355th Fighter Group North American P-51 Mustang photo gallery

355th Fighter Group

Constituted as 355th Fighter Group on 12 Nov 1942 and activated the same day. Prepared for combat with P-47's. Moved to England in Jul 1943 and assigned to Eighth AF. Flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Belgium, on 14 Sep 1943 and afterward served primarily as escort for bombers that attacked industrial areas of Berlin, marshalling yards at Karlsruhe, an airfield at Neuberg, oil refineries at Misburg, synthetic oil plants at Gelsenkirchen, locks at Minden, and other objectives. Also flew fighter sweeps, area patrols, and bombing missions, striking such targets as air parks, locomotives, bridges, radio stations, and armored cars. On 5 Apr 1944, shortly after converting from P-47's to P-51's, the group successfully bombed and strafed German airdomes during a snow squall, a mission for which the group was awarded a DUC. Provided fighter cover for Allied forces landing in Normandy on 6 Jun 1944, and afterward hit transportation facilities to cut enemy supply lines. Hit fuel dumps, locomotives, and other targets in support of ground forces during the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul. Continued operations until 25 Apr 1945 and remained in the theater after the war for duty with United States Air Forces in Europe. Moved to Germany in Jul 1945 as part of the army of occupation. Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US on 1 Aug 1946. Inactivated on 20 Nov 1946.

Redesignated 355th Fighter Group (Air Defense). Activated on 18 Aug 1955. Assigned to Air Defense Command and equipped with F-86 aircraft.

Squadrons. 354th: 1942-1946; 1955-. 357th: 1942-1946. 358th (later 56th): 1942-1946. 469th: 1955-.

Stations. Orlando AB, Fla, 12 Nov 1942; Richmond AAB, Va, 17 Feb 1943; Philadelphia Mun Aprt, Pa, 4 Mar-16 Jun 1943; Steeple Morden, England, 9 Jul 1943; Gablingen, Germany, 3 Jul 1945; Schweinfurt, Germany, 15 Apr 1946; Mitchel Field, NY, 1 Aug-20 Nov 1946. McGhee-Tyson Aprt, Tenn, 18 Aug 1955-.

Commanders. Col William J Cummings Jr, 12 Nov 1942; Lt Col Everett W Stewart, 4 Nov 1944; Lt Col Claiborne H Kinnard Jr, 21 Feb 1945; Lt Col William D Gilchrist, 7 Jun 1945; Lt Col John L Elder, Oct 1945; Col Carroll W McColpin, 14 Mar 1946-unkn. Col William A Lanford, 18 Aug 1955-.

Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 5 Apr 1944.

Insigne Shield: Azure on a pile issuant from sinister throughout or, flames of fire proper charged with a dagger fesswise point to dexter of the second. Motto: Our Might Always. (Approved 16 Mar 1943.)

North American P-51 Mustang

Operational history

Operational history

Eighth Air Force bomber operations 1942-1943

The 8th Air Force started operations from Britain in August 1942. At first, because of the limited scale of operations, no conclusive evidence showed American doctrine was failing. In the 26 operations flown to the end of 1942, the loss rate had been under 2%.[50]

In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, the Allies formulated the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) plan for 'round-the-clock' bombing - USAAF daytime operations complementing the RAF nighttime raids on industrial centers. In June 1943, the Combined Chiefs of Staff issued the Pointblank Directive to destroy the Luftwaffe's capacity before the planned invasion of Europe, putting the CBO into full implementation. German daytime fighter efforts were, at that time, focused on the Eastern Front and several other distant locations. Initial efforts by the 8th met limited and unorganized resistance, but with every mission, the Luftwaffe moved more aircraft to the west and quickly improved their battle direction. In fall 1943, the 8th Air Force's heavy bombers conducted a series of deep-penetration raids into Germany, beyond the range of escort fighters. The Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission in August lost 60 B-17s of a force of 376, the 14 October attack lost 77 of a force of 291—26% of the attacking force.

