American Eagles 4 - P 51 Mustang Units of the 8th AF.pdf - Classicolours - Gichon

·51 MUSTA G

UNITS OF THE

TH AIR FO CE

AMERICAN EAGLES

alld conflguratioll are

ollly visually dlstillgulshable

by Ihe markillgs carried, this

pailltwork servillg to provide

individual/dent/lies and, in

tbe case oJ 111illtary ",aeb/lles,

oftell ullil asslgllmellt alld

lactical markillgs,

Additiollalf.n unofficial

adornments are also

sometimes applied by

operatillg personnel. The

paintwork, in fact, ojten

bestows to the inanimate an intangible properly akin to personality During

fbe Second \Vorld \Var, the most varied and coloill/til aircraft markings were

undoubtedly those of the United States Anny Ail' Forces, providillg a SUbject

offasci,wtlllg complexity This series ofpublications endeavours to COl'er all

aspects of camouflage a,ul markillgs as carried by the fighter aircraft t)1Jes

servlllg wllb the Eighth tmd Nillth Ail' Forces ill tbe Europeall Tbeatre of

Operatiolls (ETO) betweell 1942 alld 1945.

The in/ormatio1l provided I" these studies 1101 only offers fbe researclJer a

valuable reference source, and enables artists and model/ers (0 make

accurate representations of the aircraft operated by these forces, it also aids

the Idelllijicatioll ofsubjecls ill pbotographs. KIIOWIl cbanges ill aircraft

markillgs call sometimes date (J pholograph to tbe day it was takell.

The photographs reproduced ill tbese books bave ill tbe /1/osl part beell

selecled to show partlCIIlar /1/arkillgs ill detail, &llId ill the case of tbe P-51

Mustallg, Ihe variety ofschemes is cOllsiderable.

Of Ihe primary ftgbter types IlSed by Ihe USA ill Ihe ETO, tbe Mustallg

became tbe prillclple escort for beau)' bombers. Tbere we,,, over 1,700 ill

service b)' tbe end of hostililies, tbe majorit)'witb Ibe 14 figbler groups of

the Eighth Air Force, and it is tbe decor of these ullits'MllStangs wllb u'bicb

this publlcalion Is primarily concenretl.

CLASSIC

ANOI'E' Only a handl'ulo(MlftWlp.., I~ j5.\nl FG ~co;I:t.m ~

p>.inl.~'I\iIlWnbnna"~ P-510 Pnulnlff ·'b(~"'~2111 Ul.() bnnIt_

MlChaircran_hMd<b.rt;~3ppbNlothl:~ol~ftn

~1Ipbnc'2n<l .. 1np.

ACKNO~EMEHTS

The Author wishes to thank the (ollowing individuals for their generous help in

prOVIding material, information and other assistance for this monograph:

T Bell, Marl< Copeland, Graham Cross, R Gorsline, Steve Gotts, Marc Hamel,

M Havelaar, Bill Hess, A Krieger, R Kuhnert, Ian Mactaggart, Dick Martin,

Merle Olmsted, Michael O'Leary, Peter Randall, Bruce Robertson, R Saffro,

T Smith, Sam Sox Jr, G Weckbacher, J Weidmann, R Williams

Anyone seeking further information on Individual Eighth Air Force P·51 identities

IS recommended to visit Peter Randall's website: www.UWeFriends.co.uk

AIr" rn.''4d. No ~1 01 thts book may be reproctuoed 0( transmltteclln any fOfm Of by ant means.

electTonc Of rnec:MnalI ~~ (W by any InformatJon ltora&e and retrieval system wtthout

perTYUsaon tram the Pubbhef Itl wrtm&.

o Aoter Fr.,..,..., 2003

o ~ Ntwotk ....., I.aa1ref 2003

Proo.ced bJ Owwon ~ l.JmIted

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Pr'wQd by .... Alan Pr1rlbn& ltd. ~. Sw"rey KT12 ARC

