

Dear ADF Serials,

Thank you for the incredibly useful site. Way and above better than anything else.

Is there a consolidated list of aircraft supplied to Australia under Lend Lease including from allocations originally made to another country say England and then diverted to Australia (I believe that this happened) and those aircraft types supplied directly?

As I understand the provisions of the Lend Lease scheme supplies provided under Lend Lease had to be destroyed or purchased (at a knock down price according to US sources) at cessation of hostilities and I believe Australia in most cases took the former option. But some aircraft were (obviously) purchased for continued service but I don’t have a precise idea of which types were procured. I would be most grateful if you could point me in the direction of information on these questions please.

The question arises from the recollection of the aircraft carriers of the British Pacific Fleet pushing their aircraft over the side just off the coast here after VJ day. I am trying to provide a little background for a local aviation history. The information would hopefully enable me to place the number of aircraft produced in Australia, normally procured and by Lend Lease in some sort of order for the lessons that might produce

Regards

Cris George

Thanks for the feedback Cris and the excellent question.

I don't know of a consolidated list of aircraft and articles taken on Australian Military charge under the Lend-Lease arrangments.

Also, some of the aircraft operated by RAAF units under the EATS Article XV arragments from RAF stock would also have been US Lend-Lease supplied aircraft too.

Let's see what we can come up with.

Brendan

Interesting yes. Misconception that Britain left us hanging, despite she was hanging on for years by her teeth, 1939-1942

I can explain the 143 P-40E-1s and the payback per 75 Borrowed USAAF P-40E/E-1s. I'll put this in the next ADF-Telegraph

These reallotted RAF 143 P-40E-1s were provide "Free"with Britain picking up the Lend Lease Bill on these!!! Yes Britain!!

All Spitfire MkVs and MkVIIIs were given free to Australia ex Britain


So bascially any Lend Lease Allotment ex British Munitions Board or later British Munitions Armament Commission (MAC) or Royal Air Force Delegation USA where the ones we would vied for Aircraft diversions per Defense Aid Contracts under Lend Lease. Some we missed out on or they were diverted to more important needs; IE our first P-40N-1s went to China/Burma/India theatre as the Japs were playing up there.

We would put forward "Cases"for a supply and then they would be supplied as Diversions. Case 126 for P-40N Kittyhawks, resulting in RAAF Indent 2012A (MAC Invoice) for Requisition 322 per LL diversion Aus 1. These became A29-400's, though in actual fact they were MAC Coded and actually serialise and painted A29-1001 to 1100 onwards.

But as Roosevelt stated in 1941, you didn'ty have to pay for these at the time, and all had to be scrapped after the war. You only paid what you lost and return what's left or dispose as prescribed per the US Government.

He liken it to lending a garden hose to your neighbour whose house was on fire.

Then the war is over, wrecked and damaged aircraft strewn all over the pacific, so you had to complete as Form; Statement to the United States Surplus Property Form SPB-3 and send it to their designated agent, stating how the aircraft was disposed assuring that no other could use or benefit from parts. Either by fire, buried, dumped at sea, crushed under coral,..or thankfully by some, left under a Palm tree so that in 1974 people can get P-40 wrecks and fly them today!!



Attached is a 1945 example of the MAC acting on our behalf on allocations

Best
Gordy

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Dear Warhawk,
Your interesting post illustrates some of the complexities involved I think. John Robertson in his Australia at War on page 187 of the Heinemann edition states Australia built over 3000 aircraft and he provides a breakdown by type. These I presume involved Lend Lease to procure engines and other US and UK equipment if not the design itself.

Mr Robertson goes on to talk about the provision of Spitfires, the problems of desperately slow delivery of aircraft in the early years of the war and he mentions a total of 9000 aircraft of all types accepted including 655 Spitfires, some Mosquito’s and 118 Beauforts (Beaufighters perhaps) from UK. But the bulk of aircraft supplied from O/S included some 850 Kittyhawks, 350xVengeance, 300 each of B24 and P51, 70 each A20 and Ventura, 50xB25, 124xC47, about 250 Hudsons and about 170 Catalina’s from the US. And these are just the more important types.

