Aerocobra a New Guinea
Aerocobra a New Guinea. Ɗaya daga cikin P-400s na 80th squadron na 80th fg. Ana iya ganin ƙarin tankin mai galan 75 a fili a ƙarƙashin fuselage.
Bell P-39 matukan jirgin Airacobra sun yi aiki sosai a lokacin yakin New Guinea, musamman a cikin 1942 lokacin kare Port Moresby, layin karshe na Allied kafin Australia. Don yin yaƙi don irin wannan babban hannun jari, Amurkawa sun jefa mayaka, waɗanda aka yi la’akari da su kusan mafi munin duk abin da aka yi a cikin sojojin saman Amurka lokacin yakin duniya na biyu. Abin da ya fi burgewa shi ne nasarorin matukan jirgin nasu, wadanda suka yi shawagi a kan irin wadannan mayaka, sun yi karo da jiga-jigan jiragen sama na sojojin ruwan Japan na Imperial.
Jirgin R-39 Airacobra babu shakka wani sabon salo ne. Abin da ya bambanta shi da mayaƙan wancan zamanin shi ne injin ɗin da aka ɗora a tsakiyar tulu, a bayan jirgin. Wannan tsari na tashar wutar lantarki ya ba da sarari kyauta mai yawa a cikin baka, yana ba ku damar shigar da makamai masu ƙarfi a kan jirgin da kuma chassis na gaba, wanda ya ba da kyan gani daga taksi lokacin da taksi.
A aikace, duk da haka, ya nuna cewa tsarin da injin da aka haɗa da propeller ta hanyar dogon katako na cardan ya rikitar da ƙirar jirgin, wanda ya sa ya zama da wuya a kula da aikin fasaha a filin. Mafi muni, wannan tsari na injin ya fi saurin kamuwa da busa daga baya, musamman da yake ba a kiyaye shi da farantin sulke. Har ila yau, ta mamaye sararin da aka keɓe don babban tankin mai, wanda ke nufin cewa P-39 yana da ɗan gajeren zango. Abin da ya fi muni, an san bindigar 37mm tana matsewa. Duk da haka, idan a lokacin yaƙin matukin jirgin ya yi amfani da harsasai na igwa da 12,7-mm manyan bindigogi a cikin hanci na jirgin, cibiyar nauyi a cikin haɗari ya koma zuwa ga engine, saboda abin da R-39 ya fada a ciki. lebur wutsiya a lokacin kaifi motsa jiki da zai fitar da shi a zahiri ba zai yiwu ba. Hatta kashin da ke da keken gaba ya zama matsala, kamar yadda a kan manyan filayen saukar jiragen sama na New Guinea, dogon tallafi yakan karye lokacin saukarwa da ma lokacin hawan tasi. Duk da haka, babban kuskure shi ne cire turbocharger daga tsare-tsaren zane, sakamakon abin da aikin jirgin na R-39 ya fadi sama da 5500 m.
Wataƙila, da ba a fara yaƙin ba, da an manta da R-39 da sauri. Baturen da ya ba da umarnin ɗaruruwan ɗari, sai ya ɓata masa rai har kusan duka an ba wa Rashawa. Hatta Amurkawa sun ba sojojinsu da aka jibge kafin yakin Pacific tare da wasu nau'ikan mayaka - Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Ragowar odar Birtaniyya shine bambance-bambancen R-39 tare da igwa 20mm (maimakon 37mm). Bayan harin da aka kai kan Pearl Harbor, sojojin saman Amurka sun kwace dukkan kwafin, inda suka dauke su a karkashin sunan P-400. Ba da daɗewa ba suka zo da amfani - lokacin da a cikin 1941 da 1942 Amurkawa suka rasa Warhawks a yakin Hawaii, Philippines da Java, suna da Aircobras don kare Port Moresby.
A farkon watanni na 1942, New Guinea ba ita ce kawai Allied damuwa a cikin Pacific. Bayan mamayar Java da Timor da Jafanawa suka yi, garuruwan da ke gabar tekun arewacin Ostireliya sun kusa kai wa jiragensu hari, kuma a cikin watan Fabrairu aka fara kai farmaki ta sama kan Darwin. Don haka, an dakatar da mayakan Amurka na farko (P-40Es) da aka aika daga Amurka zuwa yankin fama a Ostiraliya, inda suka bar tsaron New Guinea zuwa Kittyhawk Squadron guda (75 Squadron RAAF).
Yayin da 'yan Australiya da hannu guda suka yi artabu da harin da Japanawa suka kai a Port Moresby, a ranar 25 ga Fabrairu, ma'aikatan 35th PG (Pursuit Group) sun isa Brisbane ta teku, wanda ya ƙunshi runduna uku - 39th, 40th da 41st - sanye take da P-39 zažužžukan D. da F. Jim kaɗan bayan haka, a ranar 5 ga Maris, 8th PG, wanda ya ƙunshi ƙungiyoyi uku (35th, 36th da 80th PS), ya isa Australia kuma ya karbi Birtaniya P-400s na gaba. Ya ɗauki sassan biyun makonni da yawa kafin a kai ga shirin yaƙi, amma Ƙungiyoyin ba su sami lokaci mai yawa ba.
A farkon watan Maris na shekarar 1942, Japanawa sun sauka a arewa maso gabashin gabar tekun New Guinea, kusa da Lae da Salamaua, inda ba da jimawa ba suka gina tashoshin jiragen sama, inda suka rage nisan da ke tsakanin Port Moresby zuwa kasa da kilomita 300. Yayin da akasarin sojojin saman Japan a Kudancin Pacific suna nan a Rabaul, fitaccen Tainan Kokutai ya koma Lae, rukunin mayaka na A6M2 Zero wanda daga cikin fitattun jaruman Japan irin su Hiroyoshi Nishizawa da Saburo Sakai suka samo asali.
