No, this is not a picture of Major Harry C. Crim’s 531st Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group P-51D Mustang, but an attempt at humor by Loomis Dean, a United States Army Air Force photographer stationed on Iwo Jima. This staged photo depicts a P-51 pilot clutching his rear end in front of a line up of 45th Fighter Squadron Mustangs supposedly after completing a very long range mission from Iwo Jima to Japan and back.
USAAF/Loomis Dean/National Archives via Fold3
The official caption for this photo reads: “A tired pilot . . . and North American P-51 “Mustangs” on the line at Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands. The boys suffered most just from the 8-hour rumba of seat against seat!” Seven to eight hour VLR missions in a small cockpit led to a sore seat and stiff legs. There was anecdotal evidence that some pilots had to be lifted out of their cockpits because they were so stiff and sore. None of the pilots I had the opportunity to interview ever remember seeing a pilot having to be lifted out of a cockpit, but it made for a good story.
Loomis Dean – If you have noticed, a lot of the United States Army Air Force photos posted recently in Photo(s) of the Week were taken by Loomis Dean. Mr. Dean started his photography career with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus prior to World War II. After the war, he joined the staff of Life Magazine in 1947 photographing celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, Noel Coward, Ernest Hemingway, and Liberace. A lot of Mr. Dean’s photos taken while serving with the United States Army Air Force were shot from unique angles which can be seen in the above photo.
After the 31st CB (SeaBees) and the 2nd Separate Engineer Battalion completely reconstructed Central Field (Motoyama #2), the 72nd FS of the 21st FG arrived on Iwo Jima on March 22nd. The remaining two squadrons of the 21st FG, the 46th and 531st, arrived on March 24th.
USAAF/National Archives via Fold3
I really like the above photo. It shows 231 Tiny Gay Baba, 209 Three of a Kind and other 46th FS Mustangs parked on Central Field after their arrival on March 24th. Above Tiny Gay Baba you can see the main South Field runway and Mt. Suribachi.
USAAF/National Archives via Fold3
Taken on March 25th, the above photo shows a nice line up of 72nd FS Mustangs on Central Field. The closest Mustang in the photo is 250 Dede Lou, the mount of 72nd FS commander, Major Paul W. Imig. If you enlarge the photo, it appears that Dede Lou has the twin Uncle Dog antennae installed.
USAAF/National Archives via Fold3
The final photo shows 531st FS Mustangs in the foreground, with 46th and 72nd FS Mustangs in the background. This photo was also taken on March 25th, a day after the 46th and 531st FS Mustangs arrived on Iwo Jima.
The photo below shows a North American P-51D Mustang receiving extensive maintenance from no less than 7 ground crew members on Iwo Jima. Neat photo that could be used for the basis a very busy diorama. You can make out the plane’s serial in the photo, which is 44-63959. This was a P-51D-20NA Mustang assigned to 462nd Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group. I received the photo from Richard Smith, who is the son of Captain Lawrence S. Smith. Captain Smith was one of pilots lost during the infamous June 1, 1945, “Black Friday” mission.
644 “Sandra Leigh” (Richard Smith)
The plane’s fuselage number was 644. Please note that the stubs for carrying 5-inch high velocity aircraft rockets (HVARs) have been installed on 644. These were a field modification as the stubs were not factory installed on Block 20 Mustangs.
644 “Sandra Leigh” (506th Fighter Group Association via Richard Smith)
644 was flown by Flight Officer Harry Reese who named the plane, “Sandra Leigh”. Flight Officer Reese was not credited with any aerial or ground victories.
644 “Sandra Leigh” (506th Fighter Group Association via Harry Reese)
Below is a nice photo of Flight Officer Reese with a 20 mission crush on his cap.
Flight Officer Harry Reese (506th FG Association via Harry Reese)
There are no aftermarket decals in any scale for 644 “Sandra Leigh”. Thanks to Richard Smith for providing me with the top photo.
In his editorial in the January 2024 edition of Eduard Info, Vladimir Sulc announced the future release of the Eduard 1/72 North American P-51D Mustang. Eduard had previously indicated their intention to scale down their phenomenal 1/48 P-51D kit, so while it did not come as a complete surprise, it is great news.
Eduard
Eduard’s releases of their 1/48 P-51D kits covered every production block of the D model from the early filletless D-5 through the D-25, including the needed parts for the D-20/25 Iwo Jima VLR Mustangs and kits for the P-51K and the F-6D/K photo reconnaissance versions. The hope is that Eduard will follow suit with their 1/72 P-51D kits.
Eduard
The projected release of this kit is June of this year, the same month Eduard will be releasing their new 1/48 P-51B Mustang. With Arma Hobby releasing their 1/72 P-51D Mustang in the first quarter of this year, it is a good year to be a Mustang modeler.
UpRise Decals from St. Petersburg, Russia has released decal sheets featuring two 457th Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group North American P-51D-25-NA Mustangs in 1/72nd, 1/48th, and 1/32nd scales.