VIM .. a..c ~ webMe. www.eJaI,~.co.uk

AFHlIOo'H08 (lJIlIWIV)

3 BROOKLEY AVENUE BOX ..

IIOUMGAFIOC _

Roger A Freeman, Janua~,' 2003

A ircraft of the same modet

First pt.Clbhed 2003

LSBH l903223199

2 • P-51 Mustang Units of the ElgJlth Air Force

The P-51 Mustang and Derivatives • 3

The P-51 Mustang and Derivatives

The Mustq. lOdi5PUtably one of the most successful aircraft of the 5econd WOf1d War,

was ~ as a ~ sl~seat fighter. The deSign originated 'rom an

approach In 1940 by the Bntlsh Purchasing CommIssion to NOfth American Aviation Inc 10 build

Curtlss P-40s under licence. North Amcncan, offenng to produce 8 boner design WithIn an

eltCepOOnally shaft lime span, completed the prOtotype (designated the NA-73) in just 100 days.

\'uth fiJ"o'OUf8tlk! approval 'rom the BrItish purchasers. the NA-73 was put Into production 8S the

Mustang I. the first productJon dehvenes betng made late tn 1941.

As the US Army A4r Corps considered production of the Mustang .foreign buslI"less'.

I we IftteteSt was sho¥on. apart from the 8CQUISllJOn of two expenmental exarn!*s that were

gM!n the ~ XP-51. Ent~ Royal Au Force (RAF) serw::e earty ~n 1942. the Mustar'l&

....as employed as a tactJcaf re<:onnalssance figtltef tOt direct support of Wound forces. AIthol.Ch

the type I'\ed an ~t bfHevel perf~. Its AIlI$Ol"l et'lI'ne lacked the necessary

suPerChat~ tot ma.n~ tun powet' at tugh allrtUdes. As good hlgr..altltude performance

"as 1JTIC)er8lM! for successful COl'T'lbat WIth the current enemy rCJ'lter types encountered OYer

north-west Europe 8t this date. the Mustang was rele&8ted to the kJw.4evel taetic81 role, where

ItS exceplJonaI endUrance prayed a boon.

AIthou&7l the RAF had no pressing requirement for a !onC.f8nge fighter In 1942. primarlly at

the lnSbg8l1on of ROIls-Royce. a handful of Mustang Is had Merlin efl&lnes Installed for

~tal purposes. With the Merlin 60 seoes ~ne. the Mustana's hlgtHlttltude

performance pr~ outstandtng. Ieacbng to the Installauon of similar model Packard-buitt

o\1ertIns on the Muslq produc;tJon lIneS durlng 1943.

To keep the productJon hne5 open after the first BnUSh purehases of Mus~ had been

5UPI)&ed. the UnIted States Atmy AM Forces (USMF) placed Ofder$ tOf IIJTlIted numbers ot

~ P-Sl models, notabfy the P-51A and A-36A. the latter be... a dfYe.bOmber

~ at the former. Influenced by RAF~. the USMF consKIered the type a laCtJCal

fiCt4et that was to be em~ Il'I fChtef-bornber Of tighter-i'econnalSsante r~, The flf'St

prodlcbon Merlln·powered Muslar'CS. desCnated the P·51B. were also to be assigned to

taet.lCal fet'Jtef unrts when sent to the UK Il'I the auturM ot 1943

At thts time. WIth the EJghth AJr Force's daylrght bombing C¥I'lpalgn ~n trlsls due to heavy

1OS:56. the need fOf a lOng-nJnge fighter escort was ImperatNe. However. the first P·51Bs had

been sent to the N,nth Alr Force. tasked 'WIth givl:ng t8CtJCal air support to the tand fOfces in the

forthcomlllC Ctou-Channel ~1On of Europe, As soon as the Eighth Alr Force became 8W8Ie

of the MuSt8nC's potentJal as alOrl&~ fighter. It was wven prIorlty tOf the type.

