Looking for MACR 11619 and 9424

[ssg keay]

Does anyone have information on the above mentioned MACRs (I know where I can order them if must be and alas, I do not have access to Fold3 right now)?

11619 is an F-6C Mustang SN: 42-103460
9424 is a B-24H Liberator SN: 42-94786

I am trying to determine the Squadron Code and individual Aircraft Letter for both aircraft. Everything else I know in detail as I excavated both these aircraft in the past.

Thanks, Danny

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Nothing on Squadron Code or individual Aircraft Letter in MACR 11619. By the way this F-6C was lost after an air battle with German fighters and the old German claim list by Tony Wood has the claim below that fits both time and location, so I wonder if you managed to find more about it:
25.12.44 Oblt. Langheld Stab II./JG 11 P-51  RR-14: 2.000-500 m. [180˚ Ingleheim] 15.58 Film C. 2027/II Anerk: Nr. -he

Nothing on Squadron Code or individual Aircraft Letter in MACR 9424 either.

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi Danny,


https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91113485


https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91072154


are the links for the requested files.


Best regards


Luc

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi Danny,


https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91113485


https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91072154


are the links for the requested files.


Best regards


Luc

[RSwank]

There is a photo of the F-6C here:

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/21530


Captioned:
A crewman with a P-51C Mustang ('NQ', serial number 42-103460) nicknamed "Rome Gnome" of the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force at Lyon-Bron airfield, in September or October 1944. "Weenie Merchant 2" is also inscribed on the nose. Handwritten caption on reverse: '42-103460, P-51C-5-NT, probably 111th TRS, seen Lyon-Bron, Sept/Oct 1944. 29C.'

[ssg keay]

What I can tell you is that the pilot, 1LT William Littlewood had just transferred from P-47s to P-51s and instead of flying the wing of his leader, who was doing a recon run of Frankfurt Airport, 1LT Littlewood decided to tangle with some Bf109s. During that battle he shot down one German fighter, but his F-6C was in return damaged and the pilot forced to bail out. His aircraft then travelled on and was then engaged by what eye-witnesses described as two Fw-190s, which shot down the pilotless aircraft. This was also the reason we excavated this aircraft, as everyone claimed the pilot never bailed out. They could not have known that Littlewood had bailed out about 15-20km away.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Originally Posted by RSwank

There is a photo of the F-6C here:
https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/21530
Captioned:
A crewman with a P-51C Mustang ('NQ', serial number 42-103460) nicknamed "Rome Gnome" of the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, XII Tactical Air Command, 12th Air Force at Lyon-Bron airfield, in September or October 1944. "Weenie Merchant 2" is also inscribed on the nose. Handwritten caption on reverse: '42-103460, P-51C-5-NT, probably 111th TRS, seen Lyon-Bron, Sept/Oct 1944. 29C.'

I wonder why the photo caption says the code was 'NQ'?
The MACR page 3 clearly states the code was 'NO'!
It is impossible to judge from the photo what the exact code really was.
Until further evidence I will go for 'NO'
Cheers
Stig

[ssg keay]

According to the following website:
https://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/...111FSwwII.html

"When the 111th TRS moved from the 12th Air Force to the 9th AF, a couple of changes in markings came about. Squadrons now had two place designators, in this case "N5" for the 111th and a letter for the individual aircraft. N5 Y is F-6C 42-103196. The second change is the adoption of red tail stripes."

Danny

[Buckeye30]

Hi Danny. There were a couple of interim systems in the 111th in 1944; before the S. France operation in Aug. (DRAGOON) they had changed to a "C" followed by the plane letter eg. "CP" 42-103196 or "CV" 42-103227; this was still used when first based in France but apparently they were changing to "N" and both were seen at first as in Rolland's photo (eg. "NH" 42-103388). this was aft on left side and forward on right.

"NJ" 42-103578 was the first Allied fighter to land there flown by one of the attached Navy pilots. Still in use when transferred to the Provisional Recon Group/Ninth AF in October.
Their "official" designator was "N5" which was soon adopted eg. N5-X 44-14659.
Later they added tail stripes ( Ninth AF said green) but as they were very narrow and time-consuming to apply not many F-6s carried them before the EOW, in the 69th TRG from March-April.
Regards
Nick

[ssg keay]

Originally Posted by Buckeye30

Later they added tail stripes ( Ninth AF said green) but as they were very narrow and time-consuming to apply not many F-6s carried them before the EOW, in the 69th TRG from March-April.
Regards
Nick

Thanks for the reply Nick. I see many models showing the tail stripes as being red on a white rudder. Would it be correct, looking at some of the pre-move to France photos, that the side rudder was white?

Danny