Armament:

Two 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Colt Browning machine guns in upper forward fuselage; one 12.7
mm (0.5 in) Colt Browning machine gun in each wing

History:

Commonly known as the Buffalo, the prototype Brewster Model 39, known as the XF2A-1 (Bu No 1451) fitted with a 634 kw (850 hp) Wright R-1820-34 Cyclone nine-cylinder radial engine, flew for the first time on 2 December 1937. Evaluation trials were successful and an order was placed for 54 Model F2A-1s for service as a shipboard fighter, entering service with the United States Navy with VF-3. After 11 had been delivered production switched to the Model F2A-2 with the 746 kw (1,000 hp) Wright R-1820-G105A Cyclone radial engine.

However, the type was a disappointment to the US Navy and US Marine Corps, which considered it had a mediocre performance and was only suitable as a fighter trainer. Soon 44 were declared surplus to requirements and were exported to Finland as the Model B-239 where they saw service in the skirmish against Russia. Although not popular with other air forces, the type served Finland well, that country’s top scoring ace Flt Mstr E Juutilainen using the type for 33 of his total of 94 victories.

A total of 40 was ordered by the Belgian Government as the B-339. This order was followed by one by the British Purchasing Commission for 170, these being similar to the Belgian aircraft, being known as the B-339E (E for English), and being designated Brewster Buffalo Mk 1.

In order to improve performance the Model 339 / F2A-2 was developed, followed by the Model F2A-3, which was similar to the Model F2A-2 but had the Wright R-1820-40 engine. The XF2A-4 was an experimental model with a pressurised cabin.

Due to the war situation in Europe priority was given to the Belgian aircraft but, following the invasion of that country, most of these aircraft were taken over by the British contract. Due to the aircraft’s poor performance, only 38 were delivered to Britain, the remainder going to the Far East. These were fitted with the Wright GR-1820-G105A engine. British serials allocated were W8131 to W8250 and AN168 to AN217.

An order for 144 Model 339Cs for service in the Netherlands East Indies was placed but the order was reduced to 72. Thse had the Wright R-1820-2-5 engine, were similar to the US Navy F2A-2, and had Curtiss Electric propellers, two 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine guns in the nose and two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns in the wings. Those that reached the NEI saw combat against Japanese forces and records indicate 62 B-339s were either shot down, crashed, or were destroyed on the ground.

An additional four Model B-339s and two ex-RAF Buffalos were captured at Andir, NEI by the Japanese. However, 20 Model 439s and one 339D, which were being shipped on board the ‘Tabian’ (3), ‘Mapia’ (4), ‘Sloterdijk’ (10) and ‘Tjibesa’ (4) were diverted to Fremantle, WA due to the situation in the Pacific. There they were acquired by the USAAF and trans-shipped to the American Erection Depot at Geelong in Victoria.

Six were acquired for the RAAF for photo-reconnaissance work with No 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) and were sent to the Ansett Airlines Workshops at Essendon, VIC where they were assembled and test flown before delivery to No 1 Aircraft Depot (AD) at Laverton, VIC. Tests were carried out on A51-6 (c/n 1074 – ex B3-186), one of the Buffalos converted for photo reconnaissance work. All armament, armour plate, radios, etc were removed and extra fuel, oil tanks and cameras were installed. Fitted with the Wright GR-1820-G5E engine and a Curtiss Electric constant speed propeller, it was found at 1,650 rpm at an airspeed of 377 km/h (234 mph), allowing for the use of 118 litres (26 Imp gals) of fuel to climb to 7,620 m (25,000 ft) and using 80 per cent of fuel capacity, it had a range of 2,237 km (1,390 miles), giving a mission duration of six hours at an all-up weight of 2,956 kg (6,517 lb).

However, before the aircraft left for the Northern Territory to commence operations two were lost in accidents, A51-2 at Tallarook in central Victoria on a flight from Laverton to Canberra, ACT on 8 July 1942 and A51-4 near Mt Buffalo near Bright, VIC when flown by an American pilot. The RAAF PRU Buffalos were A51-1 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3171 – c/n 372); A51-2 (Model 339-23 – ex B3175 – c/n 376); A51-3 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3177 – c/n 378); and A51-4 (Model 393-23 – ex B-3184 – c/n 385).

The remainder of this group of aircraft when they arrived were assembled for use by American units. Nine were then selected for use by No 25 Squadron RAAF in Western Australia. It seems the American units did not operate these aircraft for long as, when the Central Gunnery School was established at Williamtown, NSW in October 1942, two ex-US aircraft were found in the scrap yard, were re-conditioned and were placed in service with the RAAF.

No 25 Squadron operated the Buffalos in the defence of Western Australia until they passed to No 85 Squadron in February 1943, later being replaced by CAC Boomerangs. They were re-allocated to No 2 Flying School but this order was cancelled. They were then handed to US units and were probably scrapped. No 1 PRU (Photo Reconnaissance Unit) flew to Hughes strip in the Northern Territory but on 23 August during a Japanese bombing raid A51-6 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3186 – c/n 386) was destroyed. Later A51-5 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3185 – c/n 387) was lost in an accident near Derby, WA on 25 September 1942. In December the unit moved to Coomalie Creek, NT with the survivors (A51-1 and A51-3). One Buffalo (marked 304) crashed near Myrtleford, VIC on 1 July 1942.

It would appear thus at least 21 came to Australia and 17 came on charge with the RAAF. However, records indicate that when Dutch forces were evacuating from Tjilatjap, NEI on the vessel ‘Zaandam’ they brought with them a further five Buffalos so the total in this region may well have been 26 aircraft. Those brought on charge of the RAAF were A51-1 to A51-17 and served with the Australian units mentioned, and two (A51-16 and A51-17) served with the Central Gunnery School. In 1943 the survivors were transferred to the 5th USAAF and were probably scrapped. Most of the survivors are known to have been scrapped at Eagle Farm, QLD. It is interesting to note in May 1941 the Australian Government indicated funding was available to obtain 243 examples but nothing came of this.

The other Buffaloes which came on to RAAF records comprised A51-7 (Modle 339-23 – ex B3186 – c/n 386), A51-8 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3181 – c/n 382), A51-9 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3176 c/n 377), A51-10 (Model 339-23 – ex B3178 – c/n 369), A51-11 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3179 – c/n 380), A51-12 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3168 – c/n 369), A51-13 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3167 – c/n 368), A51-14 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3174 – c/n 375), A51-15 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3183 – c/n 384), A51-16 (Model 339-23 – ex B3180 – c/n 381) and A51-17 (Model 339-23 – ex B-3182 – c/n 383).

The type was used in the defence of Singapore, some 60 examples being operated from March 1941 by Nos 67 and 243 Squadrons RAF at Sallis, Nos 453 and 21 Squadrons RAAF at Sembawang and Nos 488 and 243 Squadrons RNZAF at Sallis where they were decimated by opposing Japanese forces, although several pilots achieved some success, Pilot Officer G B Fisken scoring six victories. These aircraft were from RAF stocks and none reached this region after the fall of Singapore.

A few examples survive: one (HM671) at the Aviation Museum of Central Finland at Tikkakoski; another (BW-372), which was recovered from a lake in the Russian Republic of Karelia in the late 1990s where it was shot down on 25 June 1942, being conveyed to the United States for restoration. No complete Buffalo survives in this region but the remains of one (marked B3-174 on the wing – presumably an ex-NEI machine) was recovered from mud flats near Derby in the 1970s and conveyed to a museum at Mildura, VIC. The remains of a couple of others have been recovered from crash sites in the Pacific region and are being used to build an example.