| Original caption: “Negro pilots in one of the flight formations which will soon carry them over enemy territory. Here they are flying the shark-nosed P-40 fighter aircraft.” United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Curtiss P-40N-5-CU Warhawks of the 332nd Fighter Group – the famed Tuskegee Airmen – pass a T-6 Texan photographic aircraft (not seen) carrying Office of War Information (OWI) photographer Gordon Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006). The fate of 42-105668, closest to the camera, is undetermined. 42-105750 was substantially damaged in a crash on January 1, 1944, while the aircraft was piloted by Major Edward W. Watkins (October 13, 1919 – January 10, 2003) while flying with the 533rd Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, on landing at Selfridge Field. 42-105737 was substantially damaged in a crash on September 9, 1943, while the aircraft was piloted by 1st Lieutenant Spurgeon N. Ellington (October 17, 1919 – December 10, 1945) of the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, landing at Selfridge Field. The aircraft was destroyed when its landing gear failed on landing at Selfridge Field while piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Andrew H. Doswell (January 18, 1918 – July 29, 1988) of the 533rd Fighter Squadron. By the summer of 1943, the performance of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was falling short of expectations, particularly in comparison to later types, such as the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and the North American P-51 Mustang, which were already offering superior performance. The P-40N version (company designation Model 87V, 87W) was introduced at this time to enhance the capabilities of the basic design and prevent the need to interrupt Curtiss production lines by introducing an entirely new type. The 1st 1,500 examples of this new Warhawk line were to have been delivered as P-40Ps, powered by Merlin engines. Still, shortages of the Packard-built Merlin caused this order to be cancelled, and the P-40N with the 1,200 horsepower Allison V-1710-81 engine was substituted in its place. A new, lightweight structure was introduced, featuring the removal of 2 of the 6 wing-mounted guns. Smaller and lighter undercarriage wheels were installed, head armor was reintroduced, and aluminum radiators and oil coolers were added. The resulting reduction in the weight, along with the use of the same V-1710-81 engine as used in the P-40M, made the P-40N the fastest of the P-40 series, reaching a speed of 378 miles per hour (600 kilometers per hour) at 10,500 feet (3,200 meters). Although by 1943 standards, the Warhawk was rapidly becoming obsolete, the P-40N became the most widely built version. 5,220 examples rolled off the Curtiss lines before production finally came to a halt. The last production Warhawk was a P-40N-40-CU, which left the assembly line on November 30, 1944, and was the 13,739th P-40 built. The P-40N-5-CU variant introduced a modified cockpit canopy featuring a frameless sliding hood and a deeper, squared-off rectangular aft transparent section, which improved the rearward view. This cockpit canopy was retained for all subsequent production blocks of the N version. The N-5 version restored the full 6-gun wing armament, since pilots had complained that 4 guns were insufficient. Underwing racks were fitted for bombs or drop tanks, increasing external stores capacity to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms). The new, heavier gross weight of 8,350 pounds (3,800 kilograms) limited top speed to 350 miles per hour at 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) and service ceiling to 31,000 feet (9,500 meters). An altitude of 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) could be attained in 7 1/2 minutes. The range was 340 miles (550 kilometers) with a 500-pound bomb underneath the fuselage. 3 drop tanks promised a ferry range of up to 3,100 miles at 198 miles per hour (320 kilometers per hour). Many of the P-40Ns were shipped to Allied air forces under Lend-Lease, and comprised the majority of the 1,097 P-40s sent to the Soviet Union. In USAAF service, the P-40N was relegated mainly to training roles, as later types, such as the P-51 Mustang and the P-47 Thunderbolt, became increasingly available in quantity. The P-40N was known as Kittyhawk IV in RAF service. Most of their operational flying took place in the Pacific, primarily in fighter-bomber or escort roles, with many of the missions flown by pilots from the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Although the RAF evaluated the P-40Ns in the United Kingdom, they were employed solely abroad. Most of the RAF Kittyhawk IVs were phased out of service early in 1945, but 1 RAF squadron continued to operate the Kittyhawk IV until the end of hostilities. RAF