P-51B/C Mustang

Northwest Europe 1943–44

Chris Bucholtz, Gareth Hector, Jim Laurier

• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781472850041
• eBook ISBN: 9781472850027
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

This new volume straps the reader into the cockpit of the P-51B/C as the Mustang-equipped fighter groups of the 'Mighty Eighth' Air Force attempt to defend massed heavy bomber formations from deadly Luftwaffe fighters charged with defending the Third Reich. Luftwaffe Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring admitted that the appearance of long-range Mustangs over Berlin spelled the end of the Jagdwaffe's ability to defeat American daylight bombing. But the Mustang was far more than an escort – it was a deadly hunter that could out-perform nearly every German fighter when it was introduced into combat. Entering combat in Europe in December 1943, P-51Bs and P-51Cs had advantages over German Bf 109s and Fw 190s in respect to the altitude they could reach, their rate of climb and top speed. Initially tapped for close bomber escort, Mustangs were quickly turned loose to range ahead of the bomber stream in order to challenge German fighters before they could assemble to engage the bombers en masse. Thanks to the Mustang's superior performance, USAAF pilots effectively blunted the Luftwaffe's tried and tested tactic for destroying B-17s and B-24s. Boldness and aggression in aerial combat meant that P-51B/C pilots inflicted a rapidly mounting toll on their German counterparts in the West during the early months of 1944, contributing mightily to Allied air superiority over northern France on D-Day. This volume, packed full of first-hand accounts, expertly recreates the combat conditions and flying realities for Mustang pilots (including headline aces such as Don Blakeslee and Don Gentile, as well as lesser known aviators). It is heavily illustrated with photographs, artwork and innovative and colourful 3D ribbon diagrams, which will provide a realistic overview of the most dynamic dogfights in aviation history.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Chapter 1: In Battle
• Chapter 2: Setting the Scene
• Chapter 3: Path to Combat
• Chapter 4: Weapon of War
• Chapter 5: Art of War
• Chapter 6: Combat
• Aftermath
• Appendices
• Acknowledgments
• Selected Sources
• About the Author/Illustrators
• Index