I-Aerocobra phezu kweNew Guinea

I-Airacobra phezu kweNew Guinea. Enye ye-P-400s ye-80th Squadron ye-80th FG. Ithangi elingeziwe lama-gallon angu-75 libonakala ngokucacile ngaphansi kwe-fuselage.

Abashayeli bezindiza be-Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter babekhuthele kakhulu phakathi nomkhankaso waseNew Guinea, ikakhulukazi ngo-1942 ngesikhathi sokuvikela iPort Moresby, ukuma kokugcina kwama-Allies phambi kwe-Australia. Ukuze balwele isigxobo esikhulu kangaka, abaseMelika bajikijela izilwi ezazibhekwa njengezimbi kakhulu kunabo bonke ababesebenza eButhweni Lasemoyeni LaseMelika phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. Okuhlaba umxhwele nakakhulu impumelelo yabashayeli bamabhanoyi abo, okwathi, bendiza abalwi abanjalo, bahlangana neqembu elikhethekile lezindiza le-Imperial Japanese Navy.

I-P-39 Airacobra fighter ngokungangabazeki yayiwumklamo omusha. Okwakuyihlukanisa kakhulu nezilwi zangaleso sikhathi kwakuyinjini, eyayifakwe phakathi ne-fuselage, ngemva kwe-cockpit. Lolu hlelo lwesikhungo samandla lunikeze isikhala esiningi samahhala kumnsalo, okuvumela ukufakwa kwezikhali ezinamandla ezigibelayo kanye ne-chassis enesondo langaphambili, enikeze ukubonakala okuhle kakhulu ku-cockpit uma ugibela itekisi.

Nokho, ekusebenzeni, kwavela ukuthi uhlelo olunenjini exhunywe kuphephela ngophephela omude lwakwenza kwaba nzima ukwakheka kwendiza, okwenza kube nzima ukulondoloza ukusebenza kobuchwepheshe ensimini. Okubi nakakhulu, lolu hlelo lwenjini lwalusengozini yokuthola imithelela engemuva, ikakhulukazi njengoba yayingavikelwe yingcwecwe yezikhali. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ithathe isikhala esivamise ukubekelwe ithangi elikhulu likaphethiloli, okusho ukuthi iP-39 inobubanzi obufushane. Okwenza izinto zibe zimbi kakhulu, isibhamu sohlobo lwe-37mm besaziwa kakhulu. Kodwa-ke, uma ngesikhathi sempi umshayeli ekwazile ukuchitha izinhlamvu zezibhamu kanye nezibhamu ezisindayo ezingu-12,7-mm ekhaleni lendiza, isikhungo samandla adonsela phansi sashintsha ngokuyingozi injini, okwenza ukuba i-P-39 iwele efulethini. tailspin ngesikhathi sokuqondisa okubukhali okuzoyikhipha kwakucishe kungenzeki. Ngisho negiya lokuhlalisa isondo lekhala laba yinkinga, njengoba ezinkundleni zezindiza ezinezingqimba zaseNew Guinea usekelo olude lwaluvame ukuphuka lapho lufika ngisho nalapho uhamba amatekisi. Kodwa-ke, iphutha elikhulu kwaba ukukhishwa kwe-turbocharger ezinhlelweni zokuklama, ngenxa yalokho ukusebenza kwendiza ye-P-39 yehla ngaphezu kwama-5500 m.

Mhlawumbe, ukube bekungengenxa yokuqubuka kwempi, i-P-39 ngabe yalibaleka ngokushesha. AbaseBrithani, abayala izingcezu ezingamakhulu amaningana, badumala kakhulu kangangokuthi banikeza cishe yonke into kumaRussia. Ngisho nabaseMelika bahlomisa amabutho abo amiswe ngaphambi kweMpi YePacific nezinye izinhlobo zama-fighters - i-Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Ingxenye esele yomyalelo waseBrithani yayihlanganisa okuhlukile kwe-P-39 ngesibhamu esingu-20 mm (esikhundleni sesibhamu esingu-37 mm). Ngemva kokuhlasela kwePearl Harbor, i-US Air Force yashaqa wonke amakhophi, iwathatha ngaphansi kwegama elithi P-400. Ngokushesha bafika kahle - lapho, ekuqaleni kuka-1941 no-1942, abaseMelika belahlekelwa amaWarhawks ezimpini zaseHawaii, ePhilippines naseJava, basala nama-Airacobras ukuze bavikele iPort Moresby.

Ezinyangeni zokuqala zika-1942, iNew Guinea kwakungeyona yodwa i-Allied ekhathazekile ePacific. Ngemva kokuba amaJapane ethathe iJava neTimor, amadolobha asogwini olusenyakatho ye-Australia ayengakwazi ukufinyelela kuzo izindiza zawo, futhi ukuhlasela kwezindiza eDarwin kwaqala ngo-February. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, ama-Fighters okuqala aseMelika (P-40Es) athunyelwa esuka e-US eya endaweni yokulwa amiswa e-Australia, eshiya ukuzivikela kweNew Guinea eqenjini elilodwa le-Kittyhawk (75 Squadron RAAF).

Ngenkathi ama-Australia ewodwa elwa nokuhlasela kwamaJapan ePort Moresby, ngomhla zingama-25 kuNhlolanja, abasebenzi abavela ku-35th PG (Pursuit Group), ehlanganisa amaqembu amathathu - 39th, 40th and 41st - ahlome ngama-P-39s, afika eBrisbane ngolwandle. okuhlukile D. kanye no-F. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ngomhla ka-5 Mashi, i-PG yesi-8, nayo eyayinamaqembu amathathu (35th, 36th kanye ne-80th PG), yafika e-Australia futhi yathola i-British P-400 yesikhathi esizayo. Kuthathe amasonto amaningi ngaphezulu ukuze womabili amayunithi afinyelele ukulungela ukulwa okuphelele, kodwa ama-Allies awazange abe naso isikhathi esiningi kangako.

Ekuqaleni kuka-March 1942, amaJapane afika ogwini olusenyakatho-mpumalanga yeNew Guinea, eduze kwaseLae naseSalamaua, lapho ngokushesha akha khona izikhumulo zezindiza, ehlisa ibanga elisuka ePort Moresby laba ngaphansi kwamakhilomitha angu-300. Nakuba iningi lamasosha asemoyeni aseJapan eSouth Pacific lasala limi e-Rabaul, i-elite Tainan Kokutai yathuthela e-Lae, iyunithi ye-A6M2 Zero fighter lapho kwavela khona amanye ama-aces aphezulu e-Japan afana no-Hiroyoshi Nishizawa no-Saburo Sakai.