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Little Friends by Simon Smith. The aircraft in the foreground bears the name Alabama Rammer Jammer, the personal mount of 2/Lt Arthur Cundy ,352nd FS, 353rd FG. The 353rds yellow and black chequered nose bands were one of the most distinctive recognition features of all the Eighths fighter groups. |
Dove of Peace by David Pentland. P51D of Colonel Glenn Duncan C.O. of the 353rd Fighter Group, along with Betty-E flown by Lt. Colonel Wayne Blickenstaff, taking off on one of their last missions of the war, April 1945. |
Welcome Respite by Nicolas Trudgian. Wherever the GIs went they took their Jeeps with them, and before the war was run the little quarter-ton, 4-wheel drive, utility vehicle was as well known around the world as the Model T Ford. Nicolas Trudgian has painted a compelling image, set back in time when the little Jeep was omnipresent on and around the roads and battlefields of a war-torn world. It is Christmas 1944 and, as a gaggle of 339th FG P-51 Mustangs disturb the peace of this ancient English village, a little Jeep waits patiently outside the pub while her occupants sample the local ale. A wonderfully nostalgic painting that will bring back pleasant memories to many. |
Tribute to Joe Peterburs by Ivan Berryman. This is the moment when Joe Peterburs began his chase after German ace Walter Schuck's Messerschmitt Me262 on 10th April 1945, a combat that ended in victory for the American. But this was to be a day of mixed fortunes for Peterburs who was himself brought down some time later by ground fire whilst strafing an airfield. He was captured, but escaped and fought with a Russian tank unit to the battle of Wittenberg on the Elbe. |
The Tuskegee Airmen by Richard Taylor. P-51s of the famed Tuskegee Fighting Red Tails winding down at their airbase in Italy after a grueling long range bomber escort mission over occupied territory. |
Bringing the Peacemaker Home by Robert Taylor. Badly marked by Focke-Wulf 190's the B-17 The Peacemaker of the 91st Bomb Group limps towards the sanctuary of the English coast escorted by P-51B Mustangs of the 361st Fighter Group. To keep her flying the crew are jettisoning everything that they can. The Peacemaker made it back to Bassingbourne that day, eight others did not. |
Eagles of the Eighth by Nicolas Trudgian. Major Jim Goodson taxies his 4th (The Eagles) Fighter Group P-51 D Mustang at Debden following a mission to supply air support over the Normandy beaches soon after D-Day, June 1944. Having previously flown Spitfires and Hurricanes with the RAF, Spitfires with 133 Eagle Squadron, and P-47 Thunderbolts with the Fourth fighter group, Jim Goodson became one of the USAAFs top fighter pilots of WWII. |
Head for Home by Anthony Saunders. (APB) When a fighter escort with a bombers range first appeared over Berlin, Goering knew the end of the war was only a matter of time. when that particular fighter escort turned out to be the Mustang, perhaps the most outstanding of all WWII fighters, the time was all too short. Unlike the RAFs Spitfire and Hurricane, that had succeeded in the Battle of Britain, Goerings Luftwaffe failed to protect its own air space, leaving allied air forces unhampered to bomb Germany by both day and night. Two battle weary Mustangs of 357th Fighter Group, with ammunition spent and fuel low, have broken away from the main bomber force to head across the Channel for home. |
Take Him, Blue Two by Brian Bateman. (P) Urban Ben Drew scores his second victory, and his first aerial victory, as he claims a Bf109G over Lisieux, France in 1944. His wing leader, Martin Johnson, had his guns jammed as the twisting turning low level dogfight took place, so the frustrated leader quipped to Ben - take him Blue Two. With all four guns in working order Ben took over and shot him down as they passed over a French farmhouse. |
A Big Victory by Stan Stokes. On September 18, 1944 P-51 pilots of the 375th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group, based at Little Walden in Essex, were assigned the mission of escorting B-17s on a shuttle mission to Russia. The Mustangs would accompany the bombers to the south of Sweden where they would be picked up by an escort of Russian fighters. Urban Drew, flying a 51-D named Detroit Miss, was one of the USAAF pilots on this mission. Just before breaking off the escort Drew spotted a twin-engine German aircraft flying very low to the water. He broke off with two wingman and went down after the German plane. It turned out to be an He-111, most likely a courier plane from Scandinavia. He opened fire hitting the top gun position, circled around, and with his second burst set the aircraft afire. It tumbled into the Baltic. As Drew and his two wingman climbed back to altitude to rejoin their flight, he looked off to the right and spotted an enormous flying