.... Ith Internal fuet tankaee IMf1I the P-518 a 4OOml5e radIus of 8CUOrl. and 'WIth lIUJUlllVy

·drop· tanks extendInI lhls to rNfI( 600 tTltJes. the MustarC at last offered the means of

prowlnC escorl tor EH 7s and 8-24s to and from IJt'rY contlnerlt8t weat lhey m'iM attlleX.

Of the NIl"Ith Ail Force's three P·S18I1QUPS. one was uaotSferred to the ElItlth In exchan&e

for • P-47 &rOUP and the OCher two flew l.Wlder vm F'Chter Convnanc:I conl101 tor some months

By Febr'*Y 1944 VIII fi&tlter Command had plans to COf'IIIel't 811 of Its P·38lChtnIrC and P47

ThLIl'Ic:lerbolt lTou~ to P·5ls. but the prOCfaTme toc* 11 months to complete. such was the

detMnd from 0Chet theatres of "'1It for the Mustane-

The first UK arrivals

Eatty prodt.Jct)on P·S1Bs were Inttlally shipped 10 the UK dunn& 5ePlember.october 1943. and

-ete ~ to eQt,lIP Ihtee Ninth AJr Force fChter aroups. As receiVed. the MustanCS were

pcwtted In the then .tandard USMF canoufIa&e scheme of Dark OlIVe Drab (shade 41)

uppetSUftacn WId Neuer" Gllrf (Made 43) Irtdet'SUffacn. The .ptMer was o.n OlIVe Drab.

£Mfy producbon ..,Ctal'l featuted the fll'lt vefSlOtl at the '.tat WId bet· Muon" IMcnaa with

• ted surrCU'ld. but most ..rcraft thM reached the UK had the blue SUfround. Of had th.. ~

e-nted befOl'e rNChll'll ~OM. On the fusetaIe. the dlImelef of the central btue dlK w,th

the wt'lrte ~ was JO 1I"IChes. centred 36 ItlCI'IeS for..-ard of .tatlOtl 248 {reat of the tad'atOf

MdIOfl On the UOP8f 'eft WId lower rem" rc SUffacet the naflOt"l8llOSll"" 'Wat centred on

.ut.lOl"l 186. klcM.ed .. the outwatd end of the tnm tab. and approXImately 551 111nChe. from

the w.,. oP The ~ of the centr81 ckMce 'Was 35 Inche•. The ~ttIOntnc and .Ile of the

- .........

nauonal InSignia on USMF" Merl~ MustangS was cons,slent lhrCll.JChout the proctuctJon

runs at both North Arl"IeOcan Avlauon taetOfIes prodUCII''I P-51s. apart Irom the odd deYlalIOn In

apphcatlon. The standard InSignia Blue (Shade 47) was noueeably l.ghter on some alrcratt. and

this was believed due to a V8I1atJOl"l In paint manufaeture.

Individual &lrcraft data - model. serial number. crew weight and fuel-serVICmg - was applied

In black 1 1 12'1nch and Inch high block characters on the lett side of the tuselage Just forward ot

the cockpit as standard USAAF practice, The sertal number. less the leading 4 and hyphen, was

repeated on both sides of the fin and rudder. Originally known as the 'radio call' numbel'. and

providing a more visual version of the serlal. It later became generally known sImply as the 'lall

number'. Painted In k:\entlflC8tlOO YellOw (shade 48). the numerals were elghllncheS high.....Ith

two-lnch spacing. With fTv&<hilt tall numbers. two were stencilled onto the fin and ttvee on the

rudder. SUl-dllJl numbers had three each on the tin and rudder. The tops of the runerals 'Were

two Inches belOw 8 line taken Irom the bottom of the rudder trim tab.

