The Boeing P-26 “Peashooter” represents the inaugural American production all-metal fighter aircraft and is recognised as the first pursuit monoplane to be deployed in squadron service by the United States Army Air Corps.
Developed and manufactured by Boeing, the prototype made its maiden flight in 1932, and the aircraft type remained operational with the U.S. Army Air Corps until as late as 1941 in the Philippines.
The initial instance of combat engagement involved a Model 281 dispatched to Spain prior to the commencement of the Spanish Civil War.
This aircraft was utilised by the Spanish Republican Air Force; however, it did not achieve any aerial victories before being downed on October 21, 1936.
On August 15, 1937, eight 281 aircraft from the 3rd Pursuit Group, 17th Squadron of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, stationed at Chuyung airfield, engaged in combat with eight out of twenty Mitsubishi G3M Nell medium bombers from the Kisarazu Air Group that were attacking Nanking.
Four of the Chinese fighters successfully shot down three of the fourteen Japanese bombers that were destroyed that day without incurring any losses, while the remaining eleven were claimed by Chinese Hawk IIs, Hawk IIIs, and Fiat CR.32s.
The subsequent confrontations between the Chinese 281 pilots and the Japanese Navy’s Mitsubishi A5Ms marked the initial aerial dogfights and kills involving all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft.
By December 1941, the fighter capabilities of the United States in the Philippines comprised 28 P-26 aircraft, of which 12 were operational within the 6th Pursuit Squadron of the Philippine Army Air Corps.
Captain Jesús A. Villamor, along with his squadron of P-26s, engaged Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeros in aerial combat over Zablan and Batangas Fields.
Despite being outmatched, Villamor and his squadron successfully claimed four enemy aircraft, including one Mitsubishi G3M bomber and three Zeros, with two of the latter credited to Villamor himself.
In recognition of these valorous actions, Villamor received the Distinguished Service Cross along with an Oak Leaf Cluster.
On 24 December 1941, the P-26s were destroyed to prevent their capture by the advancing forces of the Imperial Japanese Army.
At that time, nine P-26s remained operational with the United States Army Air Forces stationed in the Panama Canal Zone.
Between 1942 and 1943, the Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca (Guatemalan Air Force) received seven P-26 aircraft, which were supplied by the United States government under the designation “Boeing PT-26A” trainers to bypass restrictions on the sale of fighter planes to Latin American nations.
The last combat mission of the P-26 occurred with the Guatemalan Air Force during a coup d’état in 1954.
The last two P-26s still operational in military service worldwide were subsequently replaced by North American P-51 Mustangs two years later, in 1956.
