Soon after their arrival on Iwo Jima on March 6th and 7th, the Mustangs of the 45th, 47th and 78th Fighter Squadrons of the 15th Fighter Group began offensive bombing operations against the remaining Japanese troops on the island. Taking off from South Field, they made short bombing hops to the northern portion of the island in support of United States Army and Marine ground forces.

The photo below shows an armorer adjusting the braces supporting a 500 pound general purpose bomb on a 45th FS Mustang. The distinctive diagonal green bands with black borders of the 45th FS can be seen on the bottom of the wing and on the right main landing gear cover.

The small L shaped supports can also be seen on the bottom of the wing. These supports were added on both sides of the bomb racks and were used to hold the sway braces in place for the 110 and 165 gallon drop tanks.

The official caption for this photo reads: Armorer adjusting braces on a North American P-51 “Mustang” for 500 pound bomb which will be dropped in first P-51 dive- bombing assault on Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands.