Author Andrey Latkin writes,

Introduced through the Allied Lend-Lease program, the Kittyhawk entered Soviet service in the Artic in 1942. This volume explores the logistical hurdles of maintaining and operating these American-built aircraft in extreme northern conditions, and details their early missions supporting convoy protection, intercepting German bombers, and later, transitioning into reconnaissance and fighter-bomber roles.

This 76-page book is a part of Helion & Company’s @War Series. Curtiss Kittyhawks in the Soviet Far North 1941-45: Volume 1 -Origins and Early Combat Operations, 1942–May 1944 (Helion No. HEL2004) is outlined in the familiar @War format and is a little light in black and white photographs (not surprising given how little is known, or covered, in this theater of operations), color profiles, supporting text, detailed captions, and, perhaps most importantly, maps. The book is composed of the following sections:

• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Introduction
• Historical Note
  1. The Kittyhawk Fighter-Bomber
  2. German Ships and Aircraft
  3. Kittyhawks in 1942
  4. Kittyhawks in 1943
  5. Kittyhawks, January – May 1944
• Appendix
• Bibliography

About the Author

Andrey Latkin is a Russian author whose primary interest is the combat actions of Soviet naval aviation during the Great Patriotic War. What sets him apart is his meticulous research in not only Soviet archives, often using first and second source information, but comparing the data through German (and American interpretation) sources. What results is a very detailed book, that, while not perhaps easily readable, leaves no doubt to his investigative methods, resulting in a very clear picture of this very neglected theater of war in World War II. It is in this lens that the author bases his book on Soviet Naval Aviation, particularly the Northern Fleet Air Force.

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an often maligned aircraft that had a huge role with the Allies in World War II. The first chapter outlines the development of this series from the Curtiss Hawk 75 to the P-40N, focusing on the British variants, the Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, depending on the variant and engine. While the P-40 would soon be outclassed by Axis fighter designs, it was robust, reliable and capable of taking on most Axis fighters of the time. It eventually evolved into ground attack roles; a fact the author does an amazing job of showing how the Soviet use of the Kittyhawk evolved to serve their needs.

The chapter on German ships and aircraft is short, yet fascinating, as the author points out the primary adversaries of the Northern Fleet were German Kriegsmarine naval vessels and Luftwaffe aircraft. While the German Kriegsmarine did not have large capital ships, it did employ patrol and anti-submarine shops converted from fishing trawlers assigned to the Vorpostenboote Flotillas, purpose-built minesweepers (Minensuchboot), motor minesweeper (Räumboote), multi-purpose boats (Kriegsfischkutter – KFK), requisitioned Norwegian boats, and high-speed landing barges (Marinefährprahm). “Because of the complete absence of a railway network and the limited development of paved roads in northern Norway, the German command relied heavily on coastal transport between garrisons using small ships, high-speed landing barges, and motorboats.” The main Luftwaffe opponent was Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Wing) 5 operating Messerschmidt and Focke-Wulf aircraft, supporting bombers, primary Junker 88s.

What follows in the remaining 68 pages is an almost day-by-day retelling of the Northern Air Fleet (primarily the 2^nd Guards Red-Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment), its pilots, and aircraft (they also flew Soviet I-153s and I-16s before being replaced with Lend Lease Hurricanes, Spitfires, P-39 Airacobras, and their own Mig and LaGG airframes). The Soviet aviators saw the P-40 (the first airframes to enter service were P-40E-1, which were referred to as Kittyhawks in the RAF) as superior to the Hurricane but preferred the P-39 for aerial combat. The author does a great job with maps, detailed accounts and documentation to show how the Kittyhawks and their tactics evolved from fighter combat to reconnaissance, to fighter-bomber to “free hunting” missions targeting German supply ships along the Norwegian coast and the Barents Sea.

This is a great book if you want to learn more about combat at the top of the world in the vital Artic Sea lanes supplying Lend Lease equipment to Soviet forces. The evolution of Soviet tactics to meet the superior and advanced German technology and tactics is worth the price of the book alone. The author does a fantastic job of illustrating how the Soviets used their aircraft in the surface attack role, dive bombing, bomb skipping and torpedo attacks. The combat details are detailed and impressive, especially as the author uses source material from both the Soviet and German perspectives to provide a balanced look at this critical theater.

Modelers have black and white photographs of Soviet aircraft and German surface ships under attack. The color profile section is a little anemic with a four-profile layout of a P-40E in overall dark green over gray, another P-40E in two-tone green and brown over gray, a Hurricane Mk IIB, P-400 Airacobra Mk I, P-39D-2 and A-20B. If you want a Lend Lease aircraft of one of these models, they are inspiring with the big red star.

A second book, Curtiss Kittyhawks in the Soviet Far North 1941-45: Volume 2 - Reconnaissance, Ground Support, and Final Missions, 1944–1945, is soon to be released. I look forward to reading Andrey Latkin’s conclusion of this overlooked aircraft in an overlooked theater of war.

Profuse thanks to Casemate and IPMS-USA for providing the review sample.