The mstonty of Instruc:tlOr\al rnarturcs were In black inch hegh characters. a notable

excep{1Ofl being the No Step WIth the redl-shaped device on the uppersurtace of the left flap

by the WIng root faln~

The 354th Fighter Group

The first of the three Ninth Alr Force groups to be eQuipped wrtll the P·51B. the 354th Fighter

Group (FG) arrived In the UK at the begmning of November 1943, Its personnel had trained

mostly on P-39 Alracobras. and few If any had flown P-51s In the USA, as had the ptlolS of the

fOllowlO& &1oups, the 357th and 363rd. wtllch arrived at the end of the year, The 354tJ'1. upon

receiving its first aircraft crt Greentlam Common. In BerkShlfe. rTlOYed dunng the second week

of November to Boxted. near Colchester In Es5eJl. 'Ntuch became rts combat statton.

paanttdonP.~I&of

Ow ~"uh K. bri>n:'

,,~

r>pc1'Iuor..... 'C'R'

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l'OOJn.'fh<'w ..·... R'

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UtI'oho-"hr

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oIomcn... ~of~

l'riIoQ .. 'tR'not;ahl7)~

lI\lc:Wlbrdt~u.'C'

By mid-NoYemt>er (I syslem of uM mat1lings had been

devlsed whereby the 8Ircraft of the group's 353l'd. 355tJ'1

Mld 356th FSs would be ldentlfte<l 8S A. B and C. Indivldual

aircraft 'WIthin each squadron were to be ldentllled by

dIfferent letters. The squadron and Indl\1dual aircraft

letters were painted tOiettler In h&ht Ire)' on the rear

fusel. In app«)umalely l~nch h'lh letters. HoweYer.

thIS system ....as shOrl-ff'o'ed. and tew 8IrCf8ft actually had

the Ielttn apphed. All eUlmple IS 43-12488 of the

353rd FS, 'NhiCh earned the }etters AM

By the d.8te of the 354th·S Introductory operahon

(a ftIJ'lter Sweee:J on 1 December 19431. AIr M,n,suy SO 110

codes had been lSSoed and appl~. The 353rd FS',

oomblnatlon was n. the 355th', GQ and the 356th's AJ.

1UG1".t.\OIJELQil

ThroM -.kit,oorW

4 • P-51 Mustang Units of the Eighth Air Force

The P·51 Mustang and Derivatives • 5

As WIth the USAAf"s 11-47 Thunderbolts lIlat were alread)' operatIng In the UK, the Mustang'S

Uf\It letters were pcl.Itlted If'I white 24-4nch t\l£h block caPItals forward of the natlonallnsrg,n18 on

both SIdes of the fusetaee. On Mis. the honzontal panel line above the bat of the natlOtlal

lI'\SCnt8. and extendu'l& forward belOw the cockpit edie. 'Was used as the upPer limit in the

~ 01 the squadron letters. The indMc:tlJlW P!8ne-4n-sQUaC!ron letter was usually placed

wnh the forward edge dose to 'tabOo 248 on both ~s ot the fuselage.

M,r~ the concern that the Thundefbott would be mIStaken rot the Fw 190 because of

,ts radaaI~. there was a belief that a ft&tltet' WIth SQU8fft cut Wing tips migJ\t be erroneously

ldenllfied as a Bf 109. ~e number of lnterQepllons of P·S1s by P-47 and P-38 ptlots in

the ~ foItowvc the 354th's ....lrOduc:tJon to combat operaUOtlS Oller enemy tefntory. type

ldentJty ~s 'lIlefe lntIoduced !WI'lIl.ar to those used by AM Mustqs In 1942.

As .... Ith ThundetboIls. 'NhIte bandIrc was applied to nose and tal swfaces. and addIttonalIy

.-olrId each 'lfWY'C. Issued on 20 Dec:etnber 1943. the ordef specified the fOl~apphcatJon In

wtvte: IX'opeIet $pIl"net and a l2tnch wide bend ~ the nose dtre<:tIy aft; a 12.ft:h -:Ie

hOrUontaI bind IWOU'W:t the !'in and f1.Iddet. ""M the toP edge 18 InCheS below the l'in tip: a 15-rch