boat moored at a sea plane base on a lake. Drew called to his wingman and said, get lined astern immediately, and we will make one pass, and one pass only... lets see if we can burn and sink this mother. The three Mustangs commenced their attack with the element of surprise to their advantage. The three Mustangs poured about 1200 rounds of 50 caliber ammo into the behemoth, and as the third aircraft pulled up black smoke and flames were pouring from the target. It was not until that moment that anti-aircraft batteries opened fire, but the P-51s were quickly out of range. During the debriefing it was determined that their target was probably a Blohm and Voss BV-222. Years later, in 1974, while Drew was living in London, he was contacted by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) which wanted to do a documentary. It was only then that Drew found out that the aircraft he destroyed at the Bug Seaplane Base on Lake Schaal was actually the BV-238, the largest aircraft to see service in WW II. Development work on the Blohm and Voss BV-238 began in 1940. This was planned to be a very large overseas transport aircraft, and was powered by six 1900-HP Daimler-Benz inverted V-12 engines. It would be considerably larger than the BV-222 with a wingspan of nearly 200 feet, a height of nearly 44 feet, and an empty weight of more than 110,000 pounds. Although two other aircraft, the Douglas B-19 and the Soviet ANT.20, had longer wingspans, the BV-238 was the heaviest and most powerful aircraft developed during WW II. It was during the testing phase of this aircraft at Lake Schall in 1944 that the BV-238 was strafed and destroyed by a flight of three P-51s lead by Eighth Air Force ace Urban Drew. |
Top Cover by Stan Stokes. The painting depicts a P-51D Mustang (flown by William Bailey of the 353rd Fighter Group) flying escort for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The scene is over the French countryside during late 1944, and several more hours of high altitude flying lies ahead of these pilots before the days work is over. Bombing played a major role in the Allies victory in Europe. The RAF relied primarily on night bombing which was also called strategic bombing. Day time bombing was a necessity for hitting specific targets such as munition plants, dams, and submarine pens. The Mighty Eighth took on responsibility for most of the day time bombing missions. The hazards and discomforts of high altitude flying, the perils of enemy flak batteries, and the threat of enemy fighters made these missions exceedingly dangerous until only very late in the war. Fighter escort was critically important in improving the odds of a successful mission, and the P-51 became arguably the premier aircraft for providing that cover. The P-51 is generally acknowledged as Americas top fighter plane of World War II. The first Mustangs were ordered by the British Government in 1940. The USAAF was initially reluctant to order the Mustang, having already committed itself to the P-38 Lightning, the P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-40 Warhawk, and the P-39 Airacobra. In 1944 an improved version of the Mustang, the D, came off North American Aviations assembly line in California. It was dramatically altered from earlier versions, as major changes in fuselage design were incorporated to improve pilot visibility. The P-51D was powered by a Packard-built, Rolls Royce-designed, liquid cooled V-12 engine which generated 1,612 HP. The Mustang had a top speed of 436 MPH, a range of 949 miles, and an operational ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet. Nearly 8,000 P-51Ds were produced. In service with the USAAF Mustangs flew in excess of 200,000 missions, and were credited with destroying nearly 5,000 enemy aircraft. The Mustang was unique in its ability to provide long range fighter escort, and this greatly enhanced the effectiveness of Allied bombing missions. On returning from their escort missions Mustangs would generally split into squadrons and take varying routes home looking for targets of opportunity. |
Tribute to Clarence 'Bud' Anderson by Ivan Berryman. Painted with the black and white markings of the D-Day invasion, P-51 Mustang 43-24823 B6-S 'Old Crow' is the personal aircraft of 'Bud' Anderson. He flew two tours with the 363rd Fighter Squadron and is credited with 16.25 victories in 116 missions from February to December 1944. After the war he became a test pilot, flying over 100 different aircraft types before retiring in 1972, often speaking at aviation history events ever since. As of the time of writing in 2023, he is 101 years old and has just been promoted to the honorary rank of Brigadier General. |
Red Tails by Ivan Berryman. Often described as the most effective fighter escorts in the US Army Air Force, the famous red-tailed Tuskegee airmen could proudly boast that they never lost a single bomber to enemy fighters in all the missions flown. Nearest aircraft here is the P51C of Lt. Lee A Archer Jr, who finished the war with four confirmed victories and one shared. His personal aircraft was named Ina the Macon Belle after his wife. |
Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. With the morning sun glinting on their fuselages, P-51 Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group cross the Dutch coastline far below, as they head back towards their base at Duxford, England at the end of a long sweep east of the Rhine crossing, Spring 1945. The final months of the war in Europe lie ahead, and for the P-51 pilots victory is within sight. Finally, after years of toil, the sky was theirs. |
Last Man Home by Nicolas Trudgian. In a scene that was repeated almost daily throughout the long war years, the pilots of the 357th Fighter Group have returned from a gruelling mission to their base in Leiston, Suffolk. As they clamber out of their aircraft, all eyes are turned anxiously skyward, awaiting the return of the last man home. |
Big Beautiful Doll by Stan Stokes. Col. John D. Landers, the pilot of the Big Beautiful Doll, was born in 1920 in Wilson, Oklahoma. He attended Texas A & M and Arkansas State University before joining the Army Air Corp. In March of 1941 Landers graduated from aviation cadet training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. With America thrust into WWII following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Landers was assigned to the 49th Fighter Group and set forth to Australia. Flying a Curtis P-40 out of bases in Darwin and Port Moresby, Landers became an ace by downing two Betty bombers and four Mitsubishi Zeros. When his first combat tour ended, Landers returned to the States as a P-38 Lightning instructor. During a second combat tour Landers was assigned to the European Theatre as Commander of the 38th Fighter Squadron of the 55th Fighter Group. On June 25th 1944 Landers downed his first German aircraft, an Fw190. Several days later he would bag three Me110s on a single day. Later in 1944 Landers was made acting Commander of the 357th Fighter Group. Flying a P-51 Mustang for the first time he obtained an aerial victory on November 18th. Landers returned to America for a brief rest following completion of his second combat tour. However, by January of 1945 he was back in action as C.O. of the 78th Fighter Group which flew out of Duxford, England. Landers attained 3 ½ additional confirmed aerial victories and destroyed many additional enemy aircraft on the ground. In fact the 78th Fighter Group destroyed 125 German aircraft on the ground on April 16th 1945, which is a record for one day. After V.E. Day Landers was given command of the 361st Fighter Group which he was preparing to take to the Pacific when the war ended. Officially credited with 14 ½ aerial victories, Landers decorations include the Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with three OLCs, the Purple Heart, the Croix de Guerre, and the Air Medal with twenty-one OLCs. The ace returned to civilian life after the war where he was active in the pipeline business in the Southwest. He retired in 1975, and passed away in 1989 from complications during surgery. The P-51 Mustang played a major role in the Allied victory in WWII. The P-51 was the first fighter with the range to accompany bombers into Germany, and tangle with the best of the Luftwaffes fighters on an equal basis. Many Mustangs carried unique personalized paint schemes. The Big Beautiful Doll is considered by many to be one of the classics with its checker board cowling, black rudder, and red accents. |
Checkertail Clan by Nicolas Trudgian With their brightly coloured checkertail tails there was no mistaking the P.51 Mustangs of the 325th Fighter Group. Escorting B-24s over Austria in August 1944, tangled with a group of Fw190 fighters. The ensuing dogfight spiraled down below the mountain peaks as Herky Green led the Checkertails in a low-level chase. Herky nails one Fw190. Behind him his pilots will take out the two Fw190. When all is done this day the 325th will be credited with 15 enemy fighters destroyed. |
Dogfight over Asch, Belgium, 09.20 a.m., New Years Day, 1st January 1945 by David Pentland. As the four P51D Mustangs of Major William T Haltons Yellow Flight, 487th Fighter Squadron took off from Asch, they found themselves in the middle of a massive German attack. That New Years Day the Luftwaffe had launched hundreds of aircraft in low level raids against the allied airfields across Northern France and Belgium. The unexpected take-off by the 487th however, ended Jagdgeswader 11s chances of success, with Yellow Flight alone claiming 9 enemy aircraft destroyed. |
