Mustang Aviation Art Prints and Original Paintings (Page 3)



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Roam at Will by Anthony Saunders.


Roam at Will by Anthony Saunders.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature an additional signature.
£95.00 - £475.00

D-Day The Airborne Assault by Robert Taylor.


D-Day The Airborne Assault by Robert Taylor.
One of 2 editions available.
The edition featuring 6 additional signatures is sold out.
£495.00

Clash of Eagles by Anthony Saunders.


Clash of Eagles by Anthony Saunders.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature up to 2 additional signature(s).
£110.00 - £300.00


Escort Service by Keith Woodcock.


Escort Service by Keith Woodcock.
One edition.
£90.00

Out of Fuel and Safely Home by Robert Taylor.


Out of Fuel and Safely Home by Robert Taylor.
One of 2 editions available.
Both editions feature 5 additional signatures.
£325.00

Red Tail Escort by Richard Taylor.


Red Tail Escort by Richard Taylor.
3 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 6 additional signatures.
£200.00 - £625.00


Winter of 45 by Philip West.


Winter of 45 by Philip West.
3 editions.
£90.00 - £160.00

Triple Dates With Destiny by Stan Stokes.


Triple Dates With Destiny by Stan Stokes.
One edition.
The edition features an additional signature.
£160.00

Looking for Trouble by Robert Taylor.


Looking for Trouble by Robert Taylor.
3 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 14 additional signatures.
£215.00 - £395.00


Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)


Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£360.00 - £460.00

Eagles Return by Richard Taylor.


Eagles Return by Richard Taylor.
2 editions.
Both editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £75.00

Deadly Duo by Harley Copic.


Deadly Duo by Harley Copic.
One edition.
£95.00


Tribute to Clyde East by Ivan Berryman.


Tribute to Clyde East by Ivan Berryman.
8 editions.
£2.90 - £1100.00

Big Tailed Beast by Stan Stokes.


Big Tailed Beast by Stan Stokes.
3 editions.
2 of the 3 editions feature an additional signature.
£35.00 - £110.00

Mustangs on the Prowl by Robert Taylor.


Mustangs on the Prowl by Robert Taylor.
One of 2 editions available.
The edition featuring 3 additional signatures is sold out.
£495.00


Duxford Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian


Duxford Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian
2 of 4 editions available.
1 of 3 editions featuring up to 2 additional signatures are available.
£2.00 - £240.00

Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes.


Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes.
2 of 4 editions available.
The one edition featuring an additional signature is available.
£120.00 - £400.00

Tribute to Don Blakeslee by Ivan Berryman.


Tribute to Don Blakeslee by Ivan Berryman.
8 editions.
£2.90 - £1400.00


A Perfect Record by Stan Stokes.


A Perfect Record by Stan Stokes.
5 editions.
2 of the 5 editions feature an additional signature.
£35.00 - £294.00

Deadly Pursuit by Richard Taylor.


Deadly Pursuit by Richard Taylor.
One edition.
£65.00

Top Cover by Gerald Coulson.


Top Cover by Gerald Coulson.
5 of 6 editions available.
All 6 editions feature up to 8 additional signatures.
£145.00 - £410.00


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Text for the above items :

Roam at Will by Anthony Saunders.

Returning to base after an arduous escort mission, Captain Art Fiedler leads a flight of P51 Mustangs from the 325th Fighter Group - the Checkertail Clan - through the Po Valley in northern Italy seeking out targets of opportunity amongst the retreating Axis forces, July 1944. When in December 1943 the 325th Fighter Group, the Checkertail Clan, had moved into south-eastern Italy they were soon escorting American bombers on long range missions deep into occupied Europe. In two years of air combat the Checkertails soon became one of the crack units in the Fifteenth Air Force, destroying a staggering 537 enemy aircraft in the air, and accounting for many more on the ground.


D-Day The Airborne Assault by Robert Taylor.

