Author Topic: Mystery Photo for you 4th FG guys (Read 1431 times)

Treize69 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 17, 2006, 10:44:59 AM »

The left wingtip is mangled

zorstorer · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2006, 04:52:27 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Treize69
The left wingtip is mangled

That gaping hole wasnt put there from the factory???

Fencer51 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2006, 10:10:01 PM »

Thats not a 52nd FG WD the font it wrong, thats definately a 4th FG WD on that bird. Also it does look like invasion stripes (white) fore and aft of the star and bar.

The shuttle mission was June 21st and they would have had invasion stripes then.

Also for the record the 4th flew a mission on July 2nd against targets in Hungary from bases in Italy.`Five mustangs were lost.

Also I see that Kid Hofer's wingman crash landed his P-51 on July 2nd, could that be the plane in the photo? It was a 335th bird. It does not appear to be supported on its own gear. Do the markings look faded?

Could it be a loaner given to the checkertails? But on an airfield in Romania, it would have been later in the war, why does it still have invasion stripes applied?

When did they issue 75 gallon drop tanks in lieu of the 108 gallon paper ones?

Also from http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/...

44-13399 P-51D 335 WD-O Damaged 21 June 1944 during "Frantic" mission and left in Russia - Lt. James W Russell Jr

Could that photo be in Russia? Did the 325th ever fly into Russia? [edit] Turns out they did fly into Russia on June 2, 1944 and where there until June 11th. Suppose this guy got left behind due to some problem and was photographed after the 4th FG left WD-O ?

The guy in front of the checkertail's nose looks to be in a uniform, but what country?

What is that plane behind the B model?

gripen · « **Reply #18 on:** April 17, 2006, 11:00:11 PM »

I can't certainly say if the wing tip is damaged? It seem to be under some kind of fixing operation because the stand.

Usually if a plane is in a air field, it has flew there. If somebody trys to fix it, there is apparently hope to fly it again. Just my two cents...

gripen

Guppy35 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:01:30 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Fencer51
Thats not a 52nd FG WD the font it wrong, thats definately a 4th FG WD on that bird. Also it does look like invasion stripes (white) fore and aft of the star and bar.

The shuttle mission was June 21st and they would have had invasion stripes then.

Also for the record the 4th flew a mission on July 2nd against targets in Hungary from bases in Italy.`Five mustangs were lost.

Also I see that Kid Hofer's wingman crash landed his P-51 on July 2nd, could that be the plane in the photo? It was a 335th bird. It does not appear to be supported on its own gear. Do the markings look faded?

Could it be a loaner given to the checkertails? But on an airfield in Romania, it would have been later in the war, why does it still have invasion stripes applied?

When did they issue 75 gallon drop tanks in lieu of the 108 gallon paper ones?

Also from http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/...

44-13399 P-51D 335 WD-O Damaged 21 June 1944 during "Frantic" mission and left in Russia - Lt. James W Russell Jr

Could that photo be in Russia? Did the 325th ever fly into Russia? [edit] Turns out they did fly into Russia on June 2, 1944 and where there until June 11th. Suppose this guy got left behind due to some problem and was photographed after the 4th FG left WD-O ?

The guy in front of the checkertail's nose looks to be in a uniform, but what country?

What is that plane behind the B model?

George Stanforth was with the Kidd and he was in a D model, but it was WD-K. He threw a rod and bellied it in.

The tanks on the B model are metal 110 gallon tanks I believe, often used in the MTO.

Treize69 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 18, 2006, 02:23:41 AM »

The checkertail Mustang was, according to the source of the photo, left behind due to mechanical problems during the evacuation of the USAAF POWs from Romania in August of '44. Landed due to mechanical problems and the pilot flew out as a passenger on one of the B-17s carrying the prisoners back to Italy.

Fencer51 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 18, 2006, 10:33:54 AM »

So is it safe then to assume that the WD coded plane was at that field before then? I gotta believe that by that time any 4th FG planes left in Italy would have been repainted to 325th colors.

Could the source of the photo be wrong?

Treize69 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:02:50 PM »

Another, clearer image of the same two aircraft, the uniform is Romanian. Ther pilot in the white shirt is believed to be Prince Contacuzino. It looks like him, but the quality of the image makes it hard to know for certain.

And a picture of Lct Negulescu in the cockpit of WD-O at the same airfield.

Noone is sure what happened to the aircraft after the war, its generally believed it was either scrapped (no spare parts) or that the Russians confiscated it (as they did with most of the aircraf tthe ARR captured).

Guppy35 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:21:05 PM »

OK so we definately know it's an early D-5 based on the two new images. Can you make out the first numbers on the serial in the one image?

Not much doubt then on the Russian Shuttle run connection. Just not that many D-5s on that flight though. Even Blakslee was still in his malcom hooded WD-C

It's gotta be 44-13399 P-51D WD-O that was damaged and left behind during the Russian Shuttle Run.

Fencer51 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:46:34 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Treize69

That O does not match the normal "font" used by the 4th FG's 335th Squadron.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 18, 2006, 12:57:58 PM »

Done fast and not as accurate due to the invasion stripes?

Fencer51 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 18, 2006, 01:32:46 PM »

Dunno, let me dig and see what else I can find from that time frame. BTW I played with the photo some and it looks like 4#3 for the serial.

But how does a damaged P-51D get left on a Romanian airbase?

Guppy35 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 18, 2006, 03:22:22 PM »

Only thing that makes sense is that its :

44-13399
P-51D WD-O
Damaged 21 June 1944 during "Frantic" mission and left
in Russia.
Lt. James W Russell Jr

WD-O appears to have been the assigned aircraft of Captain Albert Schlegal who was Ops officer of 335th. He had at least 2 B models WD-O with photos of both available and was lost in August 44 in WD-O a P51D. There was a second WD-O lost in August as well.

This one seems to fit between Schlegal's NMF B model and the D he was lost in.

All educated guessing I suppose, but it's the only thing that makes any sense.