Figure 1.--

The P-51 Mutang would prove to be the supreme instrument of American air suppriority. "... the range of the Mustangs was not even limited by reaching Berlin. They could reach Leipzig, middle Germany, and they could go over Germany and land in the Russian bases." With few exceptions this did not occur, but it is interesting that Galland mentions it, suggesting poor German intlligence operations.

-- Gen. Adolf Galland, Chief of the Luftwaffe Jagdflieger (1942-45).

Arnold promoted Lieutenant General Barney Giles (May 1943). He was named named deputy USAF commander (July). It is at this time that Arnold gave Giles the task of finding a long range escort for the B-17. America had several aircraft to chose from, but none had been designed as escort fighters. It was believed that the B-17 Flying Fortresses with its fire power did not need to be escorted The P-38 Lighting did not have the firepower needed. The p-39 Aircobra did not have the altitude capability needed. It saw some use in the Pacific, but mainly was used by the Red Air Force for low level close-ground support. The American primary American fighter early in the war was the P-40 War Hawk, but it was not up to European interceptor standards. The top-line American fighters in Europe during 1943 were the P-38 twin engine Lighting and the the P-47 Thunderbolt. The P-38 did not have adequate fire power. The P-47 had fire power galore and was used as an escort, but did not have the range into the Reich and was very expensive to produce. This problem was solved by drop tanks. The P-47 was, however, a beast--the largest fighter of the War. It was huge, powerful, but very complicated and expensive to manufacture. It was used as an escort (1943 and early-1944 ) because it was available, but was for the most part could not accompany the bombers into the Reich where they were most needed. Gradually the P-47s were replaced with P-51 Mustangs. It would be the P-51 that Giles would give the nod to be the primary American escort. The P-51 began as a moderately successful American export to the British which in 1940 was desperate for anything that flew. It was the P-51 Mustang that proved to be the solution to the American escort problem. The P-51 is generally considered to be the finest piston-driven fighter of the War. The P-51 in many ways epitomizes the Anglo-American war-effort. The plane was an American design, but performed sluggishly with the under-powered American Allison engine. The plane had been available as early as 1941. The British deployed it first as the Army Air Corps was not impressed with it. Upgraded with the British Rolls Royce Merlin engine, the performance was spectacular. With drop tanks it had a range equal to that of the Allied heavy bombers. The P-51s could not only reach targets anywhere in the Reich, but they could accompany the bombers to targets as far east as Poland. The reasons were that the P-51 was a relatively light plane and the design achieved laminar flow. Thus the P-51 used fuel much more efficiently than ether the P-38 or P-47. The 8th Air Force began to receive the new P-51s at the end of 1943. The first P-51s arrived in England (late-November 1943), not long after Galland's heated encounters with Hitler and Göring. The P-51 had a longer range than than the P-47 and was faster and more maneuverable. Fitted with drop tanks it could easily reach and conduct air battles over Berlin. It was the apex of propeller driven aviation--only out-classed by Germany's Me-262 jet which arrive too late and in too small numbers to impact the War. Göring would say after the War that when he saw the P-51s over Berlin, he knew that the war was lost.

Created: 8:45 AM 8/1/2025
Last updated: 8:45 AM 8/1/2025