It began in pitch darkness. June 6, 1944 was only a few minutes old when the Airborne Pathfinders drifted silently down from the sky above the fields of Normandy. At first their seemed nothing untoward about the drone of aircraft in the night sky. The German garrisons in Northern France were used to the noise of aircraft overhead after dark, but this night seemed particularly busy. Looking skyward a German sentry caught sight of parachutes floating down, clearly visible as the moon fleetingly broke through the clouds. For an instant he thought it was the crew jumping from a damaged bomber, but when he saw the mass of canopies floating earthwards, he knew it was no ordinary event. Within moments of raising the alarm the crackle of automatic gunfire confirmed his worst fears: The Invasion of France had begun. The first assault upon Hitlers Fortress Europe came from the sky. Shortly after midnight waves of aircraft and gliders delivered three Divisions of elite airborne troops into Normandy, their crucial objectives to seize vital bridges, secure strategic positions and clear the way for the coming aerial armada. As the first streaks of dawn came over the horizon on that historic day, and with American and British paratroops already engaged in furious fire fights, the mighty amphibious armada began landing on the beaches of Normandy. Above them waves of troop-carrying aircraft towing gliders stretched from the coast of France all the way back to England. Closely escorted by fighters, they delivered over 20,000 highly trained men into the battlefield of Northern France. By nightfall the first phase of the greatest military invasion in history was complete. Five Divisions were were ashore and the Allies had established a toehold in occupied Europe. For the Third Reich it was the beginning of the end. Without the advanced airborne assault, and the air supremacy achieved by the escort fighters, the amphibious landings could have been a disaster. Seen crossing the Normandy beaches are C-47 Dakotas of the 438th Troop Carrier Group towing CG-4 Waco gliders, closely escorted by P-51Bs of the 354 Fighter Group. Below, landing craft swarm ashore putting men and equipment on the beaches, and everything about this spectacular painting brings alive the events of that historic day a half a century ago.


Clash of Eagles by Anthony Saunders.

P-51 Mustangs of the 20th Fighter Group, flying out of Kings Cliffe to engage Me109s from JG77 in a furiously contested dogfight. Below them a formation of B-17s from the 379th Bomb Group fly through the chaos, doggedly maintaining their course, as they head on to attack the huge synthetic oil refinery at Meresburg, southern Germany, on 11 September 1944. So vital was this refinery to the Nazi war machine that it became one of the most heavily defended targets in Germany, the air defences even surpassing those of Berlin.


Escort Service by Keith Woodcock.

In the early morning sun, two North American P51D Mustangs of the 359 FS, 356 FG, take off from their base at Martlesham Heath to escort 8th Air force bombers on another daylight raid.


Out of Fuel and Safely Home by Robert Taylor.

Damaged by flak and enemy fighters, and almost out of fuel, after a gruelling eight hour mission the pilot of this B-17 Fortress makes a forced landing in the safety of an English cornfield. A pair of P-51 Mustangs have escorted the damaged aircraft back across the North Sea, and peel off as they see their charge safely back on friendly soil.


Red Tail Escort by Richard Taylor.

With the words of his Group CO ringing in his ears, a pilot of the 332nd Fighter Group returns to protect a crippled American B17 bomber after downing two Me109s in quick succession. Agonisingly, two more enemy fighters were left to escape but the pilot knew that under the strict leadership of Colonel Benjamin O Davis, his mission, and that if the other all-black pilots of the 332nd, was solely to protect the bombers. That iron discipline was to earn this famous unit the respect and admiration of hundreds of bomber crews, and to create a legend. Despite lingering racial prejudice and some opposition within the Air Force, President Roosevelt had ordered the USAAF to form an all-black fighter pilot unit, its crews to be trained at Tuskegee in Alabama. To the surprise of their critics, the Tuskegee Airmen were to prove their detractors spectacularly wrong from the first day they went into action in Italy in May 1943. Flying first with the Twelfth Air Force, then the Fifteenth, the four squadrons of the 332nd completed over 15,000 combat sorties, destroyed over 250 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and on the ground, 950 railway trucks and locomotives, and even sunk a destroyer by machine gun fire! The Group was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, their pilots decorated with over 1000 medals for gallantry. But above all, with the spinners and tails of their P-51 Mustangs brightly painted red, the Red Tails as they were affectionately known, became the only US Fighter Group that never lost a bomber in their care. The Tuskegee Red Tail pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group are a more than welcome sight as they close in to escort home a damaged B17 Fortress of the 483rd Bomb Group. Seen high over the Italian Alps during the summer of 1944 this poignant scene conveys precisely the story of the legendary Red Tails.