formations equipped with the P-40N included Numbers 112, 250, and 450 squadrons. The Tuskegee Airmen are named because this group of military aviators initially trained at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. On March 29, 1943, the 332nd Fighter Group was relocated to Selfridge Field, Michigan. Conditions at Selfridge Field were challenging and varied significantly from those at Tuskegee, Alabama; not only in terms of climate and geography, but also in training conditions and the harsh treatment these aviators faced at the training facility. Selfridge Airfield was not built for the aircraft the Tuskegee Airmen used for training, adding to the arduousness of an already challenging job. Additionally, during this time, Selfridge Field was particularly known for its discriminatory practices and for having a tense and deeply segregated atmosphere. On May 5, 1943, tensions reached a breaking point when Colonel William T. Colman (October 10, 1903 – January 28, 1966), who possessed a corrupt and prejudiced reputation amongst his fellow soldiers, was charged with shooting Private William MacRae, an African American chauffeur assigned to drive him, after an argument, wherein it emerged that Colonel Colman had ordered that he only be driven by white soldiers. When Colman was court-martialed for the incident, Selfridge Field’s poor reputation among black soldiers was made public, and the case prompted the United States Army to act swiftly, transferring the Tuskegee Airmen to Godman Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky. Gordon Parks was the first Black correspondent to work for the Office of War Information, and 1 of his initial assignments was to photograph African American pioneers of another kind: the first unit of Black fighter pilots to serve in the American Army’s Air Force, as part of the 332nd Fighter Group — now known more famously as the Tuskegee Airmen. Parks began by documenting these pilots during their training at Selfridge Field, near Detroit, capturing the danger and exhilaration of young men preparing for war. His assignment called for him to accompany the group during their early missions in Europe. Parks’ wife, Sally Alvis Parks (December 5, 1910 – March 14, 2010), was expecting their 3rd child at the time, and the risks of combat photography were significant, but the opportunity was too important for him to refuse. Unfortunately, when southern senators learned of Parks’ involvement with the 332nd Fighter Group, they were hostile to his assignment (as they were to the very existence of the 332nd). Parks was repeatedly told that his papers to travel to Europe were “not in order,” and in the end, he was not permitted to accompany the Tuskegee Airmen overseas. Thus, his photographs do not encompass the breadth of the 332nd’s journey. Still, they reveal Parks’s heartfelt admiration for the men, their mission, and their accomplishments. Between producing his photographic essays, Parks would often find himself in the company of the airmen, his new companions, playing cards, and engaging in social activities on base. During his time with the 332nd Fighter Group, Parks shared that the racism these servicemen faced was ultimately worse than what they would have received from our country’s enemies. He used his camera as his weapon against racism and intolerance and photographed the Tuskegee Airmen with a profound admiration for their mission and achievements. In his memoir, Parks wrote about his visit to Selfridge Field, “The night was clear and cold. The fighter planes lined up on the tarmac appeared ghostly in the silence. Walking along, I took mental notes of names stenciled beneath their cockpits – Edward C. Gleed (November 5, 1916 – January 25, 1990), Wendell Oliver Pruitt (June 20, 1920 – April 15, 1945), Robert B. Tresville Junior (May 9, 1921 – June 24, 1944), George L. “Skipper” Knox II (December 23, 1916 – November 4, 1964), Alexander M. Bright, Jr. (July 19, 1917 – October 3, 1971), James A. Walker (September 20, 1918 – August 23, 2004). How many of those names would be on white crosses during the year ahead? At least the 332nd would go to battle under a leader who had faced the enemy before. The costly pattern of segregation had denied that 1st Black squadron, the 99th, such an advantage. The Luftwaffe had screamed into those schwarze boys, knowing there wasn’t 1 experienced fighter among them.” | |
| Image Filename | wwii0977.jpg |
| Image Size | 609.21 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2920 x 2144 |
| Photographer | Gordon Parks |
| Photographer Title | Office of War Information |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Selfridge |
| State or Province | Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-208-VM-1-5-69G |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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