Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part fourteen. The Hawk in France. Part two.

 

(This post is a direct continuation from the previous one)
The first aircraft of the new contract arrived in France in March 1940 and consisted on more than a hundred Hawks H-75A-3 equipped with the more powerful 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp SIC3G radial engine. They were quickly assigned to Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) units shortly after arrival. 
During that time, many dozens of H-75s were still on their way at sea, on board cargo ships or even the French aircraft carrier Béarn, which was used as an ad-hoc aircraft cargo ship during that time and not as a pure aircraft carrier. Some of those still-on-sea aircraft were lost to u-boat attacks, while others -those on board of Béarn - were stocked in Antigua, and others were diverted to Casablanca, in Morocco, when France signed the armistice. 
The Hawk H-75A-4, officially called H-751, was powered by a Wright Cyclone R-1820-G205A engine with 1,200 hp at take-off engine and required a different engine cowling shape. This variant was never employed in combat event though it was ordered in large numbers before the armistice. 
In September 1939 four fighter squadrons were equipped with the Curtiss Hawk, those were Groupe de Chasse I/4 II/4, I/5 and II/5. Groupe de Chasse means "Fighter Group" -GC for short- which is the French equivalent to a squadron. All those squadrons were based at Reims and were quickly redeployed to their 'frontline' airfields at Wez-Thuizy, Xaffevilliers, Suippes and Toul-Croix-de-Metz. During the Phoney War the Hawk yielded good results, with a total of 42 kills with 22 more probable ones, at the cost of five pilots and 18 aircraft. Even if it was liked by the pilots, specially for its confort, it had also its flaws, specially its lack of power compared with the most modern enemy aircraft - the Messerschmitt Bf.109-, its weak armament (in the earlier versions which only had four machine guns) and its inadequate armour in the fuel tanks.
During the Battle of France, all the H-75 were active all the time, with a fifth squadron , GC III/2, having been converted from the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 to the Hawk at the very end of May. Initially they were sent to Belgium to support the ground forces during the initial offensive, but after the 10th June they were chased from one base to another by the German onslaught. During late June all the surviving Hawks started to fall back to French North Africa, crossing the Mediterranean on their own.
At the end of the Battle of France, the Curtiss-equipped units scored more than 300 enemy aircraft, 233 confirmed and 84 probables) for the loss of thirty pilots to combat and accidents. 
Some French pilots acquired their ace status flying the Hawk, like Edmond Marin la Meslée with 16 confirmed kills, Camille Plubeau or Jean Accart, among others, with GC I/5 being the unit with most aces in the 1939-1940 period. 
On the other hand, it is estimated that a hundred or so machines were lost to various reasons such as combat, accidents, destroyed on the ground, etc, being those one third of the delivered machines. 

The Hawk was also employed by the Escadron de Protection de l'usine SNCAC (SNCAC factory protection flight - commonly known as the Bourges factory patrol-) , a fighter unit of the Polish Air Forces in France subordinated to the 1st Fighter Group "Kr". This unit was formed after the 10th May to protect SNCAC factory from bomber raids, with several Polish pilots being assigned there. 
From 16th to 24th May two Polish airmen, Sgt. Jan Kremski and Sgt Waclaw Giermer claimed to have shot down one Heinkel He.111 of 8./KG.51. This patrol saw action again on 5th June when four Polish pilots accompanied by Lt. Marcel Haegelen, chief pilot of SNCAC and an ace from World War 1, took off to intercept He.111s of KG.55. With the assistance of many other French fighters present in the area, several bombers were shot down. One of such kills was awarded to Cne. Bronislaw Kosinski, Lt. Marian Wesolowski and Sgt. Kremski together with Lt. Col. Haegelen shared his twenty-third victory.
(to be concluded)

Sources:
1st Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 7 - French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942 Volume1 Amiot to Curtiss
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Fighter_Group_(Poland)
3rd https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Klucz_Kominowy_(Kr) (translated)
4th Mushroom Model Magazine - Red Series 5112 - Curtiss Hawk H-75 in French Service
5th AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk Part 1 (translated)

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part thirteen. The Hawk in France. Part one.

 

In late 1937 the French Conseil Supérieur de l'Air (Air Council - depending of the Ministry of the Air), realised that French aircraft manufacturers alone could not equip the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) with enough fighters, specially after the objectives of the so-called "Plan V", which was in force at the time, could not be achieved. It was decided therefore to ask for help to foreign manufacturers, so several diplomatic missions were set off, including one to the USSR. With the exception of the Netherlands, from which fifty Koolhoven FK-58 fighters were purchased, no other European country seemed able to supply the desired amount of aircraft in the required period. This made the Conseil to turn their interests towards the United States, where unofficial negotiations were already underway since late 1937 by Baron de la Grange, a personal friend of Presiden Roosevelt. 
The newly appointed Air Minister, Guy la Chambre, set instructions for several hundred of foreign modern fighters to be purchased. Given the short delivery dates the French demanded, the choice was limited to just two fighter models, with very similar performance rates: the Seversky P-35 and the Curtiss H-75. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) picked the P-35, so the French turned towards the Curtiss H-75.
Negotiations were specially long an difficult, as the French complained that the unit purchase price was much higher than that of a Morane-Saulnier Ms.406 or a Bloch M.B.152, however, the delays suffered by the French national aircraft industry, together with the deterioration of the European political situation, meant that the Frenchs agreed, and an initial contract for a hundred machines, called H-75A-1 was finally signed in May 1938. These fighters were identical to the P-36A, differing only in being equipped with French equipment such as radio, sights, gauges set in metric system and so on. It was powered by the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830 SC3G radial engine rated at 1,050 hp and had the throttle reversed to comply the general practice of the Armée de l'Air. These machines were armed with four 7.5mm Browning machine guns, two in the engine cowling and two in the wings, built under license in France. 
The prototype of this batch was tested at Buffalo, New York in November 1938 by one of Curtiss' test pilots and later, the first plane intended for France was tested by one pilot of Centre d'Expérimentation du Materiel Aérien (CEMA - Air Equipment Experimental Centre). The machines were dismantled, packed into crates and shipped to le Havre, France, where they arrived on 24th December just to be sent to the SNCAC (Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Centre) at Bourges, which was tasked with re-assembling the Hawks in early 1939.
After the Munich Crisis in September 1938 the international situation deteriorated significantly, and French aircraft manufacturers still could not meet the objectives, so further negotiations were held to purchase the new Curtiss fighter, the H-81 (P-40 Warhawk), however, this project never came into fruition due to delays in the manufacture of the Allison engine it was powered by. Therefore, the Frenchs opted for an improved version of the H-75, which was already foresaw when the first contract was signed.
This improved version featured a reinforced rear fuselage and was powered by a Twin Wasp SG3G radial engine, which was slightly more powerful than its predecessor and, from machine number 141 onwards, was armed with two extra machine guns in the wings, with some older models being retrofitted to this new weapon arrangement. 
These new machines were designated as H-75A-2 and a new order was placed for one hundred more machines.
When the war began in September 1939 all the ordered fighters had already been delivered to the France and were taken in charge by the Armée de l'Air with Groupe de Chasse (GC) I/5, II/5 and I/4 in March and April 1939 being the first ones to be equipped with them. Those squadrons were still equipped with the outdated Dewoitine D.500 or D.501 and were going to be equipped by the new Bloch M.B. 151 and M.B. 152, but their entry into service was being delayed. Those units were followed by GC II/4 which received its new machines in early summer 1939. 
In August 1939 a new French commission was sent to the USA to purchase further new fighters as national production could not still meet the objectives of Plan V, which were expected to achieve the following spring.
In spite of difficult negotiations aggravated by the recent state of war and the declaration of neutrality of the USA, the Frenchs managed to sign a contract - more expensive than the previous ones - in early October 1939 for a total of 535 H-75s, with deliveries taking place over the following year, and one hundred of the new H-81 which was becoming available. Moreover one thousand engines and propellers were also ordered with a production license for the Twin Wasp engine to be manufactured by Talbot-Lago. (To be continued)

Sources:
1st Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 7 - French Aircraft from 1939 to 1942 Volume1 Amiot to Curtiss
2nd AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk Part 1

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part twelve. The Hawk in Portugal.

 

During World War 2, Portugal maintained neutrality, but with an eye put on whether Germany would respect it or not. 
Before 1939, thirty Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters were bought from Great Britain, after the British government refused the sale of fifteen Spitfire Mk. I, however, shortly later, in 1940 it was decided that the Portuguese Air Arm needed more modern fighters. Unfortunately, British fighters were not an option, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was in need of every fighter they could get, to defend British Isles during the Battle of Britain. 
However, as the German threat dissipated, the Portuguese government insisted on the supply of modern monoplane fighters. With the transfer of the Gladiator Flights to the Azores islands and the third fighter Flight not formed yet, the Portuguese mainland was left without fighter defence. 
The British Air Ministry, as an answer to the Portuguese requests, allowed the release of a number of Curtiss Mohawks, which were in RAF's reserves in the United Kingdom. 
Thanks to this 16 Mohawks were shipped to Portugal during the summer of 1941. Of the initial batch of 16, five were heavily damaged during the transport to Lisbon, requiring reparations before they could be employed. By January 1942 eleven aircraft were ready for flight after being assembled at Alverca and having their engines overhauled. They were based at Ota base, close to Lisbon, by April.
During the months of April and May, two accidents took place killing their pilots. 
Meanwhile, Captain Machado de Barros left Lajes, in the Azores, together with the Gladiator Flights and was tasked with the creation of Esquadrilha Expedicionária de Caça nº3  (EEC - Expeditionary Fighter Flight No.3), which was to include the Mohawks. The new flight would replace the Gladiators of EEC 1, which were based at Rabo de Peixe airfield, on Sao Miguel island, which soon would return to mainland Portugal.
However, one year later, the transfer to the Azores was not yet completed and, by June 1943 Mohawks were still based at Ota, with one more aircraft lost in July, and another one lost in October reducing their number to just seven operational aircraft.
It wasn't until 14th July 1944 that the first Mohawk Flight was officially commissioned at Rabo de Peixe airfield at Sao Miguel island, replacing EEC1 which was disbanded during the meantime.
The actual number of Mohawks that served in the Azores was revealed to be just seven and their service in the Azores wasn't bright. They suffered continuous fuel shortages preventing normal use of the aircraft and enough training for the pilots. 
After two more accidents taking place between December 1944 and August 1945, EEC 3 was disbanded as fighter aircraft on the Azores had became irrelevant with the end of the war in Europe. Mohawks were withdrawn from service at Sao Miguel, with not a single one returning to continental Portugal.
Overall the Mohawks were not well liked by Portuguese pilots as its fully electrical systems were prone to malfunction in adverse environments. Given that the Azores Archipelago is known for its difficult weather conditions, with high humidity, salty atmosphere, high rainfall and strong winds, the probability of failures was high. Another complaint was the unreliability of the engine, which caused most of the accidents and the placement of some instruments within the cockpit.

Sources:
1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk Part 1 (translated)
2nd Mushroom Model Magazine - White Series 9130 - Portuguese-Fighter-colours -1919-1956

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part eleven. The Hawk in Norwegian hands.

 