Winter of 45 by Philip West.

American built, British inspired and once re-engined with the Merlin, the mighty Mustang became a supreme long-range escort fighter and close air support platform. Old Crow was the mount of Clarence E. Anderson based at Leiston, England, with the 357th FG, 363rd FS. Andersons personal victory score during WWII was 16.25 in air combat.


Triple Dates With Destiny by Stan Stokes.

Chuck Older was born in California in 1914. He graduated from UCLA and entered the U.S. Marine Corps. in 1940. He earned his wings as an aviation cadet, and was assigned to VNIF-1. In mid-1941, anxious to see some action, Chuck resigned his USNIC commission and joined Claire Chennaults American Volunteer Group. He was assigned to the 3rd Pursuit Squadron Hells Angels and experienced his first combat in December of 1941. In the first two combat missions he flew on December 23 and December 25, 1941, Older would be credited with downing five Japanese aircraft becoming one of the first two AVG aces. He bagged four more enemy aircraft prior to mid-1942 when the AVG was disbanded. In mid-1942 Older returned to the States and accepted a commission with the USAAF. He commanded a P-38 squadron for a time, and in 1944, having been promoted to Major, he was sent back to China to serve once again with General Claire Chennault, this time with the 14th Air Force. Chuck served as Deputy Commander and Group Operations Officer for the 23rd Fighter Group. Flying P-5 Is for the first time, he downed as Oscar over Yochow on July 28, 1944. Promoted to Lt. Colonel, Older would down four more aircraft in December including three more Oscars and a Lilly. In January of 1945, Older bagged three different types of enemy aircraft on a single mission, including a Sonia, a Betty, and a Tess on the outskirts of Shanghai. His attack on the Sonia is depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Triple Dates With Destiny. Some artistic license has been utilized in the depiction. The artist has chosen to depict in the scene Olders regular aircraft, rather than the borrowed one he actually flew on the mission. Chucks regular mount had actually been destroyed the day before during a ground attack . Later, Older would lead the first attack on Shanghai with a flight of sixteen Mustangs. This successful mission caught the Japanese by surprise, and resulted in the destruction of more than seventy aircraft on the ground and five more in the air. Following the War, with a total of 18.25 aerial victories, Older left the Air Force. He earned a Law Degree from the University of Southern California, and entered the law profession. In 1952 he was recalled for the Korean War, and served with the 352nd Bomb Group based in Japan. He returned home and practiced law for fifteen years before Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him to the bench, as a Judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles. Judge Older served the court for twenty years hearing both criminal and civil cases. He presided over the highly publicized Charles Manson murder case. Chuck retired from the bench in 1987 and continues to live in Los Angeles. His numerous decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the Chinese Air Force Medal and the Order of the Cloud Banner. In 1996, the USAF honored Older and other AVG members, and Chuck received the USAF Distinguished Flying Cross for his service with the AVG.


Looking for Trouble by Robert Taylor.

