All-Aircraft-Simulations
Dates of entering P-51 - Printable Version

+- All-Aircraft-Simulations (https://allaircraftsimulations.com)
+-- Forum: Announcements & General Discussions & Hyper Lobby (https://allaircraftsimulations.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=264)
+--- Forum: General Discussions. (https://allaircraftsimulations.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=298)
+--- Thread: Dates of entering P-51 (/showthread.php?tid=70149)


Dates of entering P-51 - whiskey111 - 24.05.2010

I'm looking for precise dates of entering particular version of P-51 to USAAF Fighter Groups in Europe (which version, which FG, when). Maybe some of you can help me. Please don't write here information like: P-51D summer/autumn - it's obvious.

I know that this is not a topic for this forum but I hope admin will not kill me Smile

- ArcticViper - 24.05.2010

No-one will kill you, it'll be a warning at worst :wink:

This section is fine for this, god luck with the info search!

Cheers
Arctic

- Pooch - 24.05.2010

Think I can be of some help, here.
First USAAF fighter group to operate the Merlin powered Mustangs was not an 8th Air Force group, oddly, enough. It was the 354th Fighter Group, of the 9th Air Force. Seems that, through a screwup back in the States, the 8th's long awaited Mustangs went to General Pete Quesada' fighter command. Quesada wouldn't relinquish his Mustangs to the 8th Air Force. However, a deal was struck. The 354th would be under the command of 8th Air Force until the 8th got it's own P-51s. They reached England with thier P-51B's in November of 1943, and flew their first mission out of Boxted a month later.
First Mustang outfit assigned to the 8th was the 357th. Feb 11th 1944. P-51B'S. Got their D models in May.
Right behind them was the 4th, at Debden. P-51B's in February.
20th Converted from p-38'S TO P-51s in July.
55TH was another Lightning unit. Mustangs, also in July of 1944.
78th didn't trade their Thunderbolts for Mustangs until December. The B model had already been replaced on the assembly lines by the D at that time, so the 78TH at Duxford went right to the P-51D.
339TH Reached England with their P-51B's in April, and and the D models started to trickle in soon after.
The Blue Nosed Bastards at Bodney ,the 352nd, traded their P-47'S for P-51B's in April.
353rd, P-47s for P-51s in October.
355TH, Mustangs in March.
356th, traded their olive drab Thunderbolts for beautifully painted , blue and red nosed Mustangs in November.
359th, Geen nosed Jugs to green nosed Mustangs in May.
361st, Yellow nosed P-47s to yellow nosed Mustangs in May.
364th, Got theirs in July.
And the 479th traded their Lightning in for P-51 Mustangs in September. Only 8th unit not to have their Mustang noses, painted. Just a polised spinner as a Group marking.
By the end of the war, only the 56th was still flying P-47s the 8th Air Force. They petitioned 8th Fighter Command to allow them to keep their Jugs, and their with was granted.
Hope that helps.

- whiskey111 - 24.05.2010

It helped. Thanks.
I know that history about 354FG Smile Something similiar was with 357FG but this time, this unit was replaced with 358FG. After that 357FG belonged to 8 AF and 358FG belonged to 9AF.

4FG was the first group from 8AF which was equiped by P-51B. It was beetwen january and february 1944. Their first combat mission (fighter sweep over France) was in 28.02.1944 and most of pilots were learning how to control this aircraft
during that mission.

First combat mission for 352FG equiped by P-51B was in 08.03.1944 (escort mission to Berlin). In fact only seven Mustangs were in air and fifty Thunderbolts. So I think your information about April could be possible.
Additionaly for the same mission 9AF sent its 363FG (new FG equiped by P-51B). Thi is how this unit became another one quiped by P-51B.

Do you have some information about first combat mission for D model ?

- Pooch - 24.05.2010

Just noticed that you were asking about USAAF outfits in England, not just the 8th Air Force.
A I mentioned , the 9th flew 'em too. The afore mentioned 354th went back to 9th Command and began flying fighter bomber missions across the channel, with the rest of the 9th Air Force. They went to France shortly after D-Day.
The 363rd was anoth 9th Air Force Fighter Group flying P-51s. Like the 354TH, their first missions were escorting the 8th's bombers top Berlin. They were soon operating as fighter bomber, however, and went top France, also. They were redesignated the 363RD Fighter Bomber Group, on the 20th of May. Before the years end, the unit was redesignated , again. This time into a Photo Recon Group.
The 9TH Air Forces Tactical Recon Group also flew Mustangs, the recon version being designated, F6.
The 67th Tac/R Group had been flying worn out Spitfires , and older Allison powered Mustangs with the 8t. They were transferred to the 9th and began recieving the new Merlin powered models, and two Recon Lightning Squadrons.
The 10th Tac/R Group was another mixed Lightning and Mustang recon outfit. They began flying recon missions across the Channel in February, and like the rest of the 9th Air Force, they headed to the Continent shortly after the Invasion.

- 78thFG_Doodle - 24.05.2010

The 52nd and 31st Fighter Group's of the 15th Air Force received their Mustangs in April 1944 as well converting from Spitfires.

Blue Skies,

-Doodle

- Pooch - 24.05.2010

If you're looking for a date for the first victory by a D model Mustang, I don't think that you're going to find it.
The D was just another P-51 when it was delivered to fighter groups, and I doubt if very much fuss was made, or if anyone even bothered to record the event. Things like that are usually more important to airplane buffs, than the guys flying, or working on them.
They started arriving a few weeks before D-day, so some time in May, is a good guess. About as good as you'll get, I think. Could be wrong. Keep looking!