World War 2 In Review No. 61: North American P-51 Mustang

By Merriam Press

Merriam Press World War 2 In Review Series. History of the North American P-51 Mustang, an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and other conflicts. From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF’s Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF’s 2 TAF and the USAAF’s Ninth Air Force used the Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. Features a wide range of images of the P-51, from the first prototype through the P-51D model, primarily in USAAF service in all theaters. 300 B&W/color photos/illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359719259

Book preview

World War 2 In Review No. 61: North American P-51 Mustang

Hoosick Falls, New York

2019

First eBook Edition

Copyright © 2019 by Merriam Press

Additional material copyright of named contributors.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

The views expressed are solely those of the authors.

ISBN 978-0-359-71925-9

This work was designed, produced, and published in the United States of America by the Merriam Press, 489 South Street, Hoosick Falls NY 12090.

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Mission Statement

World War 2 In Review presents articles and pictorials on topics covering many aspects of World War II, with coverage from the 1930s through the end of the war. In addition to new articles and pictorials on topics not previously covered, future volumes may include additional material on the subjects covered in this volume. The volumes in this series will comprise a single source for innumerable articles and tens of thousands of images of interest to anyone interested in the history and study of World War 2. While no doubt some of these images and other materials could be found online, countless hours could be spent searching thousands of web sites to find at least some of this material.

The Images

These photos are seventy-plus years old, were taken under less than ideal conditions, and some were taken by individuals who were neither professional photographers nor using professional equipment. Thus, the quality of the original image may be less than perfect. While Merriam Press tries to obtain the best quality images possible, the quality of the images in this publication will no doubt vary greatly.

World War 2 In Review utilizes the editor’s collection of tens of thousands of photographs and other illustrative material acquired since 1968. Hundreds of sources over the years have been searched for material on every subject.

Photographs Needed

Merriam Press welcomes any contributions of photographs from the 1930s through the end of World War II for future volumes in this series. Because of the low price of this publication, no payment can be made for their use, but whenever possible, credit will be given.

How to Use This Publication

To get the best viewing experience on a computer, the use of the Adobe Digital program is highly recommended. This free program is available from Adobe.

To view the images properly, adjust the program’s viewing window’s right side edge accordingly. If the viewing window is too wide, images may overlap, and moving the right side edge will fix this.

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Welcome to No. 61 of the World War 2 In Review Series

This issue of World War 2 In Review features the North American P-51 Mustang, with 300 B&W and color photographs and illustrations.

Watch for future issues of this series with more articles and images on the history of World War II.

On the Cover

Lt. William Groseclose, pilot standing on the wing of his P-51D, ready to get into the cockpit. His crew chief, SSgt. Harry E. East, stands by. Groseclose was assigned P-51D, 44-14431, WD-Q. Shot down 11 September 1944, POW. 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group.

North American P-51 Mustang

Robert C. Chilton flying the rebuilt North American NA-73X, the first prototype, on an early familiarization flight.

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The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed and first flew on 26 October.

The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance. It was first flown operationally by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, matching or bettering that of the Luftwaffe's fighters. While the Merlin powered Mustangs demonstrated much higher top speeds at altitudes above 15,000 ft than the Allison powered variants, it is a myth that the range of the Merlin-engined Mustang improved over that of the Allison variants; depending on conditions, both engines provided the Mustang with long range capabilities. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series two-stage two-speed supercharged engine, and armed with six .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.

From late 1943, P-51Bs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF's 2 TAF and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also in service with Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters, and saw limited service against the Japanese in the Pacific War. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed 4,950 enemy aircraft shot down. Among Allied aircraft, the P-51's victory total in World War II was second only to the carrier borne Grumman F6F Hellcat.

At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air racing, and increasingly, preserved and flown as historic warbird aircraft at airshows.

Design and Development

In April 1938, shortly after the German Anschluss of Austria, the British government established a purchasing commission in