When Hitler invaded Poland the British found themselves at war - and isolated. Desperate for new fighters and with production at full capacity they turned to the US aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation who were convinced they had the answer for Britain's needs - but it was still on the drawing board. They were, however, sure they could meet the deadline and incredibly, within the space of just four months the company had their brand new machine in the air. The Mustang was a triumph - conceived and born in a shorter period than any other significant aircraft in history and testament to its designer Edgar Schmued, and the people who built it. Delivered to the RAF in October 1941, it was fast, manoeuvrable, hard-hitting and, by the time it was combined with the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, was capable of outperforming anything the enemy could throw at it. With the arrival of the long-range fighter the heavy bombers of the USAAF could now be escorted all the way to the German capital and back so whilst the RAF pounded Berlin at night, the Mighty Eighth would do the same by day. When P-51s first appeared in the skies over Berlin, Hermann Goering was reported to have announced that he knew then the war was lost. Like the Spitfire, a special new breed of men flew the Mustang as the Allies pushed for victory in Europe. Tough, supremely confident, determined, and gloriously brave; it was an era that belonged to them and the P-51 helped produce some of the greatest aces of the war. Such iconic pilots as George Preddy, John Meyer, Don Blakeslee, Kit Carson and Bud Anderson scored all or most of their victories in this thoroughbred fighter. In fact, the Mustang was responsible for more US victories than any other fighter of the war. In this painting, P-51Ds of the 352nd Fighter Group with full long-range tanks slung under their wings, head out from their forward base in Belgium on an extended sweep east of the Rhine crossing on the lookout for enemy aircraft, in the spring of 1945.


Hot Pursuit by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

Flying a bomber escort mission, a P- 51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group engages Me109s about to descend upon a formation of B-17 Flying Fortresses.


Eagles Return by Richard Taylor.

Ace pilot, Bud Anderson leads P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group back to their base in England, after a Bomber escort mission over occupied Europe in late 1944.


Deadly Duo by Harley Copic.

Captain Don Gentile and Lt John Godfrey, 4th Fighter Group, team up to form one of the most successful Leader-Wingman duos in the 8th Air Force, scoring a combined total of 36 victories.


Tribute to Clyde East by Ivan Berryman.

Clyde East joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and by 1942 was flying P-51 Mustangs with No.414 Sqn RCAF in England. He then transferred to the US Air Force, joining the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. He is shown here in P.51D Mustang 44-14306 5M-K, 'Lil Margaret', April 1945. In more than 200 missions he scored 13 victories, later serving in Korea flying RF-80 Shooting Stars and retiring in 1965. He died in 2014.


Big Tailed Beast by Stan Stokes.

On July 24, 1945, Air Group 87 on board the USS Ticonderoga was informed that the Hyuga, anchored off a small island near Kure, Japan, would be its target. The ship, a WW I vintage battleship which had been modernized in 1936, and later converted to part battleship and part sea plane tender, would be a formidable objective with its impressive firepower and the fact that its location would place the attackers in the line of fire of numerous shore batteries. The ship was 704 feet in length, displaced 39,000 tons, and carried a compliment of Aichi E16A1 Zuiun reconaissance aircraft which were code named Paul by the Allies. Lt Cdr. Kanaga would lead the squadrons Curtiss SB2C Helldivers on the attack. Each of the twelve Helldivers would carry a 1,000 pound bomb in the internal bomb bay, a 260 pound fragmentation bomb under one wing and a droppable wing tank under the other wing. The drop tank weighed substantially more than the 260 pounder so it was anticipated that the Helldivers might be a bit unstable on takeoff. The first aircraft launched, that of Lt. Al Matteson, went into a immediate hard right turn given the uneven wing loading, and hit the water hard. The other Helldivers managed to become airborne, and eventually joined up for the outbound leg of the mission. The plan was for the Helldivers to dive bomb the Hyuga while torpedo bombers made glide bombing attacks, as the water was too shallow for use of torpedoes. In Stan Stokes painting entitled Big Tailed Beast, an SB2C-4E piloted by Lt. H. Paul Brehm pulls out over its target. Anti-aircraft fire is fierce, and the Hyuga is partially obscured by the incredible amount of smoke being generated by its AA guns. Lt. Brehm has decided to make his dive without dive flaps, hoping to make himself a faster moving target for the Hyugas gunners. During Brehms dive, the SB2C of Lt. Vaughn, which was immediately in front of him, went straight down, crashing next to the Hyuga in a great splash of white foam. Brehm released his bomb and pulled out very low over the target. He momentarily blacked out, and his windscreen fogged over. Brehm and his gunner W. Tommy Thompson, could feel the jolt from their 1000 pounder as it scored a direct hit. Returning to their Task Force low on fuel and in bad weather, Brehm was forced to ditch his Helldiver, but he and Thompson were rescued within minutes by the USS Chauncey. The mission was successful, but was not without cost as more than half the attacking Helldivers failed to return safely. The Curtiss SB2C was the last combat aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright for the US Navy. The aircraft entered service in late 1943 supplementing the Navys SBD Dauntless dive bomber force. More than 7,000 of these large single engine aircraft were produced, with the most widely produced variant being the SB2C-4. Helldivers were capable of carrying a 2,000 pound bomb load, and could also be modified to be used in the torpedo bombing role. Referred to as The Big Tailed Beast by many of its pilots, the Helldiver had a top speed approaching 280-MPH, but also had the reputation of being one of the most difficult carrier based aircraft to land. As a result, many of the Helldivers lost during the War were victims of landing accidents.