For the US, the very concept of self-defending bombers was called into question, but instead of abandoning daylight raids and turning to night bombing, as the RAF suggested, they chose other paths; at first, bombers converted to gunships (the Boeing YB-40) was believed to be able to escort the bomber formations, but when the concept proved to be unsuccessful, thoughts then turned to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.[51] In early 1943, the USAAF also decided that the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51B be considered for the role of a smaller escort fighter, and in July, a report stated that the P-51B was 'the most promising plane' with an endurance of 4 hours 45 minutes with the standard internal fuel of 184 gallons plus 150 gallons carried externally.[52] In August, a P-51B was fitted with an extra internal 85-gallon tank but problems with longitudinal stability occurred so some compromises in performance with the tank full were made. Since the fuel from the fuselage tank would be used during the initial stages of a mission, the fuel tank would be fitted in all Mustangs destined for VIII Fighter Command.[53]

P-51 introduction

The P-51 Mustang was a solution to the need for an effective bomber escort. It used a common, reliable engine and had internal space for a larger-than-average fuel load. With external fuel tanks, it could accompany the bombers from England to Germany and back.[54]

By the time the Pointblank offensive resumed in early 1944, matters had changed. Bomber escort defenses were initially layered, using the shorter-range P-38s and P-47s to escort the bombers during the initial stages of the raid before handing over to the P-51s when they were forced to turn for home. This provided continuous coverage during the raid. The Mustang was so clearly superior to earlier US designs that the 8th Air Force began to steadily switch its fighter groups to the Mustang, first swapping arriving P-47 groups to the 9th Air Force in exchange for those that were using P-51s, then gradually converting its Thunderbolt and Lightning groups. By the end of 1944, 14 of its 15 groups flew the Mustang.[55]

The Luftwaffe's twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters brought up to deal with the bombers proved to be easy prey for the Mustangs, and had to be quickly withdrawn from combat. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190A, already suffering from poor high-altitude performance, was outperformed by the Mustang at the B-17's altitude, and when laden with heavy bomber-hunting weapons as a replacement for the more vulnerable twin-engined Zerstörer heavy fighters, it suffered heavy losses. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 had comparable performance at high altitudes, but its lightweight airframe was even more greatly affected by increases in armament. The Mustang's much lighter armament, tuned for antifighter combat, allowed it to overcome these single-engined opponents.

Fighting the Luftwaffe

At the start of 1944, Major General James Doolittle, the new commander of the 8th Air Force, ordered many fighter pilots to stop flying in formation with the bombers and instead attack the Luftwaffe wherever it could be found. The aim was to achieve air supremacy. Mustang groups were sent far ahead of the bombers in a 'fighter sweep' to intercept attacking German fighters.

The Luftwaffe answered with the Gefechtsverband ('battle formation'). This consisted of a Sturmgruppe of heavily armed and armored Fw 190 As escorted by two Begleitgruppen of Messerschmitt Bf 109s, whose task was to keep the Mustangs away from the Fw 190 as they attacked the bombers. This strategy proved to be problematic, as the large German formation took a long time to assemble and was difficult to maneuver. It was often intercepted by the P-51 'fighter sweeps' before it could attack the bombers. However, German attacks against bombers could be effective when they did occur; the bomber-destroyer Fw 190As swept in from astern and often pressed their attacks to within 90 m (100 yd).[56]

While not always able to avoid contact with the escorts, the threat of mass attacks and later the 'company front' (eight abreast) assaults by armored Sturmgruppe Fw 190As brought an urgency to attacking the Luftwaffe wherever it could be found, either in the air or on the ground. Beginning in late February 1944, 8th Air Force fighter units began systematic strafing attacks on German airfields with increasing frequency and intensity throughout the spring, with the objective of gaining air supremacy over the Normandy battlefield. In general, these were conducted by units returning from escort missions but, beginning in March, many groups also were assigned airfield attacks instead of bomber support. The P-51, particularly with the advent of the K-14 Gyro gunsight and the development of 'Clobber Colleges'[57] for the training of fighter pilots in fall 1944, was a decisive element in Allied countermeasures against the Jagdverbände.

