Date
Location
Force
Aircraft
From-To
Crew
15-01-1943
Portela Airport - Lisbon
USAAF 81FG
Bell P-400 Aircobra BX432
Land's End (GB) → Port Lyautey (Marocco)
Lt. Harold Beadle USA
The squadron was using a B-25 bomber as a guide plane, but it went too far into the Atlantic Ocean in result of a navigation error. When it was impossible for the fighter’s to reach Gibraltar because of fuel shortage, the bomber guided them to Lisbon where the fighters had to land in the local airport.
This aircraft landed on 15.08 hours.
It will part of the P-39's and P-400's fighters that landed in Portugal in 1942 and 1943 and were bought by the government for 20.000 dollars, becoming part of the OK Squadron from the Aeronáutica Militar.
The pilot was interned in Elvas for some time.
Resources:
* “Aviões da Cruz de Cristo” – Mário Canongia Lopes
* "Spitfires e Hurricanes em Portugal - Mário Canongia Lopes.
* ARQUIVO ANA -Aeroportos de Portugal
* Site: "http://raf-112-squadron.org/index3.html"
* Site "armyairforces.com"
* Robert Brown