Mustangs on the Prowl by Robert Taylor.

Between 3 and 13 September 1944, the 55th Fighter Group flew eight arduous, highly successful, bomber escort missions to Germany for which the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation. Like those the group had flown before, and would fly again and again until the end of hostilities, each mission took them deep into enemy airspace, involved desperate combat with Luftwaffe fighters, and culminated in rapid descent to low level to strafe enemy airfields on the way home. In that ten day period of intense fighting the 55th covered themselves in glory, destroying large numbers of enemy fighters in the air and on the ground, one of their pilots becoming the top-scoring ground attack pilot of the campaign. Long-range combat missions were typical of the assignments flown by the fighters of the 8th Air Force during that period of the air war. Not content with dog-fighting at altitude, when escort duty was complete, the Eighths aggressive fighter pilots relished the opportunity to hurtle down to tree-top height and, ignoring the inevitable barrage of anti-aircraft fire, shoot up any target of opportunity upon which they could bring their guns to bear. Robert Taylors spectacular new limited edition print, the third in his acclaimed Collector Portfolio commemorating the great Air Commands of World War II, depicts the king of the Eighths ground attack Aces, Colonel Elwyn Righetti. Flying his P-51D Mustang, the 55ths CO of 338 Squadron, already with 20 plus victories to his credit, leads his pilots through the Rhine Gorge, skimming the ancient Castle of Stahleck standing above Bacharach, as they seek out enemy targets on their way back to base at Wormingford, England, in the spring of 1945. A classic Robert Taylor edition endorsed with the signatures of Aces who flew and fought the legendary P-51 Mustang in the greatest air war in history.


Duxford Eagles by Nicolas Trudgian

Base to the legendary Douglas Bader Fighter Wing during the Battle of Britain, Duxford became home to the 78th Fighter Group in April 1943. Today it appropriately houses the American Air Museum, and hosts the many summer air-shows where crowds thrill to the sight and sound of the glorious WWII warbirds. First equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts then P-51Ds, the 78th Fighter Group was credited with 688 enemy aircraft destroyed, 474 in the air, and another 406 destroyed on the ground during low-level strafing missions. Charles London of the 78th became the 8th Air Forces first fighter ace of the war and a 78th pilot, Quince Brown, was the first to down a Me262 jet in August 1944. It is March 1945. Led by Colonel John Landers flying Big Beautiful Doll, one of the 8th Air Forces most flamboyant fighters, the 78th P-51D Mustangs roar off the field to begin an escort mission taking B-17 Fortresses already airborne in the background all the way to Hamburg.


Vintage Mustangs by Stan Stokes.