The history of the Norwegian Hawks began in 1938, when the Norwegian government decided to modernize its aerial fleet. Since its own aviation industry was not prepared to develop modern aircraft, it was decided to purchase them abroad.These initial purchases resulted in a dozen of British Gloster Gladiator biplanes, which, although they were not as modern as the German machines, they were modern enough to allow a smooth transition from older biplanes to all-metal fighters, which significantly improved performance.However, the initial plan was to equip the whole aerial fleet with modern monoplanes with retractable landing gear.During the very early war Norway remained neutral. However, the Munich Crisis made it clear that the Germans would not be overly concerned if war broke out. To counter those pressures, the Norwegians needed new aircraft immediately, so in June 1939  a commission headed by Eckhoff, Motzfelt and Reistad (Norwegian Army representatives) was sent to the United States, where they were offered designs from Seversky and Vultee. However, it was clear that the U.S. Army Air Corps itself was struggling with the P-35 and Vultee was unable to produce large numbers of aircraft in a short time, so Curtiss became the only design alternative.On 12th August a contract was signed for the purchase of 12 A-6 Hawks, basically identical to the French A-1, except that the 7.9mm machine-guns were assembled in Buffalo, New York, instead at the customer's facility, as it was the case with the French aircraft. In addition to purchase the pre-built aircraft, the Norwegians obtained the rights to manufacture 24 at their own facility in Kjeller, near Oslo.
On 27th September, with the war already underway, it was clear that the deadline, set for 1st July 1940, could not be completed, so Norway decided to expand its order by another 12 completed aircraft to equip the next squadron. The first of this new batch arrived in Oslo on 20th February 1940, followed by 18 more in four batches from 15th March to 1st April. By 9th April one aircraft was waiting at Kjeller, ready to begin trials and with its armament mounted, five were also in various stages of assembly waiting to be completed at Kjeller (including three unarmed ones), and five were still in crates in Bergen. Of the eight that arrived in Oslo on 1st April, some had been delivered to Kjeller, and five were still on board SS Idefiord transport ship.
The two dozen Hawk plus twelve Gladiators, were not a force that could hold the German Luftwaffe, and Norway was well aware of this, so in January 1940 it was decided to send another delegation to the USA. It arrived in Washington in late February 1940 and was led by Captain Motzfeldt, from the army and Ostby from the Navy. They immediately headed to the Curtiss-Wright factory and a contract for 29 Hawks was quickly negotiated and expanded later to include seven more aircraft. Therefore, a total of 36 Hawks were ordered. In addition, 36 Douglas 8A Nomad bombers and 24 Northrop N3P-B patrol seaplanes were also purchased.
The Hawks chosen by the Norwegians were the Hawk 75A-8 variant, which was identical to the French A-4 with Wright engines. The latter was armed with two 12.7mm (0.50") Browning machine guns.
Externally the A-8 version was recognizable by the teardrop-shaped radome on the fuselage aft the cockpit, to host the radio half-compass antenna. The first of these aircraft, together with other ten, was to be delivered between December 1940 and 25th January 1941 but, as expected, they were never delivered.
The German attack on Norway found most of the Hawks in crates. Only a few were assembled, and even these did not see combat. It's most likely that some were destroyed during aerial bombing raids. After the German invasion, the Norwegians attempted to hide the aircraft that survived, but the Germans found them all.
It's estimated that there were nineteen of them. Almost all, if not all, were later brought to Germany, where they were adapted to local standards by replacing some equipment, such as sights.
The Norwegian Hawks did not serve for long time. Thirteen of them were later transferred to Finland, while the fate of the remaining six is unknown.
While all that was taking place, the five aircraft aboard SS Idefiord had returned to England, where they were briefly considered for combat in northern Norway, but the idea never materialized due to the lack of radio and armament. They were then offered to France, but the French declined before the offer could be accepted.
Eventually, on 24th September 1940 the Royal Air Force (RAF) purchased them from Norwegian representatives in London, together with four Heinkel He.115s also previously owned by Norway, for the low price of £86,000. These five five Hawks were most likely AR-630 to AR-634.
After the fall of Norway, the purchasing committee members, still in the United States, were left with 96 ordered aircraft and a hundred Cyclone engines. Initially, they intended to resell them to Great Britain, but the RAF didn't want American aircraft because building the entire infrastructure for such a small number would be too expensive, and besides, they already had their better designs. Another idea was to replaced the ordered Hawk 75A-8 with P-40s built for the RAF, but this idea was also never implemented.
At the same time, in the United States, the Norwegian legation's air attaché, Oscar Klingenberg, stepped in came up with the idea of organizing training squadrons for Norwegians pilots in Canada, following the example of the RAF. Klingenberg contacted the Canadian consul in Washington and received assurances that an air base in Toronto could made available to him shortly. The Norwegian diplomat chose Canada for two good reasons: First, the British had virtually no available bases on the islands and second, the ordered Hawk 75A-8s were still in the United States, so transporting them to Canada meant no problem at all. Ultimately the airfield on Lake Ontario was leased indefinitely, and a headquarters was established in the suburbs of Toronto. The entire complex soon became known as "Little Norway".
The first 36 Hawks arrived at Toronto on 16th December 1940 with the last one landing on 4th February 1941. There, the aircraft were assembled and tested. Together with the Hawks, the ordered Douglas bombers were also delivered, making this unit's total to 72 aircraft. This was too many for its needs, and since both aircraft were not intended for operational service, it was decided to put half of them up for sale. 
Peru soon purchased the surplus Hawks, and earlier countries such as Canada, China, the Soviet Union and Belgium had expressed interest. Peru didn't buy the Hawks directly from the Norwegians, but through the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), which first bought them and re-designated the fighters as RP-36G, with the letter "R" standing for "Restricted" meaning that they were undervalued as front-line aircraft but could be useful in second-line duties. They were also given new serial numbers and were delivered to the USAAC between 18th June and later July 1941 and were later transferred to Peru under a Lend-Lease agreement.
Shortly after the Norwegians decided to close their school and continue training pilots within RAF units. The remaining aircraft, including 12 Hawks (six of which were involved in accidents and were written off), were reacquired by the USAAC and were renumbered and designated P-36G to be later sold to Peru, as previously stated.
One aircraft crashed during a flight from Toronto to the United States. When the Norwegians disposed of their aircraft, they also sold the radio equipment, which the Peruvians did not need. Initially, they categorically refused to pay for the Lear radios, which were no longer needed there, but the firm stance of "Little Norway" meant that the additional $90,000 was regretted, and the radios were purchased along with the aircraft.

