Airbase Curtiss Tomahawk RAF 112sqn parked at Benina Airfield 1942 AWM

 Airbase RAF 112sqn Zuara Airfield 1943 AWM

 Artwork by aviationclassics titled Desert Duel 0A

 Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk RAF 112Sqn GAD Wilfred David Brown FR860 North Africa 1943 01

 Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk RAF 112Sqn GAF Neville Duke AK673 Egypt 1942 02

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112sqn A AK261 Egypt Sep 1941 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAF Neville Duke AK402 Sidi Haneish Egypt Nov 1941 0A

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAF Neville Duke AK402 Sidi Haneish Egypt Nov 1941 0B

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAF Neville Duke AK402 Sidi Haneish Egypt Nov 1941 0C

Profile 00: Tomahawk llB AK402 of No 112 Sqn, flown by Plt Off Neville Duke, LG 13 Sidi Haneish South, Egypt, November 1941. Nineteen-year-old Neville Duke was assigned this Tomahawk soon after he joined No 112 Sqn from the UK, where he had gained two victories on Spitfires. Flying the aircraft on 21 November, he shared in the destruction of a Fiat CR.42, and by the end of the month he had shot down two more aircraft and damaged another - all in AK402. The G.50 he brought down on the 30th was his fifth success, but he was also shot down (by a Bf 109) and the aircraft lost later that same day.

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAL AK354 leu Libya 1941 0a

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAL AK354 leu Libya 1941 0b

Profile 01: Tomahawk Mk IB of 112 Squadron (RAF) North Africa, October 1941. For the record, this was the first unit to paint the aircraft with the sharkmouth motif, which was to become so famous. Sgt R M Leu 1 MC-200 destroyed and 1 BF-109 probable.

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn GAL leu Libya 1941 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn K Jack Bartle AN413 book cover Kagero P-40s rekiny pustyni by Tomasz Szlagor

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn K Jack Bartle AN413 Egypt Nov 1941 01

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn K Jack Bartle AN413 Egypt Nov 1941 0A

Profile 0A: Tomahawk Mk IB RAF 112Sqn K AN413 Sidi Haneish, Egypt November 1941. Tomahawk liB AN413 NAN of No 112 Sqn, flown by Pit Off Jack Bartle, LG 102, Egypt, October 1941. Six-kill Australian ace Jack Bartle flew this Tomahawk soon after he joined No 112 Sqn in September 1941. Although dec¬orated with the famous sharksmouth markings, it was not at this time wearing the unit's GA code. Bartle personalised it with the outline of a kangaroo and the name NAN. Although he often flew AN413, he made no claims in it. The fighter was written off with combat damage after a brush with Bf 109s on 20 November, two days before Bartle's first kill.

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn K Jack Bartle AN413 Egypt Nov 1941 0B

Profile 0B: Tomahawk IIB AN413 NAN of No 112 Sqn, flown by Plt Off Jack Bartle, LG 102, Egypt, October 1941. Six-kill Australian ace Jack Bartle flew this Tomahawk soon after he joined No 112 Sqn in September 1941. Although decorated with the famous sharksmouth markings, it was not at this time wearing the unit's GA code. Bartle personalised it with the outline of a kangaroo and the name NAN. Although he often flew AN413, he made no claims in it. The fighter was written off with combat damage after a brush with Bf 109s on 20 November, two days before Bartle's first kill.

 Curtiss Tomahawk RAF 112Sqn GAX AK658 Clive Caldwell Libya 1941 0A

Profile 01: Tomahawk Mk I (or Mk III), 112 Squadron RAF AK658 flown by Flt. Lt. Clive R. Caldwell, North Africa, 1941. The English Tomahawk MkIs were registered from AH741 to AH 880; the prefix AK identified one of the MkIIB series from 100 to 570.

 RAF 112sqn flew many escort missions protecting bombers which were Bostons 01

 RAF Intelligence Officer interrogates an Italian Black Cat fighter pilot who survived a midair AWM MED0176

 Curtiss Tomahawk MkIIb RAF 112Sqn at LG 102 in the Sidi Heneish area Egypt IWM CM1339

Curtiss Tomahawks Mark IIBs of No. 112 Squadron RAF at LG 102 in the Sidi Heneish area, Egypt. In the foreground is AN218 'B' "Menace", flown by Flying Officer N Bowker who had shot down a Savoia Marchetti SM79 in it on 14 September 1941. The second aircraft is AK461 'A', which was destroyed in combat over Sidi Rezegh on 25 November 1941. This photograph constituted the first public appearance of 112 Squadron's famous 'Sharkmouth' insignia, when published in October 1941.

Imperial War Museum IWM CM 1339 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208811

 Aircrew RAF 112Sqn RAAF Sqn Ldr Clive Caldwell at Gambut 24 Mar 1942 IWM CM2419

Polish officer presenting the Polish wings to Squadron Leader Clive Caldwell, the Australian CO of No. 112 Squadron RAF (The Shark Squadron), who alredy holds the DFC and Bar. The squadron inludes Polish fighter pilots, who have taken part in succesful engagements with the enemy from the very beginning. RAF Gambut, 24 March 1942.

Imperial War Museum IWM CM 2419 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205382015

 Curtiss Tomahawk MkIIb RAF 112Sqn GAJ AK475 at a landing ground in the Western Desert IWM CM2039

Tomahawk RAF 112Sqn GAJ AK475 Flt Lt C F Ambrose El Adem, Egypt December 1941

Photo's When Italy declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, the Royal Air Force could muster only a handful of Gloster Gladiators, some Blenheim light bombers, plus a few Wellington and Bombay medium bombers. Here, the wreck of a Gladiator may be seen on the left, while in the centre is a P-40, early examples of which first went into action in the Western Desert in June 1941. Flt Lt C F Ambrose. Mechanics perform an engine change on Curtiss Tomahawk Mark IIB, AK475 'GA-J' of No. 112 Squadron RAF at a landing ground in the Western Desert.

Imperial War Museum IWM CM 2039 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208891

 Aircrew RAF 112Sqn group photo taken at LG122 Egypt IWM CM1820

Pilots of No. 112 Squadron RAF grouped round the nose of one of their Curtiss Tomahawks at LG 122, Egypt. Those identified are, (left to right): Sergeant R F Leu, Pilot Officer N F Duke, Flying Officers J F Soden (on wing) and P H Humphreys, Squadron Leader F V Morello (Commanding Officer), Flight Lieutenant C F Ambrose, Flying Officer E Dickenson (killed in action 28 May 1942), Sergeant H G Burney (killed in action 30 May 1942), Flying Officers D F Westenra, J J P Sabourin (killed in action 6 October 1942, while flying with No. 145 Squadron RAF), N Bowker and J P Bartle, and Sergeant K F Carson.

Imperial War Museum IWM CM 1820 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126789

 Curtiss Tomahawk IIB RAF 112Sqn under going routine maintenance North Africa 1941 42 IWM CH18750

The nose of a TOMAHAWK aircraft.

Imperial War Museum IWM CH 18750 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205441863