Re-engined with the British Merlin, the Mustang became the fighter that could finally escort American heavy bombers all the way to Berlin and back, ending the murderous unescorted daylight raids of 1943. Its drop tanks and superb high-altitude performance let it out-turn and out-run the German fighters it met over the Reich. More than 15,000 were built and it remains one of the most recognizable aircraft of the war.
P-51D-5NA Mustang 44-13357; Lt Vernon Richards, Tika IV 8th AF / 374th FS / 361s t FG. Was later assigned to Lt. Alfred B Cook Jr who renamed it Sailor Girl Shirl - KIA 16 Nov 44 - crashed near Little Walden.USAAF/361st FG Association (via Al Richards) · Public domain · source"The Bottisham Four", a famous photo showing four U.S. Army Air Force North American P-51 Mustang fighters from the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, from RAF Bottisham, Cambridgeshire (UK), in flight on 26 JuUSAAF, photographed for a series of U.S. 8th Air Force publicity pictures for widespread distribution (photos were taken · Public domain · sourceAt Guatemala La Aurora InternationalAeroprints.com · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
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