Jet Hunters by Robert Taylor. On 10th April 1945, thirteen hundred bombers of the Mighty Eighth set out to destroy the last of the Luftwaffe's jet force. But, unknown to the bomber crews and their fighter escort, the enemy jets were already airborne and waiting to spring their deadly trap. As the war in mainland Europe entered its final, bloody phase, the German Armies defending Berlin fought on with a savage determination, slowly disintegrating before the mighty weapon of war unleashed against them. What remained of the Luftwaffe was mercilessly pounded from the air, their airfields hammered relentlessly. Aircraft, fuel, spare parts, ammunition and pilots all in short supply but still they fought on, with deadly effect. At the forefront of the German offensive and pivotal during the defence of the Reich, were the highly advanced jet fighters of the Luftwaffe, and in particular the legendary Me262. B17s of the First Air Division with streaming contrails in the cold clear air as they turn for home. Several Me262s have already torn through the massed formation, but a P-51 from the escorting 356th Fighter Group has quickly spotted his target and presses home his attack. The hunter becomes the hunted as the Mustang pilot, Wayne Gatlin, skillfully positions himself behind the Me262 ready for the kill. Throughout the final stages of the war there were many examples of the determination and skill of Allied pilots flying slower piston-engined fighters triumphing over the cream of the Luftwaffe in their highly advanced but often temperamental jet fighters. |
The First Mustang Ace by Stan Stokes. The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. In Stan Stokes painting, Russos third victory is depicted over a JU-52 at the Aversano Airfield in Italy. The early USAAF fighter versions of the Mustang were designated as P-51As. About 650 were delivered to the RAF and 350 to the USAAF. With its Allison engine the early P-51s were no match for German Bf-109s or FW-190s. The performance drawbacks of the Mustang were especially apparent at higher altitudes. The RAF equipped some Mustangs with the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. This dramatically enhanced the Mustangs high altitude performance. This new engine was utilized in the P-51B, the first effective fighter version of this aircraft. Also developed were inexpensive wing mounted drop tanks which extended the Mustangs range into the heart of Germany, so it could accompany American bombers on daylight raids. Late in 1943, North American redesigned the top of the rear fuselage of the Mustang, and added a bubble canopy. This variant became the P-51D and proved to be an effective dog fighting aircraft against any of the Luftwaffes propeller driven fighters. |
Detroit Miss by Brian Bateman. (P) Urban Ben Drew in his P-51 Mustang Detroit Miss claiming his fifth victory to become an Ace. The German Heinkel He111 was over the Baltic Sea on 18th September 1944 when it was spotted by Ben. Attempting to escape Ben and the two other Mustangs with him, the German aircraft made for the coast, but was shot down and plunged into the sea before making landfall. |
Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. |
| Top Aces for : Mustang | |
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown this aircraft. | |
| Name | Victories |
| Bob Doe | 15.00 |
| James Lindsay | 7.00 |
| Werner Christie | 11.00 |
| Eugeniusz Horbaczewski | 16.50 |
| Walker Mahurin | 20.75 |
| Charles Older | 18.50 |
| Leonard Carson | 18.50 |
| Herschel Green | 18.00 |
| Robert Foy | 17.00 |
| Clarence Anderson | 16.25 |
| Richard Peterson | 15.50 |
| James Goodson | 15.00 |
| Donald Bochkay | 14.83 |
| John Landers | 14.50 |
| Arthur Jeffrey | 14.00 |
| Robert Curtis | 14.00 |
| Donald Strait | 13.50 |
| Donald Bryan | 13.33 |
| James Brooks | 13.00 |
| Robin Olds | 13.00 |
| Clyde East | 12.00 |
| Charles Yeager | 11.50 |
| Robert Goebel | 11.00 |
| George Ceuleers | 10.50 |
| Raymond Littge | 10.50 |
| Robert Anderson | 10.00 |
| Spiros Pisanos | 10.00 |
| Wayne Blickenstaff | 10.00 |
| Ernest Fiebelkorn | 9.50 |
| Robert Smith | 8.67 |
| Thomas Hayes | 8.50 |
| Arthur Fiedler | 8.00 |
| Charles Weaver | 8.00 |
| Dale Karger | 7.50 |
| Donald Cummings | 6.50 |
| Arval Roberson | 6.00 |
| Clayton Gross | 6.00 |
| Fred Ohr | 6.00 |
| Robert Karr | 6.00 |
| Robert Schimanski | 6.00 |
| Urban Drew | 6.00 |
| Wilbur Scheible | 6.00 |
| William Dillard | 6.00 |
| Clinton Burdick | 5.50 |
| Dudley Amoss | 5.50 |
| Gordon Compton | 5.50 |
| Maurice Long | 5.50 |
| Robert Winks | 5.50 |
| William OBrien | 5.50 |
| Duerr Schuh | 5.00 |
| Gerald Brown | 5.00 |
| Harrison Tordoff | 5.00 |
| James Empey | 5.00 |
| Niven Cranfill | 5.00 |
| Robert Barkey | 5.00 |
| Robert Abernathy | 5.00 |
| Royce Priest | 5.00 |
| William Daniel | 5.00 |
| William Allen | 5.00 |
| Agorastos Plagis | 16.00 |
| Tom Neil | 14.00 |
| Paul Farnes | 8.00 |
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