The “diverted” supply is interesting because, as you point out points there were sometimes compensating offsets but they are not always easy to understand in terms of the relevant original Lend Lease item. And there is the other element of “Reverse Lend Lease” which suggests payment in kind or a contra arrangement eg Australia’s basing of US forces and provision of food to US forces in our case.

This picture could use some clarification for me at least. On the face of it the “lend your neighbor your hose so he can put out the fire” as FDR said I think, works as a principle and the USA’s industrial capacity was undeniably critical to the outcome- The US produced 141 aircraft carriers, eight battleships, 807 cruisers, destroyers and other escorts, 203 submarines 52 million tons of merchant shipping, 88,410 tanks, 257,000 artillery pieces,2.4 million machine guns and 324,750 aircraft-much of this stuff with the supporting logistics going to allies (sorry about the stats, the figures are incredible and seem worth repeating). But was it really as straight forward as sending the stuff back or getting rid of it when the grateful recipient had “put the fire out”? But that question is too complicated for this discussion.

I am only seeking to understand which US and British types were provided to Australia during WW2 under what scheme or arrangement?
Regards
cris

From the Phantom:

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It goes on....

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Some of the details ......

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And what did Treasury say about it?

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And .....

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Then Drakeford insisted that all aircraft must be new !

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Then the PM's Office got involved .....

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Hi Cris

Its a complex result from a simple system, and the same goes per Question and Answer.

There the original Charles Portel Agreement between the UK "Commonwealth" and the US of A Government per Aircraft Lend Lease as the starting point.

Governed by Munitions to go where the needed at its greatest. Modified thereafter by manning levels and further agreements to Allied Powers.

Lend Lease came into force in early 1941. 50 Destroyers were the first item for the RN. That was mainly for UK "Commonwealth" but later expanded in October 1941 per the Moscow Protocol, whereby the US could help another "Power"to supply munitions to fight the Axis, though still claiming to be neutral, right up to 08/12/41.

Late 1941/ almost all of 1942, for aircraft was a period of flux. Say P-40Es for example, it was agreed to send paid in gold 100 US Army P-40Es to Russia, from November 1941 onwards. The UK was at that time paying in Gold or Access rights on foreign lands under the crown, for 560 Kittyhawk MK1s(And all previous Tomahawks). These were delivered up to February 1942 in the Desert, followed by LL P-40E-1s post March 42.

Around December 1941, the first LL P-40E-1s (1500 Lend Lease Serials > 41-24776) were rolling off. Some of these were to be RAF(DA3), some as Defence Aid for Russia(DAAR), whilst a fair number were reversed leased back to USAAF, though designated DAAR or DA3.

But the Japs threw a spanner in the situation, hence all Moscow Protocol shippments P-40Es/E-1s were stopped and held US of A from December 41 until April 42 due to the war in the Pacific and Desert.

DAAR and Repo DA3s came to Australia and other places in the Pacific with some of the LL Invoices not settled until 1946, including three Diverted LL RAF P-40E-1s that were on RAAF A29 lists, but transferred within days to USAAF in Oz. You can through in a sprinkle of 18 NEI P-40E-1s that were split between the RAAF and USAAF in Oz in April 42 per the paybacks of the first 75 Loaned RAAF P-40Es etc from our 126 agreement of UK Ll Diverstion Agreement for Australia February 1942. A further 14 were sunk before getting here, to make the DA3 Diversion of 143 P-40E-1s to Australia, less those repaid back to USAAF in Oz.

Vengeance: Early ones (99) bout per Direct Purchase vis UK, hence RAF Serials only,whereas US Designated A31/A35 were LL FY Serialised

Hudsons: A16-1 to 100 bought directly, Early 1941 top up of 49 diverted to UK, with credit held in UK, followed by 146 less cost of 49 already paid, with balance on LL. One extra received ex RAF NEI per LL. AE488.

Catalina's: A24-1 to 17 bought directly.(One of the first 18 went RAF, and replaced by a RAF One sans payment) Followed by RCAF transfer 7 in lieu 9 Sunderland of 10Sqn RAAF being returned) , then two ex USN, then ex NEI MLD Cats, the Lend Lease thereafter.