The numerical superiority of the USAAF fighters, superb flying characteristics of the P-51, and pilot proficiency helped cripple the Luftwaffe's fighter force. As a result, the fighter threat to the US, and later British, bombers was greatly diminished by July 1944. The RAF, long proponents of night bombing for protection, were able to reopen daylight bombing in 1944 as a result of the crippling of the Luftwaffe fighter arm. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, commander of the German Luftwaffe during the war, was quoted as saying, 'When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up.'[58][59][54]

Beyond Pointblank

On 15 April 1944, VIII Fighter Command began 'Operation Jackpot', attacks on Luftwaffe fighter airfields. As the efficacy of these missions increased, the number of fighters at the German airbases fell to the point where they were no longer considered worthwhile targets. On 21 May, targets were expanded to include railways, locomotives, and other rolling stock used by the Germans to transport materiel and troops, in missions dubbed 'Chattanooga'.[60] The P-51 excelled at this mission, although losses were much higher on strafing missions than in air-to-air combat, partially because the Mustang's liquid-cooled engine (particularly its liquid coolant system) was vulnerable to small-arms fire, unlike the air-cooled R-2800 radials of its Republic P-47 Thunderbolt stablemates based in England, regularly tasked with ground-strafing missions.

Given the overwhelming Allied air superiority, the Luftwaffe put its effort into the development of aircraft of such high performance that they could operate with impunity, but which also made bomber attack much more difficult, merely from the flight velocities they achieved. Foremost among these were the Messerschmitt Me 163B point-defense rocket interceptors, which started their operations with JG 400 near the end of July 1944, and the longer-endurance Messerschmitt Me 262A jet fighter, first flying with the Gruppe-strength Kommando Nowotny unit by the end of September 1944. In action, the Me 163 proved to be more dangerous to the Luftwaffe than to the Allies and was never a serious threat. The Me 262A was a serious threat, but attacks on their airfields neutralized them. The pioneering Junkers Jumo 004 axial-flow jet engines of the Me 262As needed careful nursing by their pilots, and these aircraft were particularly vulnerable during takeoff and landing.[61] Lt. Chuck Yeager of the 357th Fighter Group was one of the first American pilots to shoot down an Me 262, which he caught during its landing approach. On 7 October 1944, Lt. Urban L. Drew of the 361st Fighter Group shot down two Me 262s that were taking off, while on the same day Lt. Col. Hubert Zemke, who had transferred to the Mustang-equipped 479th Fighter Group, shot down what he thought was a Bf 109, only to have his gun camera film reveal that it may have been an Me 262.[62] On 25 February 1945, Mustangs of the 55th Fighter Group surprised an entire Staffel of Me 262As at takeoff and destroyed six jets.[63]

The Mustang also proved useful against the V-1s launched toward London. P-51B/Cs using 150-octane fuel were fast enough to catch the V-1 and operated in concert with shorter-range aircraft such as advanced marks of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Tempest.

By 8 May 1945,[64] the 8th, 9th, and 15th Air Force's P-51 groups [note 6] claimed some 4,950 aircraft shot down (about half of all USAAF claims in the European theater, the most claimed by any Allied fighter in air-to-air combat)[64] and 4,131 destroyed on the ground. Losses were about 2,520 aircraft.[65] The 8th Air Force's 4th Fighter Group was the top-scoring fighter group in Europe, with 1,016 enemy aircraft claimed destroyed. This included 550 claimed in aerial combat and 466 on the ground.[66]

In air combat, the top-scoring P-51 units (both of which exclusively flew Mustangs) were the 357th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force with 565 air-to-air combat victories and the 9th Air Force's 354th Fighter Group with 664, which made it one of the top-scoring fighter groups. The top Mustang ace was the USAAF's George Preddy, whose final tally stood at 26.83 victories (a number that includes shared one half- and one third victory credits), 23 of which were scored with the P-51. Preddy was shot down and killed by friendly fire on Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.[64]

Specifications (P-51D Mustang)

Data from Erection and Maintenance Manual for P-51D and P-51K,[140]
P-51 Tactical Planning Characteristics & Performance Chart,[141]
The Great Book of Fighters,[142] and Quest for Performance[143]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft (11 m)
Height: 13 ft 4.5 in (4.077 m) tail wheel on ground, vertical propeller blade
Wing area: 235 sq ft (21.8 m2)
Aspect ratio: 5.83
Airfoil: NAA/NACA 45-100 / NAA/NACA 45-100
Empty weight: 7,635 lb (3,463 kg)
Gross weight: 9,200 lb (4,173 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 12,100 lb (5,488 kg) 5,490
Fuel capacity: 269 US gal (224 imp gal; 1,020 l)
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0163
Drag area: 3.80 sqft (0.35 m²)
Powerplant: 1 × Packard (Rolls Royce) V-1650-7 Merlin 12-cylinder liquid cooled engine,
1,490 hp (1,110 kW) at 3,000 rpm;[144] 1,720 hp (1,280 kW) at WEP
Propellers: 4-bladed Hamilton Standard constant-speed, variable-pitch, 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 440 mph (710 km/h, 383 kn)
Cruise speed: 362 mph (583 km/h, 315 kn)
Stall speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
Range: 1,650 mi (2,660 km, 1,434 nmi) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 41,900 ft (12,800 m)
Rate of climb: 3,200 ft/min (16 m/s)
Lift-to-drag: 14.6
Wing loading: 39 lb/sq ft (190 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (300 W/kg)
Recommended Mach limit 0.8