Sources:
1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk Part 1 (translated)
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk#Norway

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part ten. The Hawk in service with the Luftwaffe.

 

The Germans got some Hawks at the cheapest cost. They captured many of them in France after its surrender. For instance, in Bourges, ten aircraft were found in advanced state of assembly. They were completed by specialists from Arado, but they all were most likely lost during trials. Around 25 more Hawks were captured by the Germans in Chateauroux, and 20 or 21 more aircraft were found in French ports. Those aircraft were sent to Wuppertal plant, where their radio equipment was replaced with FuG-7a radios and their sights with Revi C-12s. A number of aircraft were captured at airfields, and some were later used for familiarization flights for selected German pilots.
In fact, between August and October 1940 one staffel, 7/JG.77 based in Brittany, flew at least twelve H75s. Some were also employed by the Jagdfliegerschule 4, near Nuremberg. 
In November 1942 Germany invaded Vichy France, putting an end to the "Free" French zone, seizing the Hawks still present there too, among many other war material. 
However, most Hawks were in such sorry state that were beyond repair. At least 13 and 19 at most were also captured in Norway, when Germany invaded in 1940.
Most of the Hawks were handed to Finland.


 

Sources:
1st AJ Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk (translated)
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk#Nazi_Germany

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part nine. The Hawk in Finland.

 

Finland became one of Germany's allies, not out of any sympathy for fascism. The main reason was its aggressive neighbour, the Soviet Union, which attacked the Nordic country by surprise on 30th November 1939, waging the so-called 'Winter War'. 
The heroic and effective of not just the Finnish army, but the entire Finnish society allowed Finland to keep its independence, albeit at the cost of some territorial losses. In this conflict the Soviets suffered very heavy losses, even if they were fighting an enemy several times weaker in numbers.

That stance won worldwide sympathy for the Finnish, but that sympathy soon faded away when Germany attacked the USSR and Finland sided with the Axis, as it was the only way to maintain their independence.
Finnish pilots were renown for their remarkable successes in aircraft deemed unsuitable for combat in other countries, like the American Brewster Buffalo. This was, of course, mainly due to the conditions they faced,. the abysmal quality of their equipment and the lack of experience of most Soviet pilots, faced with the determination with the Finnish pilots fought for their country. Among the aircraft that composed the Finnish Ilmavoimat (Air Force) there were also some Curtiss Hawks.