Wirraways,...though all were used A20 Serials, a fair portion was paid for by UK per EATS, some reversed leased to US Army in Australia Free of Charge, and a odd example used by NEI and RAF Sqns in Australia and Malaya. Examples of A17 Tiger Moths were the same per US Army and NEI School in S Aust.

DAF Beauforts, 50 were initially ordered for RAF FEAF in 1941, but at the end of war, RAF only paid for those lost in Malaya and the first six. The Rest were ours.

No engines were build in Australia from zero, so all components and parts had to be bought and imported , but post 1942, through LL.

All aircraft bult in Oz had US or UK sourced engine components.

36 Beaufighters,A19-1 to 36 were originally ordered March 1941, deferred due to warrequirements in the Middle East, were sent out post November 1941 to Australia, before the Japs attacked.

All supplied ex UK and costs shared were possible

We in returned produced SLME Mk111 Rifles and Tin Helmets for Indian Troops from 1940, 3.7 Inch AA Guns, Universal Carriers(Bren Carriers, with some going to US Army on Bataan February 1942!!) and other types for the UK.
Canada supplied us with 6.1 Inch Guns, Brens, while we obtained 10000 Thompson Sub-Machine Guns from UK allotment in 1941 and 1942since they tooled up for Sten Guns and needed less etc etc etc , while we also produced Owen Sub Machine Carbines

Its really complex and not easily answered, however we have to transit to 1945 to get the final Bill and list of what we paid for during 1941-1945.

Basic Answer, anything with a US Army Fiscal or US Navy or Bu Number produced under the Lend Lease and delivered to the end user had to be accounted for.

Wonder what the Ruskies did with all of their's post 1945? Shermans, GMC Trucks, Jeeps, A-20s, P-40s and P-39s etc Never hear of it from them.

I don't really want to write a book on this!

Cheers
Gordy

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On the Beaufighter topic, add the other types. No Payment as we trained the EATS in lieu, so you need to read up on this

Ciao
Gordy

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Dear Warhawk and Phantom,
Thank you very much indeed for the replies, very useful insights and the information.
Coincidentally yesterday I received "Lend Lease aircraft" by Arthur Pearcy (pub:Airlife) and that reflects but in much less detail , what you say. It is a murky subject. I had not previously heard of frames being supplied with hours on them. (That would have presented a problem)
But I guess that it is true to say (is it?) that every US type that RAAF operated (IN Australia/Pacific) say post late '41 or post Hudsons/Buffalo until VJ was provided under Lend Lease.The information does not appear available to discern payment arrangements except that it was 'aid'.
And it seems that Spitfires were also supplied under comparable arrangements.
Would that be roughly correct?
I think the subject could usefully justify a book or at least a comprehensive article teasing the whole subject out.
Regards
cris

Lol, indeed Cris. :blink:

Spitfires were provided Free of charge by UK, and hence why they carried RAF Serials till Nov 1943, when Churchill gifted them and control of the two Article XV Squadrons, 452Sqn and 457 Sqns RAAF to RAAF control .

UK paid for all of our allotted 143 P-40E-1s under Aus Diversion Contract BSC322 taken over and sent from RAF Allotted DA3 P-40E-1s for the Desert Air Force, arriving mid April 42.

We were supposed to pay back the yanks for the first original 75 P-40E/E-1s allotted ex USAAF from these ex Mar 42. So most ly 1 out of every 2 received April to June went to the 49th FG or the 68th FS . We short delivery them on the repays, and therefore later provided additional 20 or so P-40N-25s to fix it up in 1944 for the 7th FS 49thFG

Add Ex War weary Battles, also Ansons, Oxford, Tigers that were all supplied Free of charge under EATS and/or gifted "for helping"

The first recorded time we handed over Australian Built aircraft to another power in WW2 were 151MU held Wirraways ex 21Sqn RAAF in Malaya after we received Buffalos per 1941. Add a few RAAF Tiger Moths there as well.
They became Y Sqn and crewed by RAF and RNZAF Volunteers 1941/42.

Nothing recorded, but historical fact.

Best
Gordy