""..band MOU'ld each tal/ptane, centred 33 n::hes from the lIPS: and a 1~ ww:te band around

each ""... ~ 15 tt from the tips, ""lth the IMef edIe n.rwq 8fC8In$t the tnalI"l 'Nheel

~. ""* some at the appIcatJon WOl1I was performed '1')o(he.1'leld' by seMOe squadrons,

most was ca-ned C)U( 8( Base AN Depots before the am::taft 'IrI'ere I$sued to front line lrits.

effect when painted onto a 'silver' P-Sl. Code letters were also paInted In black on bare metal

finishes when these aIrcraft reached squadrons

The first 'silver' Mustang to reach a combat unit In the UK was P·51B-l senal 43-12437.

'fttlJch was declared unsUItable for combat use, and thereafter used for operational tr8lmr~ by

the 354th FG at Boxted. thIS parbC\Jlar Mustenc'S camouflage pCMt had been ren'lOY'e(j by

groundcrewmen of the 356th FS at the filhter station early In February 1944, but shortly

afterwards, on 10 March, the war-weary mactllne was destroyed In a fatal crash.

nt L()III. The .~'nh f(,

.~~ppnI.1lh

\l~ ... bik

)UlJllnnl.u Ib>don in

"utIoIk. ... IltlIfUtft-ol

The First Eighth Air Force Mustangs

..... _~-nl, ..

~npcnn'll.T

IlodtJillhmlknc-do-__

fromlhtU41hf(.

P'i18 n'('~\1 ... ~

ant vi the' tina rndonI

toroptnlolwulu:lC'

,.....,<Ml

The first Mustang obtalfle(l by the EIghth AIr Force was an RAf Mar1l; I In 'IWtl1Ch Rolls-Royce had

~nst8l1ed a Mertln er"C.Ine, 5eflt to Bovlngdon, in Hertfordshlre. for evaluatIOn by VIII fi&11ter

Commaf1cfs ";r TechniCal SectJon, It was given a standard USAAf camouf\age scheme of ()1M!

Drab and NewaI Grey and later the white type ICIentJty bands as well. Powered by a Mer11n 65

and deslgl\ated 8 Mustane X, the (ehter's RAf seoaI (AM121) was painted on the fin In USMF

fashIOn, and the code VQ-R was applied on the fuselage In wt\lte.

The first EIghth Air Force P·51B fJ&hter group,

the 357th, was obt81ned from the Nlflth Air Force

in an excharCe for the P-47'-8q\,lIpped 3S8th FG-

the two groups exchan&ed bases at the end of

January 1944, the 357th mcMn& trom R8)'don to

Lelston (both In Suffolk) and the 358th the

reverse. At this time, the 354th FG. wtllch had

flown Its first combat mISSion on 1 December

1943, was stdl operatll'\& under VUl AiNer

Command control, and continued to do so for

some time to come. The 357th FG Mustangs did

not join the 354th on combat mIssions until 11

February 1944.

Silver Mustangs

~ USMF dirlllCtNe to manufacturers to dlSCOfltJnue eatr'IOUfIaee PBlnt was effected on the

770th P-518 IWtrame (senaJ 43-7083) at In&Jewood. C8l1fomUt, in December 1943. On thiS and

8fI ~ atrcnlft, the \all number was painted In black. An area forward 01 the wtndstueld

~ forward to the SJ)llYIel" was paIfIted oIr.oe drab as an anti-glare measure.

A second source of Mer1Ln Mu5tane production, astebllshed in Dallas, Texas, In 1943,

cornrnenced delNel1es of P-51C models, whICh ......ere VIrtually IdentJcal to P·51Bs, In November

of that year. The first 200 P·SICs were accePted by the USAAF In a camouflage finiSh 0' Dar1l

()INe Ofeb uppersurfaces and Neutral Gray undersurfaces, WIth tail numbers in yellOw, With the

delivery of Blrcraft senal 42-103179, camoutJaee finish was ab8ndoned and tall numbers were

applied in black.

