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1st American Kills | US Army Air Corps P-40s stationed at Hawaii Pearl Harbor (7 Dec 1941) and Philippine's Clark Air Field (8 Dec 1941) made the first US aerial kills as nation entered WW2. Painting above shows Yellow-41 of US 20th Pursuit Group piloted by Lt. Joseph Moore as he angled for a shot against 3 A6M5 Renzen/Zero fighters when Imperial Japan forces invaded US Philippine colony. Although US forces bought valiantly, historians often commented that 1920-1930s defense spending cutbacks made American military prowess "underfunded, understrength, under estimated enemy intent", hence valor is no substitute for vigilance.
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As for Imperial Japan naval air arm surprise attack against US Hawaiian naval base on 7 Dec 1941. Out of 99 P-40s stationed in Pearl Harbor area, distributed among 15th Pursuit Group (44th PS) + 18th Pursuit Group (6th - 19th - 73th - 78th PS) + 47th Pursuit Squadron, about 64 were destroyed on the ground where they were parked wingtip-to-wingtip to prevent alleged sabotage from among Japanese nationals and/or Japanese-Americans living in Hawaiian islands. In any case, majority of P-40s had no fuel or ammunition loaded, hence were a complete battle liability. This incident well documented in 1970 Pearl Harbor movie "Tora ! Tora ! Tora !". Tora! Tora! Tora! - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora_Tora_Tora
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3 P-40s did manage to take-off under enemy strafing runs at Bellows Field - Waimanalo on Oahu east coast, but were quickly shotdown given Japan's total air superiority. However, Japan intelligence missed small dirt airstripe on Oahu island northwest side, designated Haleiwa, stationing 8 P-40s of 47th Pursuit Squadron. 4 of which scrambled against Japan air assault in 2 missions downing 5 enemy aircrafts before being shotdown. Hale'iwa, Hawai'i - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleiwa
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Wartime Hysteria | Concerning WW2 US racial prejudice was forcible removal of 110,000 Japanese-Americans from US West Coast to internment camps inside US proper. Some say it was to protect them from racial pogroms, while others stated it was leveraging war hysteria to seize private properties of other American citizens. However, Hawaiian islands were excluded from this President Roosevelt executive order. Japanese American internment - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment
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With over 125,000 Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii regions, entire island economy and government logistics would have collapsed if hundreds of thousands citizens were suddenly removed from the workforce. But to be fair, Canada also executed its version of Japanese-Canadian internment. Japanese Canadian internment - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Canadian_internment
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In addition, in early 2000s it was revealed that US government negotiated secret contracts with South American countries not officially at war with Imperial Japan to have Japan nationals kidnapped, transferred to US custody, then traded for valuable American citizens in Japan custody via neutral intermediaries.
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Rollover : Painting of White-68 P-40 of Nationalist Chinese Air Force - American Volunteer Group (AVG or Flying Tigers), banking after strafing run against Japanese bombers on 25 Dec 1941 near Rangoon-Burma. AVG were some 240 American volunteers (100 of which were pilots) recruited by ex-USAAF pilot Claire Chennault in mid-1941 before US entry into WW2. AVG tasked to protect Chinese supply route from Burma into southern China (since Japan already conquered northern China and all eastern coastlines). Flying Tigers - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers
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With US entry into WW2, AVG combat strengthened US public morale and resolve in early 1942 given 
constant dribble of disasters on Pacific war front, such as Japan conquest of Wake Island, US surrender in the Philippines, British surrender in Singapore and Malaysia, Japanese offensives from Thailand into Burma, Japan preparation for Australia invasion, etc. Nevertheless, reaction to AVG were mixed in US military ranks, some openly assailed them as nothing more than mercenaries. This was in stark contrast to another American volunteer group in British Royal Air Force called Eagle Squadrons. Eagle Squadron history - www.eaglesquadrons.com/coppermine/index.php?cat=5
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Some historians asserted that it was social class and racial discrimination which perpetuated these beliefs (RAF Eagle Squadron mainly manned by Americans with higher education from urban east coast, AVG manned by working class Americans from midwest and southern rural regions). In July 1942, AVG members were transferred to US 23rd Fighter Group, any member who refused to sign-up were threatened to have their US passport confiscated and immediately drafted into US Army infantry upon their return back to America, such was the relations between AVG and US Army Air Force. 23d Fighter Group - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23rd_Fighter_Group
Inset 1 : About 230-plus P-40s supplied to WW2 Soviet Union IAP air force via US Lead-Lease program and British RAF aircraft transfers. Main user was 154 IAP squadron of Voyenno Vozdushnye Sily (VVS or Soviet Air Force), defending supply line over frozen Lake Ladoga to besieged Soviet city Leningrad (subsequently renamed back to St. Petersburg after 1991 collapse of Soviet Union). The P-40 in Soviet Aviation - lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/romanenko/p-40/index.htm
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US versus US | Inset painting shows US-built F2A Buffalo supplied to Finnish air force dueling with US-built Soviet P-40s during so-called 1941-1944 Continuation War. In US service, F2A had disastrous performance against Imperial Japan naval fighters. US pilots called F2A "Flying Coffins", hence planes were pulled from front-line service after June 1942 Battle of Midway. Nevertheless, Finns redeemed F2A reputation somewhat in its combat against Soviet VVS. Continuation War - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuation_war
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Until 1944, Finns insignia was blue swastika over white roundel. Swastika was and still-is a common 
ancient sun wheel symbol for ancient European - Native American - Asian cultures. Though most western cultures absolved its usage for fear of association with WW2 German Nazi regime or postwar neo-Nazi adherents, but in South and East Asia, swastika alludes to both Buddhism and Hinduism, hence commonly found in Japan - Korea - China - Vietnam - Thailand - India. Swastika - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
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Inset 2 : Famous photo line-up of AVG P-40s "Flying Tigers" over Burma. Besides April 1942 "Doolittle Raid" on Japan imperial capitol Tokyo by USAAF B-25 bombers flown off American carrier Hornet, the only good news coming out of Pacific war front were AVG aerial victories against Imperial Japan army air force in Burma theater, these successes were finally complemented by major US naval victory against Japan imperial fleet in May 1942 Battle of Coral Sea. Doolittle Raid - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_raid
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Inset 3 : Although popular perception that P-40's Shark Mouth painting attributed to AVG in China, its creation originated with British RAF No. 112 squadron in North Africa, circa July 1941. That squadron were in-part manned by Australian commonwealth pilots at Fayid airbase during defense of port city Tobruk, who took advantage of large surface area over P-40's air in-take vents for this shark-mouth fanfare. Practice became popular with both Axis and Allied air forces, be it US Army P-39 Airacobra, US Navy F6F Hellcat, German Bf-110 Zerstörer. No. 112 Squadron RAF - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._112_Squadron_RAF
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British war correspondents took photos of RAF P-40 shark mouthed planes, printed in magazines distributed to British India, which in turn made its way to AVG pilots stationed in Burma, hence immediately adopted by AVG squadrons. Painting below shows derelict RAF shark-mouth P-40s downed by famed German ace Gerhard Homuth, who went on to command both 3/JG7 squadron and I./JG7 in North Africa theater. Gerhard Homuth - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Homuth
