RAF Mustang Escorts - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

Smudger Smith · #1 24th February 2006, 11:01

Gents,Details required on the Mustang in RAF use 1944/45.When used to escort RAF Bomber Command daylight attacks over the last 8 months of the war did the RAF Mustang squadrons adopt a similar escort technique / policy to the Yanks? If not what was the Fighter Commands policy of escorting the slow lumbering bombers.Lastly I am after a photograph of RAF Mustangs escorting RAF ‘Heavy’ bombers circa 1944/45, can anyone point me in the right direction.TIA Steve

kb · #2 25th February 2006, 06:32

RAF Mustang III squadrons provided withdrawal support for 8AF bomber groups on occasion; for example on the 6 March mission to Berlin RAF Mustang IIIs from 19, 65, and 122 Squadrons made rendezvous with drawing bombers north of Hanover.

RAF Mustangs weren't equipped with the fuselage fuel tank of their USAAF counterparts, with so lacked range to provide escort into deep into Germany.

en830 · #3 26th February 2006, 10:13

Didn't Polish Mustang squadrons provide escort support to the Squadrons detailed to bomb the Tirpitz, 315 Sqn was I believe among those on this raid

shooshoobaby · #4 27th February 2006, 00:23

In the late great Roger Freeman's " Mustang at War " there is a chapter on the RAF missions to Norway with photos of P - 51s with Drop Tanks.
Also , other chapters with photos and info on RAF Mustangs.
Cheers

Franek Grabowski · #5 27th February 2006, 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by en830

Didn't Polish Mustang squadrons provide escort support to the Squadrons detailed to bomb the Tirpitz, 315 Sqn was I believe among those on this raid

Nope, they did an escort during raid to submarine pens at Bergen. My late friend commented that they had a lot of trouble to cover the Lancasters because they were flying a rather lazy formation and they did not even notice a few Fw 190s!

odybvig · #6 28th February 2006, 02:30

When the Fw 190's attacked the Lanc's over Bergen, the escorting Polish Mustang was lone gone, they had gone elsewhere on free hunt. One of the reason that the Polish Sqn was replaced as escorting Sqn over West Norway

Best
Olve Dybvig
www.luftwaffe.no

Franek Grabowski · #7 28th February 2006, 13:56

Never heard this story. Are you sure you are not confusing anything?

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