The tad numberS of the first three blocks of P-SICs were of seven dl&lts. four being painted

on the fin and three on the rudder. SpacIng between the numerals was one Inch. With a later

batch of P-51Bs havitlf, seveo-dtglt tall number$ (althou&h four fieures were painted on the fin

and three on the rudder, as ""rth the p-Sle). the spaclna between the figures was two Inches.

As P-SICs had a dc:M'rwated en&Ine, most of the Dallas-be,1I1t aIrcraft were supplied to taetkal

reconf\8lssance unrt.s

The 8trtval of P-51Bs In natural metaJ finish in Februaty 1944 led to type identity martlll"llS

be.,.. ordered In black. Meanwhile. adverse reports 01 the wMe band bteakltlC up the dlstlnctMl

1qU8(&<:ut Shape of the Mustane's tad - an Important recocrllUOfl feature - led to an order

iSsued on 23 MarCh 1944 requu'N'C the rerno¥8l of \his band. However, thtS only applied 10

Musuncs ll"I canounace (1I\l$h. and the bt8ck band contItlUed to be applied to the fin and rudder

of ur'lp8Inted .. retatL It IS asSl.med that thts rner1unC did not have the same Visually dlS{up\Ne

_ ... .-.......

1IIIWlo\oC~Thc

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The 3S7ttf, trio of squadron, - the 362nd, 363n:1 and 364th FSs - were ident1f\ed by the

c:odes G4, B6 and CS respectrvety. TheM loWlltS were amc:lfC the first USAAf squadrons to be

issued ....,th SO 110 ~r Mlnl!WY c:odeS ¥Itl1Ch It'lOOl"POftlted • numeral and • letter Ir'\Stead of two

letters. Thl' ehqe .....s brooCht 8bovt by the Iar&& I'lUT\bef of ne'tfIt squadrons enter-. semoe

""Ith both the RN and USAAf In the UK, e.tJ\8USllnC the ~18bIe tweHe.ttef comblnatl(M"ls. The

3S7th FG', squadron. parnted u..r codes and lndMduel .. rcqft letters If'l slInder we and

p1ecemeot to 3~th FG Mint.,.... end In the process estebltShed ••tandard tor ... USAAf

MU't8t'C'""th unit .sscnment In the ETO.

IJEJ..fA ..'DULffr

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6 • P·51 Mustang Units of the Eighth Air Force

The P·51 Mustang and Derivatives • 7

p..,sl8-5-HA 43-6437 of the 335th FS/4th FG, DebcMn, M.,ch 1944

Painted In the standalrd ftnish for P..si1.s priof to the InttoductJon of briCht cokHlr maritJncs.

tNs akcraft was one of the orf&lnal complement 0' Merlin Mustane- received by the 4th FG

• Debden In lata February 1944. Upon Its .nh·... 43-6437 was Immedlate'Y Kqulred by

the croup commandlnc offker. U Col Donald Blakeslee. a. hi. petS0n.8l al,craft. It wa.

~ his favoured code mattdn&s wo.c. the C standlnl for 'ChJef CooJ\', taken from the

)oYlaf KCoIade bestowed by the RAF on someone who was InYOfved In all matte,. or

, ..ponslbillty. 'chlef cook and bottle washer'. Don Blakeslee t.ptac:ed thl. aircraft with

new rnetaI f'lnWl P-518 42-106726 In m~Apftl1944. and 43-6437 wa. In tum ,e-eoded

WD-V end used by other pikJU. It crashed In France att., beln, hit by &round tit. whilst

sttaftnc on 7 AUCUSt that NIne )'Ut. pilot Sydney Wadsworth belnc mlKkl _ PoW.

