Shark's Mouth Nose Art

[MLS-12D]

I had always thought that the shark’s mouth design was an American creation, but apparently this is not so. This evening, I read the following passage in an essay entitled “Desert Kittyhawks”, by Squadron Leader Jim Collier, DFC, RCAF (published in William J. Wheeler, ed., Flying Under Fire, Vol. 2 (2003), p. 88):

Everyone has seen pictures of No. 112 Squadron’s Tomahawks and Kittyhawks with shark mouths painted on the front. They were the only ones in our wing who sported this device. Chennault’s Flying Tigers later used the same decoration on their P-40s in the Far East. Most people think that the shark-mouth design originated in China with the American Volunteer Group. The AVG pilots had simply seen pictures of 112’s aircraft, taken in North Africa, and adopted the design. Hollywood got to China first, with the film God is My Co-Pilot, based on the book by AVG pilot Colonel Robert L. Scott.You learn something new every day!

[Kermit 180]

I've seen colour pictures of Ju87 Stukas during the very early part of the Polish campaign (so the photo caption said) wearing shark mouth designs on their grotesque radiators. They were (i think) 'A' model Stukas, they had the 'trouser' legs instead of the wheel spats seeen on the B models that we normally see pictures of. Maybe 112 SQN copied that? I dont suppose there's a lot else you could paint on a large radiator without it looking demented. :confused:

Kerms

[RabbitLeader]

Messerschmitt 110s had sharksmouth markings on them in 1940, thus pre-dating the AVG and Desert AF P-40s, and were in fact known as the Haifsich Gruppe ("haifisch" being German for "shark" ;))

[Gainesy]

I've seen (can't remember where) pics of WW1 German Albatros with shark's mouth.

[Archimedes]

There was at least one Sopwith Dolphin (think it was from 87 Sqn) with a shark mouth; one SE 5a in the immediate post-WW1 period had a 'crocodile mouth' (and, for that matter, the rest of the croc).

[Biggles Flies Undone]

Somewhere in my loft I've got an old WW1 picture book and I'm pretty sure there was a pic of a Roland CII with a shark's tooth design on its nose in there.

[White Bear]

From the official AVG web site. http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/tiger1.htm


GENESIS OF FLYING TIGERS

In describing the genesis of the name "Flying Tigers" and the group's insignia, Chennault says:

"Before I left the United States in the summer of 1941, I asked a few friends in Louisiana to watch the newspapers and send me any clippings about the A.V.G. Now I was being swamped with clippings from stateside newspapers, and my men were astonished to find themselves world famous as the Flying Tigers. The insignia we made famous was by no means original with the A.V.G. Our pilots copied the shark-tooth design on their P-40's noses from a colored illustration in the India Illustrated Weekly depicting an R.A.F. squadron in the Libyan Desert with shark-nose P-40's. Even before that the German Air Force painted shark's teeth on some of its Messerschmitt 210 fighters. With the pointed nose of a liquid cooled engine it was an apt and fearsome design. How the term Flying Tigers was derived from the shark-nosed P-40's I never will know. At any rate we were somewhat surprised to find ourselves billed under that name. It was not until just before the A.V.G. was disbanded that we had any kind of group insignia. At the request of the China Defense Supplies in Washington, the Walt Disney organization in Hollywood designed our insignia consisting of a winged tiger flying through a large V for victory."*

W.B.

[MLS-12D]

Great reference, White Bear. That settles it, then.

It's pleasant to see that there is accord on this issue, rather than the usual "no, we were first" argument that sometimes happens after so many decades have passed and memories have faded.

P.S. I don't think that a shark's mouth design would look very good on a twin-engined machine like the Me110 (presumably both engines were painted identically).

[RabbitLeader]

Nope - the forward fuselage was painted with the shark's mouth (the bits with the cannon fitted!) ;)

[MLS-12D]

Oh, I get it. Yes, that sounds better.

[RabbitLeader]

I've also seen a few photos of Bf109B/Cs painted with sharkmouths on their air intakes - one of them even had eyes painted on!!

[Mycroft]

Probably untrue as it comes from the John Wayne film "Flying Tigers" when the American volunteers had the teeth painted on their P40s (note - pre entry of US into war) the locals called them the flying tiger sharks, which was later shortened; but as I said this is the Hollywood explanation

[LowNSlow]

Have a look here (http://www.ww2.dk/) for a pic of the shark's mouth Me110 (1941) and here (http://freespace.virgin.net/shermanic.firefly/Roland%20CII.html) for a picture of a model of a WW1 Roland CII Walfisch (1916) with a shark mouth and finally, here (http://www.pegasusmodels.com/dol1.html) for a picture of a model of a Sopwith Dolphin (1918) with a rather strange looking "shark" mouth on it.

[Onan the Clumsy]

I dont suppose there's a lot else you could paint on a large radiator without it looking demented I read in a book that there was at least one pilot in the Great War who painted a face on his cowl flaps. I think he painted the Kaiser and the idea was to fly low over the trenches :hmm: and open and close the cowl flaps. This gave the effect of a cartoon as a different picture showed with the flaps open then when they were closed.

Does that make sense?

[LowNSlow]

That'll be Verner Voss of Jasta 10 flying the Fokker Triplane. See here (http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/Fokker-DrI/voss/voss_info.htm) and here (http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/w1/cleaver72dr1preview.htm)

[CoodaShooda]

From memory, Duncan Grinnell- Milne (Wind in the Wires) painted a caricature of the Kaiser on the radiator flaps of his SE5a. I think the intent was to make the moustache and eyebrows appear to wiggle when the flaps were opened and closed.

[Lu Zuckerman]

There were two French WW2 aircraft that had a sharks mouth painted on the nose.

Morane-Saulnier M.S.-406 in German livery

D-3801 in Swiss livery

:E :E