03/2004

Brewster 339E Buffalo Mk. INo V8138488 Squardon RAFSingapore, late 1941

In early 1940, the British Purchasing Commission ordered a total of 170 Model 339Es in two separate contracts under the British designation Buffalo Mk. I. This was a major turnaround, since as recently as October of 1939 the British Air Ministry had declared the Brewster fighter as unsuitable for RAF use. However, they were deemed suitable for use in the Far East.

The 339E was basically a denavalized variant of the F2A-2, powered by an export-approved Wright R-1820-G105 Cyclone engine of 1100 hp. A number of changes were made to bring the aircraft up to current European combat standards: a British-built Mark III reflector gunsight replaced the ring-and-bead arrangement, armor plate was provided for the pilot, and armored glass was added to the wind screen. The Curtiss Electric cuffed propeller was replaced with a 10-foot one-inch Hamilton Standard propeller. The 339E was the only Buffalo variant to feature an internal gun camera. The small retractable naval-type tail wheel was replaced by a larger fixed tail wheel.

These changes brought the gross weight to 6500 pounds, almost a thousand pounds heavier than the standard F2A-2. The maximum speed was lowered to 330 mph and the rate of climb was lowered to only 2600 feet per minute. In addition, this increased weight raised the wing loading, increased the landing speed, and adversely affected the maneuverability. Another problem was that the Buffalo Mk. I did not use the same fuel line pressurization system as the F2A-2, and fuel starvation problems were often experienced above 18,000 feet.

The Wright Cyclone R-1820-G105 engine installed in the Buffalo Mk. I had been selected in part because there were sufficient numbers of this engine available at the time to meet the first British contract. However, when the second contract was issued, there were not enough new Cyclone engines available, and Brewster was forced to purchase used Cyclone engines from commercial airlines which had been using them to power their Douglas DC-3 airliners. These used engines were returned to Wright, which remanufactured them to -G105 standards.

The first three production Model 339Es were sent to Great Britain in April of 1941 for trials. The remaining Buffalos of the British order were shipped directly to the Far East to serve with units in Malaya, Singapore and Burma. The first Buffalos arrived in Singapore in the spring of 1941.

Five Commonwealth squadrons were formed around the Buffalo -- Nos. 67 and 243 Squadrons, RAF; Nos. 21 and 43 Squadrons of the RAAF; and No. 488 Squadron of the RNZAF. No. 67 Squadron was based in Burma and the other four were stationed at bases near Singapore. Each squadron was issued with 15 aircraft. A shortage of pilots prevented the formation of additional squadrons, and many Buffalos were placed in storage. Many of the pilots in the Commonwealth Buffalo squadrons were relatively new and inexperienced, and some 20 Buffalos were lost in training accidents during the autumn of 1941.

War in the Burma/Malaya theater began on December

8, 1941 with a Japanese landing on the Malayan coast. The

Brewsters did experience some initial successes against

Japanese Army Air Force Ki-27s and Ki-43s, and there were at

least three Commonwealth pilots who became aces during this

period. However, when the Japanese Navy A6M Reisen (Zero

Fighter) appeared, the Buffalo was completely outclassed. The

Zero was faster, more maneuverable and had a heavier

armament. In an attempt to improve the Buffalo's performance,

ground crews removed all unnecessary equipment to lower the

weight, sometimes replacing the 0.50-inch machine guns with

lighter 0.303-inch guns and reducing the ammunition and fuel

load. However, these modifications did not even come close to

closing the performance gap between the Buffalo and the Zero.

The situation in Malaya rapidly deteriorated as the

Japanese advance gained momentum, and Commonwealth

squadrons were forced to withdraw to Singapore Island.

Attrition and combat losses took their toll, and by February of

1942 there were only a few airworthy Buffalos left. These were

withdrawn to the nearby islands of the Netherlands East Indies.

When the British evacuated the aircrews to Australis, at least

four Buffalos were turned over to Dutch squadrons.

In Burma, No. 67 Squadron flew alongside the 3rd

Squadron, American Volunteer Group (the famous 'Flying

Tigers') in the defense of Rangoon. No. 67 Squadron had some

initial successes against attacking Japanese bomber

formations. However, attrition and the lack of spare parts

steadily eroded the squadron's strength, and by the time that

Rangoon fell, only six Buffalos were still airworthy. The

surviving No. 67 Squadron Buffalos were evacuated to India,

along with a few Hawker Hurricanes that had been rushed to

Rangoon's defense. Some of the Buffalos that made it to India

were taken on strength by No. 146 Squadron, RAF. There are

even reports that at least one Buffalo was transferred to the

Indian Air Force.

Many official British historical sources blame the loss of

Malaya and Singapore largely on the Buffalo's poor

performance. However, the picture is not entirely that of an

unmitigated disaster, and many Buffalo-equipped units gave a

good account of themselves before they were overwhelmed by

superior Japanese numbers. Accurate figures on the combat

losses of British Buffalos are difficult to come by. Approximately

60 to 70 Buffalos were lost in air combat, 40 were destroyed on

the ground, twenty were lost in various non-combat related

accidents, four were transferred to the Dutch, and six were

evacuated to India. Commonwealth Buffalo squadrons claimed

at least 80 kills, and some units may have achieved a 2-to-1 kill

ratio.

Specification of Brewster Buffalo Mk. I (Model B 339E):

Powerplant: One Wright R-1820-G105A Cyclone nine-

cylinder, single-row air-cooled radial, rated at 1100 hp for

takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed of 324 mph at 21,000

feet, 313 mph at 13,000 feet. Cruising speed 256 mph. Initial

climb rate 2600 ft/min. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be

reached in 6.3 minutes. Service ceiling 30,675 feet. Weights:

4479 pounds empty, 6500 pounds gross, 6840 pounds

maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 35 feet 0 inches,

length 26 feet 0 inches, height 12 feet 1 inches, wing area 209

square feet. Armament: Two 0.50 inch machine guns in the

wings, two 0.30-inch machine guns in the upper fuselage.

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