'lImL nOABOI"l"

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'doul!) Ih~ 0lMn

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Early ... February 1944. the P-4 7 ~Ipped 56th FG had recerved pet'm1S$1Of1 to paint the noses

of ItS aircraft In a different colour for each SQUIldron. Other f.ghter Units were not IOtW In fOOOYwlfl,

surt. end by earty March the 4th Fe 'Was palrrure the spuv'Ier$ end nose band or Its Mustangs

scarleL A few 357th FG P·S1s were also reported .... Ith yenow noses and bright coklurs SUTIllar In

style to the mar1<ircs that had apPeared on P-47s end P·38s fIowrl by other units

The full extent of the unoffICial apphcatJOn of bng1'lt COlOurs on EIghth AIr Force frghters

dunrc the laner part of February and earty March 1944 IS not known, but by ml(l.March

VIII F'lit'lter Command had called a halt. A plan was then deVeloped to prO\'lde a group ldentlty

feature With different ~ colours. As finally approved (although apparently Incorrectly posted

In some reports at the tlme), the groups of the 6Sth and 67th Fighter Wings wer~ to use SOlid

colours, and those of the 66th a checkerboard. On P-Sls, thIS would involVe the spinner and

the 12-lnch WIde type Identity band that encircled the nose, the latter dMded into Slx'inch

SQuares to form the checkerboard for the 66th Fighter Wing.

4th FG P-S15 would contInue to have red noses and 355th FG figtlters white. wtule the black

type ldentrty nose band on bare metal aircraft was replaced by an identical mar1ung In 'lfWtllte.

The 357th FG adorned its Mustanls With red and yellow eheckers, With the spinner dIVIded

equally Into three bands of red, yellOw and red. Groups yet to convert were also asslgrled

recognition colours - the 352nd FG blue. the 359th FG green and the 361st FG yellow, FInally,

the newly arrived 339th FG. which had orig,inally been

scheduled for service WIth the Nlnlh Air Force but had

been exchanged for the P-47 eqUipped 50th FG before Its

arnval In the UK, was to be assl£ned 10 the 66th F'tghler

Wing. and use red and white checkerboards.

The 352nd FG at Booney, In Norfolk, which

converted a SQuadron at a time 10 the Mustang from late

March 1944. applied a bright sky blue shade to the

noses of its P-Sls. The replocement of the .... -tute 12.. nch

Wide nose band 'lfWlth blue was 'oun<! to provide

InsuffICient contrast on 81rcraft in the camounaae finish.

HlU,. llu.uic

""",,on.Blr .lh~"

P'i18IW>l419QPUul

the- \.~llh Nlth F(.

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___ 11111,111.11

111~-I'\-".".'"

.......... M

By February 1944 the EJgtnh An Force. havlng secured pnOflty lOf Merlln-po'WCred P-Sls,

'lfWas pr~parlng to convert frve P-47 groups to the type, st8ftlng 'WIth the 4th FG at Debden, The

group's CO. It Col Don BlaJteslee. t\ad been loaned to the 354th FG to lead Its introductory

mlSS!OM. He t\ad been so taken 'lfWlth the Mustanl', potential that he persuaded Maj Gen

WI .am Kepner. Commanding General of VIII F'tChter Command, to let the 4th FG be the first to

shed Its P-47"Of P·5ls

A vahd point II'l 'avour 01 the 4th was that M\"eral of Its PI'ots were ex-RAF 'Eagle SQuadron'

men .... 00 h«I Mef11n efl&IOe ~xpenence tlylnc $pItfires (see Atnonc8n flWles 1: American

~teetS II'l the RAT 1937-1943). ~ flChter &roup undeft()()t( lts first operatIOn WItll Mustangs

on 25 February 1944 ~ron code mar1on&S rema.ned as C8fned on the P-47s. With the 334th

FS UWC QP. the 335ttl we and the 336th VF. The second Thu'1derbott group to convert to the

Mustanc.. the 355th FG. became operaoonllin Mowetl1944 Its UVee t!ylng UI'\Its wer~ the 354th.

351lh and 358th FSs. 'IfW th codes WR. OS and YF respec1Nery.

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.... tul~)""";l.-e.u

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American Eagles 4 - P 51 Mustang Units of the 8th AF.pdf

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