The first Hawks delivered to Finland were sent by the Germans, after the conquest of Norway. These consisted on several A-6 models delivered in the spring of 1941. After Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, additional Hawks were delivered to Finland, this time captured from the French. The Hawks of this batch included seven A-4 and nine A-2/A-3. The next delivery took place between 28th July and 2nd August 1941 and included 11 Hawk 75A-1, one A-3 and one A-6. Two more A-3 arrived in Finland on 4th and 5th December 1941.
Many of those ex-French aircraft were only now being unpacked from the crates in which they were shipped across the Atlantic, as they were not assembled before the fall of France. 
In the Finnish workshops, where they were being now assembled, their radio equipment and sights were replaced by German Revi 3D or C/12D ones. 
In the spring of 1943, the Ilmavoimat received 15 additional Hawks, this time ex-Vichy France ones.

In total the Finns had 44 Hawks, including six A-1s, nine A-2s, nine A-3s, seven A-4s and thirteen A-6s. They affectionately nicknamed them "Curtissi" or "Sussu" (meaning 'sweetheart' in Suomi), but complains about their poor armament or problems with the Cyclone engines in their seven A-4s were common. At the turn of 1942/1943 only four A-4s remained operative and their engines were replaced with Twin Wasp ones.

In service with the Finns the Hawk was, overall well-liked with a good victory-to-loss ratio. In total Finns Hawks scored 190 and one-third kills for the loss of 15 of their own between 16th July 1941 and 27th July 1944, the dates of the Continuation War.
The Finnish Hawks were initially armed with either four or six 7.5mm machine guns. This was enough at the opening phases of the Continuation War, however, due to the increasing speeds and armour on Soviet aircraft, that arrangement was not powerful enough, so in 1942 the Finnish Valtion lentokonetehdas (State Aircraft Factory) replaced the fuselage machine guns with either one or to .50 in (12.7mm) Colt or Browning FN machine guns and installed two or four .303 in (7.7mm)  Browning machine guns in each wing. Some cannibalized 12.7mm Berezin UB or LKk/42 heavy machine guns were also employed. This new arrangement did not change the good flying characteristics of the Hawks and the armament was much more effective against Soviet aircraft. 

After Continuation and Lapland Wars, surviving Finnish Hawks remained in service with various Ilmavoimat squadrons, namely HLeLv 13, 11 and LeSK (training unit) until 30th August 1948 when the last operational Finnish Hawks were put into storage. In 1953 they were scrapped.

Sources:
1st AJ Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk part 1
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk#Finland

Curtiss Hawk 75A/Mohawk. Part Eight. In service with the Royal Air Force.

 

The Curtiss Hawk 75 also served with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It all dates back when the Franco-British purchase committees decided to coordinate their activities, which proved to be an excellent idea, albeit rather risky. Aircraft production orders in the United States for both countries were closely linked, and cancelling contracts with one could mean, at best, delays in deliveries with the other. Furthermore, it would also mean the renegotiation of prices. Since Great Britain was unable to produce enough aircraft at the beginning of the war, it relied heavily on supplies from the United States. 
At the same time, by spring 1940 it was becoming obvious that France would fall soon, leaving the United Kingdom as the only bastion in Europe holding back the German war machine. In this situation, commission chairman Arthur Parvis could not allow the American contracts to fall through. On 15th June 1940 he received a confidential message from London telling that France could capitulate at any moment and therefore, appropriate measures should be taken to secure the ordered equipment which was still in American soil. 
That same day, at midnight, Purvis received authorization from London to take every steep needed to save British orders. French Colonel Jacquin, residing at the Rockefeller Center, in New York and serving on the French commission on behalf of his government, met up with Purvis on 16th June. The Frenchman was well aware that the war was already lost for his country, and after discussion, it was decided that Great Britain would take over all remaining French orders.
There was a strong need of urgency, because with the resignation government in Paris, all authority held by the commission members in the US was terminated. On 17th June the French signed the relevant documents almost simultaneously with Marshal Petain's announcement of surrender, signed four days later. By then, however, all equipment originally intended for France, already belonged to Great Britain. That same day, the equipment remaining in the US destined for shipment, was secured and all French assets were frozen.