Armament

Guns:
6 × 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) AN/M2 Browning machine guns with 1,840 total rounds (380 rounds for each on the inboard pair and 270 rounds for each of the outer two pair)
Rockets:
6 or 10 × 5.0 in (127 mm) T64 HVAR rockets (P-51D-25, P-51K-10 on)[note 8]
Bombs:
1 × 100 lb (45 kg) or 250 lb (110 kg) bomb or 500 lb (230 kg) bomb on hardpoint under each wing[145]

 Flight Simulators
 

   IL-2 Sturmovik 'Cliff's of Dover' Blitz

   IL-2 Sturmovik Battle of Stalingrad

   DCS World - has no 3D model

 



 

 Royal Air Force Debden Map

 Moscow Russia Map

 

    North American P-51 Mustang Notes

  1. Among Allied aircraft, the P-51's claimed victory total in World War II was second to the carrier-borne Grumman F6F Hellcat.[12]
  2. Because the new fighter was designed to a British, rather than an American or USAAC specification, it was allocated a private-venture civil designation instead of the more usual XP- (eXperimental Pursuit) group.
  3. For more specific information on the P-51's airfoil, known as the NAA/NACA 45-100 series, see[21]
  4. This was one of the last US applications of gun synchronization - later American single piston-engined fighters, including later models of the Mustang, all had their gun armament concentrated in the wings.
  5. One of the NA-73s given to the army, s/n 41-038 is still in existence and last flew in 1982.[29]
  6. All but three of these FGs flew P-38s, P-40s or P-47s before converting to the Mustang.
  7. Ziemi Czerwieńskiej = Land of Czerwien, RAF Polish units retained the name and the logo of a squadron from the Polish Air Force which fought the Germans in 1939.
  8. The P-51D and K Maintenance manual notes that carrying 1,000 lb bombs was not recommended, because the racks were not designed for them.[146] Six rockets could be carried on removable Zero Rail launchers with the wing racks installed, 10 without wing racks.[147]

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  150. P-51D Mustang Replica. Archived 3 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine SOS-Eisberg, 2012. Retrieved: 24 April 2012.

    North American P-51 Mustang Bibliography:

  • Aerei da combattimento della Seconda Guerra Mondiale (in Italian). Novara, Italy: De Agostini Editore, 2005.
  • Anderson, Peter N. Mustangs of the RAAF and RNZAF. Sydney, Australia: A.H. & A.W. Reed Pty Ltd, 1975. ISBN 0-589-07130-0.
  • Angelucci, Enzo and Peter Bowers. The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present. New York: Orion Books, 1985. ISBN 0-517-56588-9.
  • Aro, Chuck and Colin Aro. World's Fastest Mustangs. Air Enthusiast. No. 13, August-November 1980. pp. 56-62. ISSN 0143-5450
  • Birch, David. Rolls-Royce and the Mustang. Derby, UK: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, 1987. ISBN 0-9511710-0-3.
  • Bowen, Ezra. Knights of the Air (Epic of Flight). New York: Time-Life Books, 1980. ISBN 0-8094-3252-8.
  • Borth, Christy. Masters of Mass Production. Indianapolis, Indiana: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1945.
  • Bowman, Martin W. P-51 Mustang vs Fw 190: Europe 1943-45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-84603-189-3.
  • Boylan, Bernard. Development of the Long Range Escort Fighter. Washington, D.C: USAF Historical Division, Research Studies Institute, Air University, 1955. Retrieved: 15 July 2014.
  • Boyne, Walter J. Clash of Wings. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. ISBN 0-684-83915-6.
  • Breffort, Dominique with André Jouineau. Le North-American P-51 Mustang - de 1940 à 1980 (Avions et Pilotes 5)(in French). Paris: Histoire et Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-913903-80-0.
  • Bridgman, Leonard, ed. The North American Mustang. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.
  • Caldwell, Donald and Richard Muller. The Luftwaffe over Germany - Defense of the Reich. St. Paul, Minnesota: Greenhill books, MBI Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-185367-712-0.
  • Carson, Leonard Kit. Pursue & Destroy. Granada Hills, California: Sentry Books Inc., 1978. ISBN 0-913194-05-0.
  • Carter, Dustin W. and Birch J. Matthews.Mustang: The Racing Thoroughbred. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Company, 1992. ISBN 978-0-88740-391-0.
  • Cleaver, Tom (April-July 1982). Return of the Razorbacks. Air Enthusiast. No. 18. pp. 26-31. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Craven, Wesley and James Cate. The Army Air Forces in World War II, Volume Two: Europe, Torch to Pointblank, August 1942 to December 1943. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1949.
  • Darling, Kev. P-51 Mustang (Combat Legend). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-357-1.
  • Davis, Larry. P-51 Mustang. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-89747-350-7.
  • Dean, Francis H. America's Hundred Thousand. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0072-5.
  • Delve, Ken. The Mustang Story. London: Cassell & Co., 1999. ISBN 1-85409-259-6.
  • Delve, Ken. The Source Book of the RAF. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1994. ISBN 1-85310-451-5.
  • Dienst, John and Dan Hagedorn. North American F-51 Mustangs in Latin American Air Force Service. London: Aerofax, 1985. ISBN 0-942548-33-7.
  • Donald, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Dorr, Robert F.. P-51 Mustang (Warbird History). St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0-7603-0002-X.
  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. Mustang: A Documentary History of the P-51. London: Jane's Publishing, 1981. ISBN 0-531-03736-3
  • Ethell, Jeffrey L. P-51 Mustang: In Color, Photos from World War II and Korea. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers, 1993. ISBN 0-87938-818-8.
  • Ethell, Jeffrey and Robert Sand. World War II Fighters. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2002. ISBN 978-0-7603-1354-1.
  • Forsyth, Robert. JV44: The Galland Circus. Burgess Hill, West Sussex, UK: Classic Publications, 1996. ISBN 0-9526867-0-8
  • Furse, Anthony. Wilfrid Freeman: The Genius Behind Allied Survival and Air Supremacy, 1939 to 1945. Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount, 1999. ISBN 1-86227-079-1.
  • Gilman J.D. and J. Clive. KG 200. London: Pan Books Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.
  • Glancey, Jonathan. Spitfire: The Illustrated Biography. London: Atlantic Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84354-528-6.
  • Gordon, Doug (July-August 2001). Tac Recon Masters: The 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Europe, Part One. Air Enthusiast (94): 31-39. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Gordon, Yefim. Soviet Air Power in World War 2. Hinckley, UK: Midland Ian Allan Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-85780-304-4.
  • Grant, William Newby. P-51 Mustang. London: Bison Books, 1980. ISBN 0-89009-320-2.
  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Great Book of Fighters. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1194-3.
