Ground crews were anxious for the return of their pilots and planes from the first VLR escort mission to the Japanese Home Islands. The 7th Fighter Command lost only two Mustangs and one pilot (1st Lt. Robert G. Anderson, 531st FS/21st FG) on the April 7th mission.

In the photo above, ground crew watch on as a P-51D Mustang lands on Iwo Jima. If you enlarge the photo, on the other side of the runway are two C-46 Commandos, a C-47 Dakota, a P-51D Mustang, four PB4Y-1 Liberator patrol bombers, and a PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bomber.

P-51D Mustangs were not the only planes to land on Iwo Jima on April 7th. In the photo above, a damaged B-29 Superfortress lands on the same field. If you enlarge the photo, the prop on the right outside engine has been feathered. It appears that the first two photos were taken by the same 7th Air Force Combat Camera photographer. In this photo, he standing next to the tail of the damaged PV-1 Ventura shown in the first photograph.

In the photo above, ground crew and support personnel clamor around 68 “Victory Belle”, a 45th FS/15th FG Mustang, as the pilot waits to exit the cockpit while discussing the mission with his ground crew. A couple of things to note. First, it does not appear that the twin Uncle Dog antennae have been installed on Victory Belle yet. Second is the wear on the backside of the propeller blade. Only the cuff at the bottom of the propeller blade has retained its color because it was made of a hard rubber composition. The volcanic grit on Iwo Jima took its toll on painted surfaces. I am unaware of any after market decals for Victory Belle.

In the photo above, Major James B. Tapp, enjoys a sandwich and a cup of coffee after the April 7th mission. Major Tapp was the top scorer on the April 7th mission downing four Japanese fighters that were attacking the B-29 Superfortress formations.

References:

1. The Long Campaign: The History of the 15th Fighter Group in World War II, John W. Lambert, Schaffer Publishing Ltd. (2006).

2. Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War; Carl Molesworth; Osprey Publishing Limited (2006).