At this same time, many French Hawk 75 were landing in England, fleeing from the German invasion, crossing the English Channel. Among them were pilots of the A-1, A-2 and A-3 versions of the Hawk 75. In this way a small numbers of them ended in the RAF. A few more A-3s came directly from the United States, but these were aircraft that did not make it to their original destination in France and the ships that they were loaded in, were diverted to England, while on sea. Alongside those, five more Hawk 75A-6 from a Norwegian order, wich was also never fully fulfilled, ended up in British hands. However, the largest number of Hawks delivered to Great Britain came from the third French order and represented the A-4 variant. 
Individual aircraft received RAF registration numbers and the name 'Mohawk', with the Mohawk Mk. I being the Hawk 75A-1, Mohawk Mk. II, the 75A-2 and so on, depending on the version. It is estimated that there were around 196 of the Mohawk Mk. IV (Hawk 75A-4). However, it should be remembered that ten Hawk 75A-9 previously intended for Persia and five A-5s manufactured in India were also designated at Mohawk Mk. IV. The total amount of A-4s coming from France remains unknown, although it is estimated at 233 to 260 (255 plus 5 Indian ones). 

Given that the earlier Mohawk I and II version, were equipped with a much less powerful engine, they were transferred to training units as training aids for mechanics. They were also frequently used for various tests. Similarly, the Mohawk IVs were not considered equal to the British Hurricanes and Spitfires, but rather served as a reserve in case of disruptions in the supply of those British fighters.
All ex-French aircraft were first transferred to Burtonwood Aircraft Repair Depot in a gradual fashion, where instruments were replaced with those calibrated in British units, and British radio equipment and armament were installed. Instead of the Belgian-made machine guns, the Mohawks were equipped with British 7.7mm (0.303 in) Browning machine guns. It also became necessary to re-adjust the throttle lever movement to the standard pattern used everywhere except in France. It was at Burtonwood where those fighter were repainted in standard RAF day fighter camouflage. 

Mohawks weren't specially popular in the RAF, just like any other radial-engined fighter, except for the Gloster Gladiator. Pilots might had fewer reservations about them, but mechanics often quibbled. American fighters required American spare parts and American tools to operate. Even if a set of tools was included with each wooden crate containing a disassembled Hawk, they wore out quickly and, it's should be pointed that not all aircraft arrived in England disassembled. Even rivets of a diameter not used in the RAF posed a problem, not to mention the Wright engines, which had not been used in British aircraft until then. Furthermore, in 1941 the production of the Hawk 75 was completely discontinued and replaced by the Curtiss P-40, ceasing consequently the production of spare parts for the Hawk 75. In this situation, the British Mohawks quickly found themselves in secondary theatres of the the war, such as Abyssinia and India-Burma. 
In this theatre it was employed by Nos. 5 and 155 Squadrons, which saw some combat against Japanese fighters during 1942. However, as obsolete as they were, the type was mainly employed in bomber escort and ground attack duties until it was retired definitely in 1944. Some few units in the British Isles, No. 510 Squadron among them, also employed some old Mohawk III as squadron hacks during 1943.

It's also worth pointing that the Hawk 75 flew comparative flight tests against the Spitfire Mk. I. These took place between 29th December 1939 and 13th January 1940 at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, with the Hawk 75A-2 (No. 188 -coming from the French order-) being declared as winner. It turned out that, aside from top speed and dive acceleration, the Hawk outperformed its rival every aspect. It was more agile, climbed faster and dived at higher speeds. Pilots also found it more pleasant to fly, take off and land thanks to its more stable landing gear. 
However, while the Hawk could easily outmanoeuvre the Spitfire and get on its tail, the British fighter could simply escape without any problems, taking advantage of its considerable speed advantage.

 

Sources:
1st AJ-Press - Monografie Lotnicze 61 - Curtiss P-36 Hawk Part 1 (translated)
2nd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-36_Hawk