  • Gruenhagen, Robert W. Mustang: The Story of the P-51 Fighter (rev. ed.). New York: Arco Publishing Company, Inc., 1980. ISBN 0-668-04884-0.
  • Gunston, Bill. An Illustrated Guide to Allied Fighters of World War II. London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1981. ISBN 0-668-05228-7.
  • Gunston, Bill. Aerei della seconda guerra mondiale (in Italian). Milan: Peruzzo editore, 1984. No ISBN.
  • Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. Modern Air Combat. Crescent Books, 1983, ISBN 91-972803-8-0.
  • Gunston, Bill. North American P-51 Mustang. New York: Gallery Books, 1990. ISBN 0-8317-1402-6.
  • Gunston, Bill and Robert F. Dorr. North American P-51 Mustang: The Fighter That Won the War. Wings of Fame, Volume 1. London: Aerospace, 1995, pp. 56-115. ISBN 1-874023-74-3.
  • Hagedorn, Dan. Central American and Caribbean Air Forces. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 1993. ISBN 0-85130-210-6.
  • Hagedorn, Dan. Latin American Air Wars & Aircraft. Crowborough, UK: Hikoki, 2006. ISBN 1-902109-44-9.
  • Hammond, Grant. The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security, Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001, ISBN 1-56098-941-6.
  • Hastings, Max. Bomber Command. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Press, 1979. ISBN 978-0-76034-520-7.
  • Hatch, Gardner N.; Winter, Frank H. (1993). P-51 Mustang. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-56311-080-1.
  • Hess, William N. Fighting Mustang: The Chronicle of the P-51. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1970. ISBN 0-912173-04-1.
  • History, Boeing: P-51 Mustang. Boeing. Retrieved: 24 June 2014.
  • Jackson, Robert. Aircraft of World War II: Development, Weaponry, Specifications. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7858-1696-8.
  • Jackson, Robert. Mustang: The Operational Record. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1992. ISBN 1-85310-212-1.
  • Jerram, Michael F. P-51 Mustang. Yeovil, UK: Winchmore Publishing Services Ltd., 1984, ISBN 0-85429-423-6.
  • Johnsen, Frederick A. Bell P-39/P-63 Airacobra & Kingcobra. St. Paul, Minnesota: Voyageur Press, 1998. ISBN 1-58007-010-8.
  • Johnsen, Frederick A. North American P-51 Mustang. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press Publishers and Wholesalers, 1996. ISBN 0-933424-68-X.
  • Kaplan, Philip. Fly Navy: Naval Aviators and Carrier Aviation: A History. New York: Michael Friedman Publishing Group Incorporated, 2001. ISBN 1-58663-189-6.
  • Kinzey, Bert. P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale: Part 1; Prototype through P-51C. Carrollton, Texas: Detail & Scale Inc., 1996. ISBN 1-888974-02-8.
  • Kinzey, Bert. P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale: Part 2; P-51D thu P-82H. Carrollton, Texas: Detail & Scale Inc., 1997. ISBN 1-888974-03-6
  • Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of U.S. Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
  • Lednicer, David A. and Ian J. Gilchrist. A Retrospective: Computational Aerodynamic Analysis Methods Applied to the P-51 Mustang. AIAA paper 91-3288, September 1991.
  • Lednicer, David A. Technical Note: A CFD Evaluation of Three Prominent World War II Fighter Aircraft. Aeronautical Journal, Royal Aeronautical Society, June/July 1995.
  • Lednicer, David A. World War II Fighter Aerodynamics. EAA Sport Aviation, January 1999.
  • Leffingwell, Randy (and David Newhardt, photography). Mustang: 40 Years. St. Paul, Minnesota: Crestline (Imprint of MBI Publishing Company), 2003. ISBN 0-7603-2122-1.
  • Liming, R.A. Mathematics for Computer Graphics. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, 1979. ISBN 978-0-8168-6751-6.
  • Liming, R.A. Practical Analytic Geometry With Applications to Aircraft. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1944.
  • Loftin, LK, Jr. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft, NASA SP-468. Washington, D.C.: NASA History Office. Retrieved: 22 April 2006.
  • Lowe, Malcolm V. North American P-51 Mustang (Crowood Aviation Series). Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86126-830-3.
  • Loving, George. Woodbine Red Leader: A P-51 Mustang Ace in the Mediterranean Theater. New York: Ballantine Books, 2003. ISBN 0-89141-813-X.
  • Matricardi, Paolo. Aerei militari: Caccia e Ricognitori(in Italian). Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2006.
  • Mietelski, Michał, Samolot myśliwski Mustang Mk. I-III wyd. I (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1981. ISBN 83-11-06604-3.
  • Miller, Donald L. Eighth Air Force: The American Bomber Crews in Britain. London: Aurum Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84513-221-7.
  • Munson, Kenneth. Caccia e aerei da attacco e addestramento dal 1946 ad oggi(in Italian). Torino: Editrice S.A.I.E., 1969. No ISBN.
