"Aleutian Antagonists": Umnak Island Tiger 8/26
P-40E Royal Class Duo

Waiting for new tooled Eduard 1/48 P-40E.
In the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, the P40Es of the 11th Fighter Squadron, 343rd Fighter Group were painted like the Flying Tigers. This was out of respect for AVG Commander General Claire Chennault and for his son John Chennault, who commanded the 11th Fighter Squadron. Known as the "Aleutian Tigers" and sometimes as the "Bengal Tigers," the 11th Fighter Squadron faced a fierce and entrenched enemy in bitter arctic weather.

Major John Chennault's Aleutian Tigers decorated their P40Es in a fashion similar to his father's Flying Tigers in China. Ten of the Aleutian P-40s moved to Umnak Island in May 1942 and scored one victory during the initial Japanese attack in June of that year. Joined in the 343rd Fighter Group, 11th USAAF by the 18th and 54th Fighter Squadrons and by 11 Kittyhawks of the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 111 Squadron, the Aleutian fighters numbered 80 aircraft by the end of the Japanese occupation of U.S. territory.