When War broke out in Europe in 1939 the British Government decided to establish a second source for the Curtis P-40 fighter. The Brits approached North American Aviation of Inglewood, California. North Americans manufacturing division was headed by James Dutch Kindelberger, and the division already was involved with Britain in supplying its AT-6 trainers to the RAF. Kindelberger rejected the British proposal and instead offered a new aircraft to be built using the same engine as the P-40, but with an improved more aerodynamic design. In May of 1940 a contract was signed for 320 of the new aircraft, designated NA-73, and North American put Raymond Rice in charge of the design team. The chief designer was Edgar Schmued who had immigrated to America from Germany in 1930. Incorporating a laminar flow wing, and a streamlined design, the NA-73X took to the air in October of 1940 under the control of Vance Breese, the projects test pilot. As production commenced a pair of aircraft were provided the USAAC for evaluation at Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio. Designated the XP-51 by the USAAC, the Brits coined the name Mustang for this new aircraft. About 1,000 Mustangs were produced utilizing the Allison V- 1710-3 9 engine. The aircrafts performance was somewhat disappointing, and the RAF proposed testing this aircraft with the more powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Testing showed dramatic performance improvements, and the P-51 was some reborn with a Packard-built version of the Merlin. More than 3,700 P-5 1 Bs utilizing the Merlin engine were produced. Equipped with underwing drop tanks these Mustangs were now capable of accompanying US bombers deep into enemy airspace. They also were now the equals of anything the Germans could produce when involved in high altitude dog fighting. A number of Americas top fighter aces of the War flew the Mustang, including Col. Henry W. Brown. Brown, a native of Dallas Texas, flew a P-51B nicknamed the Hun Hunter from Texas. Brown had been assigned to the 355th Fighter Group of the Eighth Air Force in 1943. His first combat tour, flying the P-47 Jug, yielded 4.5 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. On his second combat tour Brown began flying the Mustang. He attained 14.2 confirmed aerial victories, and a total of 28.7, prior to being shot down and captured in October of 1944. Following the War, and his release from prisoner of war camp, Brown remained in the Air Force. He commanded a number of fighter units prior to his retirement in 1974. The Ford Mustang was introduced in April 1964 at the New York Worlds Fair. It was the most successful new car of the 1960s with nearly 700,000 sold between mid-1964 and December 1965. Spearheading this incredible success was Lee A. lacocca, a straight-talking former car salesman, who had risen rapidly in the Ford organization. In many ways the Mustang was similar to the first Ford Thunderbirds of 1955-57, yet this automobile had its own unique identity. Powered by either a 101 HP 170 cu. inch six, or a 164 HP V-8, a long list of options allowed consumers to tailor their Mustang to their own tastes. The original Mustang was a brilliant design and much of the credit goes to Joe Oros, Gale Halderman, and L. David Ash of the Ford Division Styling Studio.


Tribute to Don Blakeslee by Ivan Berryman.

An American pilot who joined the British Royal Air Force in 1940, he flew Spitfires with the 'Eagle Squadron' No.401 Sqn and No.133 Sqn and became an Ace before America joined the war. Transferring to the USAAF as Commanding Officer of the 4th Fighter Group, he is shown here in 1944 flying P-51D Mustang 44-13779. Credited with a total of 14.5 victories, he was regarded as one of the best fighter leaders of the war. He died in 2008.


A Perfect Record by Stan Stokes.

