Thought I'd throw out something else to discuss.
I've been reading up on the VLR (Very Long Range) missions flown by the 51 pilots of the 15th, 21st and 506th FGs off of Iwo Jima in support of the B29s. In the process I've began to wonder if theirs were not the most difficult missions flown by 51 pilots during WW2.
So! Which mission would have been tougher?
March 6, 1944, Debden, England: You head out to your 4th FG P51B topped out on internal fuel and with 2 75 gallon drop tanks and hop in for the first 1200 mile + round trip to Berlin and back. You are part of a mission where close to 800 fighters are escorting 700+ bombers to Berlin. Expected reaction is 300-500 LW fighters along with the flak. Weather is always a factor and the Mustangs are still having mechanical problems at times for still unresolved reasons.
or
April 7, 1945 Airfield #1, Iwo Jima: You head out to your P51D topped out on internal fuel and with 2 110 gallon drop tanks and hop in for the first 1600+ mile round trip to Tokyo and back. You are part of 70+ Mustangs escorting 100+ B29s to Tokyo. Expected reaction is 100+Japanese fighters along with the flak. Weather is also a potential threat and the Mustangs are struggling with still unresolved mechanical problems.
Which is the tougher mission?
I'm thinking the second. First just the duration of the flight has these guys at the limit of their fuel and in the cockpit for almost 8 hours. Navigation inbound is provided by a B29 but many have to make their way back to that tiny dot in the ocean call Iwo on their own. 750 miles of the flight inbound and outbound is over water with limited chance for recovery if they go down in the water. Subs are positioned along the way and Catalinas or 17s with lifeboats are also around, but it's a big ocean. Flak isn't as intense as Berlin but the odds of getting killed on the ground should you go down is higher, although Allied flyers were getting killed in Germany too. The Mustangs on Iwo were also suffering with spark plug troubles and fuel problems caused by the volcanic ash on Iwo.
I just can't imagine making that flight. Talk about courage.
Certainly the 51s to Berlin had a tough go too, but most of their flying was overland, and hitting England was a bit easier then hitting Iwo on the return trip. And if by chance you went down on the return, the chances of survival were certainly higher. The 51s were still suffering teething troubles then too, but once again, at least if you went down you had more of a chance to make it.
Dan/Slack
