Probably the most famous fighter-bomber ever flown by any military, the North American P-51 Mustang is a living testament to innovation and bravery. Its development and deployment changed the face of the air war over Europe and the Pacific during World War II, greatly due to the vision of men like Lt. Col. Thomas J. Hitchcock Jr.
Hitchcock’s odyssey with the Mustang began in World War I, when he joined the French Lafayette Flying Corps at the age of just 17, following rejection from the US Army as being too young. His early military career was marked with bravado and resilience to match, including a dramatic escape from German captivity. After the war, Hitchcock became a big-time polo player and socialite but never lost his interest in flying.
By the time the United States declared war, the 42-year-old Hitchcock was too old for combat but managed to secure a commission in the US Army Air Force. He served as Assistant Military Air Attaché in London where, as it transpired, he would play an even more critical role in assessing the Mustang’s potential. In April 1942, he read an assessment by Rolls-Royce test pilot Ronald Hawker that suggested the Mustang’s performance could be transformed with the Merlin 61 engine. The subsequent report by Hitchcock to Washington recommended that the P-51A be developed immediately into a high-altitude fighter, forecasting it to be 1943’s best fighter.
The US Army Air Force did not waste any time and ordered 2,200 of the new P-51Bs. It was not until early 1944, with the arrival of the Mustang, combined with new, aggressive tactics, that things began to shift in the air war. In February 1944, during “Big Week,” Mustang pilots destroyed 17 percent of the Luftwaffe’s pool of experienced fighter pilots—a blow from which German air defenses would never recover.
Long-range capabilities, attained by the use of external wing tanks, enabled the Mustang to escort bombers deep into Germany, significantly improving bomber losses. It also had problems with destabilization during dives, caused by the weight of the external tanks. Hitchcock, dedicated to the resolution of these flaws, died in a test flight crash in April 1944.
However, the effect of the Mustang proved incalculable. By March 1944, with Mustangs escorting the first US daylight bombing raids on Berlin, this fighter finally reached its full potential as Hitchcock had foreseen it. If Normandy would be successful and the Allies would proceed to win in Europe, the share of responsibility lay with the P-51 in winning command of the skies.
It also demonstrated its capabilities through acts of heroism, like that of James H. Howard, who single-handedly defended a bomb group against more than 30 Luftwaffe fighters to win the Medal of Honor. Colonel Howard described the P-51D Mustang as “a fighter pilot’s dream” because of its speed, agility, and long combat range.
From an initial design to fill the requirement for a much-needed improvement in fighter aircraft, the development from the P-51A with its Allison engine to the P-51B and P-51D Merlin-powered variants strode the performance boundary. The Merlin, with its two-stage supercharger, packed an honest 441 mph at 29,800 feet into the Mustang and lifted its service ceiling to nearly 42,000 feet.
The Merlin-powered Mustang, introduced in late 1943, cut bomber losses drastically and changed air combat strategies. Major General Jimmy Doolittle ordered Mustang pilots to fly ahead of bombers in “fighter sweeps” and strafe ground targets, which crippled the Luftwaffe and secured Allied air superiority.
The Mustang also had its say in the Pacific Theater, escorting B-29s on bombing missions against Japan and playing a significant role in the China-Burma-India Theater. As World War II drew to a close, Mustang pilots shot down 4,950 enemy aircraft, more than any other Allied fighter.
The P-51 designation changed to F-51 post-war, and it furthered its work in the Korean War, showing how the kind of aircraft could be transformed into an outstanding machine and retain its value. The Mustang legacy is preserved in museums like the Hill Aerospace Museum, where a P-51 built from multiple parts makes for a display honoring Utah native Colonel Chesley Peterson, a distinguished Mustang pilot, and Ace.
The combination of speed, range, and firepower that the P-51 Mustang offered, married to the bravery of its pilots, cemented this aircraft as a pivotal force in the accomplishment of Allied air superiority in World War II.