At the time of World War II there was still a great deal of prejudice in America, and this extended to all the branches of the military. Although black soldiers and seaman fought with dignity and bravery during WW I, many thought that blacks were incapable of handling difficult assignments. It was therefore with great uncertainty and trepidation that the Army Air Corps authorized the training of black pilots in 1941. The Air Corps proposed that a segregated training program be established. Judge William Hastie, Dean of the Howard University Law School, who was serving as a Civilian Assistant for Negro Affairs to the Secretary of War, protested about the segregated training, but his complaints were ignored. Hastie also proposed that the Army consider affiliating with the Tuskegee Institute which had already established a pilot training program. The Army allocated $1 million for the construction of the Tuskegee Army Air Field. The men sent to Tuskegee had to pass rigorous physical tests and pass nine weeks of ground school. They then received their basic flight instruction from instructors with the Civilian Instructor Corps. Those who passed moved on to more sophisticated military training for another seventy hours of flight time. A third phase of advanced training followed after which pilot cadets received their wings and were appointed to an initial rank of either 2nd Lieutenant or Flight Officer. Only about 60% of the cadets made it through the program, and many were killed or injured in flying accidents during training. Captain Noel Parish who oversaw much of the training at Tuskegee was a vocal supporter of the men under his command. Despite their ability to successfully handle the Air Corps training program, considerable hostility was still evident and the Army was reluctant to assign Tuskegee graduates to combat units. This created a difficult morale problem for those who had earned their wings and were now anxious to see combat. Finally, in the spring of 1943, the 99th Fighter Squadron headed for North Africa. In June of 1943 the 99th finally saw combat flying P-40s. On July 2 Lt. Charles Hall became the first black aviator to record an aerial victory in WW II. The 99th played an important role in preparing for the invasion of Sicily. The 332nd Fighter Group (under the command of then Lt. Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.) consisting of the 100th, 301st, and 302nd fighter squadrons entered combat in Italy flying P-39s in early 1944. By mid-1944 the Group was receiving P-47s, but in another about face the Air Corps quickly substituted P-51s. At this time the 99th FS was folded into the 332nd FG. From mid-1944 until the end of the War in Europe the Tuskegee Airmen of the 332nd FG flew an incredible number of missions. They generally escorted Fifteenth Air Force bombers on their attacks into Germany from bases in Italy. The red-tailed fighters of the 332nd FG had the distinction of having a perfect record - losing no escorted bombers to enemy fighter attack during the entire War. In Stan Stokes painting, the P-51 piloted by Charles E. McGee, who would also go on to fly combat missions in both Korea and Vietnam, is depicted over a Czech airfield on August 24, 1944. On this mission McGee would down an Fw-190.


Deadly Pursuit by Richard Taylor.

During the final days of aerial combat P-51 Mustangs on a long range fighter patrol jump Bf109s in a surprise attack resulting in a deadly pursuit through the Austrian Alps.


Top Cover by Gerald Coulson.

Big Brothers and Little Friends : the enduring bond between the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in their prolonged and hotly contested air war against Hitlers Nazi Germany, 1942-1945.


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.
NameVictories
Bob Doe15.00
James Lindsay7.00
Werner Christie11.00
Eugeniusz Horbaczewski16.50
Walker Mahurin20.75
Charles Older18.50
Leonard Carson18.50
Herschel Green18.00
Robert Foy17.00
Clarence Anderson16.25
Richard Peterson15.50
James Goodson15.00
Donald Bochkay14.83
John Landers14.50
Arthur Jeffrey14.00
Robert Curtis14.00
Donald Strait13.50
Donald Bryan13.33
James Brooks13.00
Robin Olds13.00
Clyde East12.00
Charles Yeager11.50
Robert Goebel11.00
George Ceuleers10.50
Raymond Littge10.50
Robert Anderson10.00
Spiros Pisanos10.00
Wayne Blickenstaff10.00
Ernest Fiebelkorn9.50
Robert Smith8.67
Thomas Hayes8.50
Arthur Fiedler8.00
Charles Weaver8.00
Dale Karger7.50
Donald Cummings6.50
Arval Roberson6.00
Clayton Gross6.00
Fred Ohr6.00
Robert Karr6.00
Robert Schimanski6.00
Urban Drew6.00
Wilbur Scheible6.00
William Dillard6.00
Clinton Burdick5.50
Dudley Amoss5.50
Gordon Compton5.50
Maurice Long5.50
Robert Winks5.50
William OBrien5.50
Duerr Schuh5.00
Gerald Brown5.00
Harrison Tordoff5.00
James Empey5.00
Niven Cranfill5.00
Robert Barkey5.00
Robert Abernathy5.00
Royce Priest5.00
William Daniel5.00
William Allen5.00
Agorastos Plagis16.00
Tom Neil14.00
Paul Farnes8.00


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