The US Army Air Corps (USAAC) had placed an order for 77 Seversky Model SEV-7s or AP-1s on 30 June 1936. These aircraft had equipped the following squadrons of the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Mt. Clemens, Michigan :
17th Pursuit Squadron from 1938 to 1940.
27th Pursuit Squadron from 1938 to 1941.
71st Pursuit Squadron in 1941.
94th Pursuit Squadron from 1938 to 1941.
Starting in 1941, the 1st Pursuit Group re-equipped with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
In June 1939, the company, now known as Republic Aviation, sold 120 EP-1-06s, export versions of the P-35 with a more powerful engine, to the Royal Swedish Air Force. Delivery of the aircraft began in 1939 but as John Nicholas states above, FDR signed an order on 24 October 1940 requisitioning all undelivered aircraft, a total of 60, and gave them to the USAAC where they were designated P-35A.
By late 1941, 48 of the P-35As had been shipped to the Philippine Islands and starting in November 1941, the newly arrived 34th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) at Del Carmen Field, Luzon was equipped with the P-35As. These aircraft were almost obsolete and lacked armor protection for the pilot and self-sealing fuel tanks. Del Carmen was located about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Clark Field, the main bomber base on Luzon. On the morning of Monday, 8 December 1941 (in the Philippines), the 34th was ordered to provide air cover for Clark Field. At 1130 hours, the aircraft were still on the ground awaiting orders. Another problem for the 34th was that a thick haze of dust was covering the field and this had delayed any possible takeoffs even after the order to takeoff had been received.
After reports of the Japanese attacks, some of the P-35As got off the ground to engage the enemy. The P-35s were consistently outmaneuvered and several of them were seriously damaged, but the pilots claimed three enemy aircraft shot down.
On Wednesday, 10 December, the Americans learned of a Japanese fleet was approaching Aparri on northern Luzon and five B-17s and P-40Es of the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) and the P-35As of the 34th Squadron were dispatched to attack the fleet. The P-35As were slower than the P-40Es and arrived later and began strafing runs against the Japanese ships. Two of the P-35As were lost.
By Christmas 1941, only eight of the P-35As were left and the 34th moved to Bataan. By March 1942, only two of the P-35As were left and both of them were destroyed before the surrender of American forces on Bataan in April 1942.
The US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton,
Ohio has the only known P-35A in existence. This aircraft served with the
94th Pursuit Squadron in 1941 and has been restored in the markings of the
squadron commander during that period. The squadron insignia on the
fuselage aft of the cockpit is confusing to people familiar with this
unit. During World War I, the 94th's squadron insignia was the famous
"Uncle Sam's hat in the ring." The insignia had been approved
for use on 15 November 1919 but was cancelled on 6 May 1924 because the
histories of the 94th and another World War I unit, the 103d Aero
Squadron, had been consolidated on 8 April 1924.
So the 94th adopted the 103d's insignia, an American Indian face with
full war bonnet and this was used throughout the 1920s and 1930s until
the application of squadron insignia on squadron aircraft was abolished
in early 1941. The "hat in the ring" insignia was reinstated on
9 July 1942 and is proudly used today by the 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st
Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Hampton, Virginia.
You can see photographs of the restored P-35A at:
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/early_years/ey14.htm
Jack McKillop