  • O'Leary, Michael. P-51 Mustang: The Story of Manufacturing North American's Legendary World War II Fighter in Original Photos. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2010. ISBN 978-1-58007-152-9.
  • O'Leary, Michael. USAAF Fighters of World War Two. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 1986. ISBN 0-7137-1839-0.
  • Olmsted, Merle. The 357th Over Europe: the 357th Fighter Group in World War II. St. Paul, Minnesota: Phalanx Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-933424-73-6.
  • Pace, Steve. Mustang - Thoroughbred Stallion of the Air. Stroud, UK: Fonthill Media, 2012. ISBN 978-1-78155-051-9
  • Pearcy, Arthur. Lend-Lease Aircraft in World War II. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1996. ISBN 1-85310-443-4.
  • Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation. Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 154-162. n.d. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Sgarlato, Nico. Mustang P-51 (in Italian). I Grandi Aerei Storici (Monograph series) N.7, November 2003. Parma, Italy: Delta Editrice. ISSN 1720-0636.
  • Shores, Christopher. The Allison-engined Mustang: A Fighting Combination. Air Enthusiast Quarterly, No. 2, n.d., pp. 191-206. ISSN 0143-5450
  • Sims, Edward H. Fighter Tactics and Strategy 1914-1970. Fallbrook, California: Aero publisher Inc., 1980. ISBN 0-8168-8795-0.
  • Smith, J. Richard, Eddie J. Creek and Peter Petrick. On Special Missions: The Luftwaffe's Research and Experimental Squadrons 1923-1945 (Air War Classics). Hersham, Surrey, UK: Classic Publications, 2004. ISBN 1-903223-33-4.
  • Spick, Mike. Fighter Pilot Tactics. The Techniques of Daylight Air Combat. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens, 1983. ISBN 0-85059-617-3.
  • Spick, Mike. Designed for the Kill: The Jet Fighter—Development and Experience. United States Naval Institute, 1995, ISBN 0-87021-059-9.
  • Stevenson, James. The Pentagon Paradox: The Development of the F-18 Hornet. Naval Institute Press, 1993, ISBN 1-55750-775-9.
  • Tillman, Barrett. Hellcat Aces of World War 2. London: Osprey Aerospace, 1996. ISBN 1-85532-596-9.
  • United States Air Force Museum Guidebook. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975.
  • United States Army Air Force. AN 01-60JE-2: Maintenance and Erection Instructions for Army Model P-51D-5, −10, −15, 20, −25; P-51K-1, −5, −10, −15; British Model Mustang IV Aeroplanes. Evansville, Indiana: U.S.A.A.F, 1944.
  • Wagner, Ray. American Combat Planes of the 20th Century. Reno, Nevada: Jack Bacon & Company, 2004. ISBN 978-0-930083-17-5.
  • Wagner, Ray. Mustang Designer: Edgar Schmued and the P-51. Herndon, Virginia: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-56098-994-3.
  • Walker, Jeff. Empire of the Sun. Air Classics, Volume 24, Number 1, January 1988.
  • White, Graham. Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: Society for Automotive Engineers, 1995. ISBN 1-56091-655-9.
  • Wilson, Stewart, ed. Mustang Warbirds: Civil Registered Mustangs of Australia and New Zealand Then and Now. Warbirds of Australia and New Zealand 2010. St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia: Chevron Publishing Group, 2010.
  • Wixey, Ken. Magnificent Mustang: A Production History of the North American P-51. Air Enthusiast, Issue 95, September/October 2001.
  • Yenne, Bill: Rockwell: The Heritage of North American. New York: Crescent Books, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67252-9.
  • Young, Edward (Spring 1994). Counter-Air: 2nd Air Commando Group in Burma & Thailand. Air Enthusiast. No. 53. pp. 10-19. ISSN 0143-5450.

    Magazine References: +

  • Airfix Magazines (English) - http://www.airfix.com/
  • Avions (French) - http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/rubrique10.html
  • FlyPast (English) - http://www.flypast.com/
  • Flugzeug Publikations GmbH (German) - http://vdmedien.com/flugzeug-publikations-gmbh-hersteller_verlag-vdm-heinz-nickel-33.html
  • Flugzeug Classic (German) - http://www.flugzeugclassic.de/
  • Klassiker (German) - http://shop.flugrevue.de/abo/klassiker-der-luftfahrt
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://boutique.editions-lariviere.fr/site/abonnement-le-fana-de-l-aviation-626-4-6.html
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://www.pdfmagazines.org/tags/Le+Fana+De+L+Aviation/
  • Osprey (English) - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/
  • Revi Magazines (Czech) - http://www.revi.cz/

    Web References: +

  • History of 4th Fighter Group: http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/special-collections.html
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_P-51_Mustang
  • Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/

USAAF Military History Section

USAAF Chronology and War Diaries 1941-1942 1943 1944 1945

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USAAF Combat Units

 

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