UpRise produces decals for both World War II and modern military aircraft, civil aircraft and airliners, helicopters, ordinance, and insignia. Their website can be found here: https://uprise-decal.ru/
UpRise Decals
Decals are provided for 542 “Fighting Lady” (Serial No. 44-72570), and 528 “The Enchantress” (Serial No. 44-72671). Both of these planes are popular among modelers because of the pin up art which adorned their fuselages.
The decals are lazer printed and look exceptionally good, and each sheet comes with the dive angle stripes that appeared on the leading edge of the top of the wings and most of the exterior stencils that appeared on 506th FG P-51D Mustangs. The extensive exterior stencil decals are a nice nice touch on UpRise Decals’ part.
UpRise DecalsUpRise DecalsUpRise Decals
528 “The Enchantress” was assigned to 2nd Lt. William E. Saks. 2nd Lt. Saks went Missing in Action on the infamous June 1st “Black Friday” escort mission to Osaka in which 27 Mustangs and 24 pilots of the 15th, 21st and 506th Fighters Groups were lost to severe weather conditions encountered between Iwo Jima and the Japanese Home Islands. His Missing Air Crew Report indicates that he was flying a different P-51D-25 Mustang (Serial No. 44-72885) on that mission. The Enchantress survived the war and was transferred to Japan as part of the occupation forces after the cessation of hostilities.
528 “The Enchantress” (506th Fighter Group Association)
It is unknown if a second pilot was assigned initially to fly The Enchantress along with 2nd Lt. Saks, and if any other pilots were specifically assigned to the plane after 2nd Lt. Saks was lost on June 1st. We are unable to locate an individual picture of 2nd Lt. Saks, or a group picture that includes him. The picture below is of Dr. Theodore Paprocki, the 457th squadron’s medical officer, sitting on the wing of The Enchantress. Note the wear of the paint on the back sides of the propeller blades (uncuffed portions) due to the sand and volcanic ash on Iwo Jima.
Dr. Theodore Paprocki sitting on the wing of “The Enchantress (506th Fighter Group Association via Maurita Paprocki)
The other decals are for 542 “Fighting Lady” which was assigned to 1st Lt. Ralph Gardner and 1st Lt. Chester Jatzcak. Below is a nice close up picture of the pin up art that adorned the fuselage.
542 “Fighting Lady (506th Fighter Group Association)
While the quality of the below photo is not the best, it does clearly show the position of the name “Fighting Lady” on the nose below the engine exhaust stacks and the elegant design of the Mustang’s nose.
Unknown ground crew member lying on the wing of “Fighting Lady” (506th Fighter Group Association)
Norma Jatczak, 1st Lt. Chester Jatczak’s wife, was of the belief that the plane’s name was “Broadway Gal”. Unfortunately, the 506th Fighter Group Association does not have a photo to substantiate her belief.
1st Lt. Chester Jatczak crouched on the wing of “Fighting Lady” (506th Fighter Group Association via Norma Jatczak)
Please note the photo below does not have the name “Fighting Lady” on the nose yet. This photo was likely taken in June of 1945 as the plane has a solid green tail instead of the initial squadron markings of diagonal green stripes on the tail.
1st Lt. Ralph Gardner in the cockpit of “Fighting Lady” (506th Fighter Group Association)
I interviewed Ralph Gardner at the 2013 506th Fighter Group Reunion in Chino, California, but did not think to inquire about the whether the plane had the name of “Broadway Gal” at one point in time, or whether the name was on the right side of the nose. The photo below appears to dispel the notion that “Broadway Gal” appeared on the right side of the nose.
1st Lt. Ralph Gardner flying “Fighting Lady (506th Fighter Group Association)457th Fighter Pilots in front of “Fighting Lady” – Front row left to right; Lts. Alan Kinvig and George Hetland; Back row left to right; Lts. Ray Miller, Martin Ganschow, Ralph Gardner and Larry Grennan (506th Fighter Group Association via Ralph Gardner)
UpRise Decals uses Film Free Ability (FFA) for their decals. This is the technology that allows the modeler to remove the clear film that covers the decal during production. The initial application of FFA decals is the same as regular water slide decals. After applying the decals, whisking away the excess water, and working out any air bubbles from under the decals, you let the decals sit for 24 hours, and then gently remove the film that covers the decals. Without any film surrounding the decals, they look like they are painted on. Really nice!
A tutorial/description of UpRise Decals’ Film Free Ability decals is found here: https://uprise-decal.ru/ffa. There are also several YouTube videos providing tutorials on how to use these and similar decals from other manufacturers.
UpRise Decals can be purchased on eBay from two vendors who appear the be the same person. When I initially purchased these decals, the FFA was only available on their 1/32nd decal sheets, but now all their decals (1/144th, 1/72nd, 1/48th, 1/32nd and 1/24th) produced from November 2022 forward use the FFA technology. If you want to use UpRise’s FFA decals, you need to check to make sure that the particular decal sheet you are buying has the FFA technology. There are probably some the regular water slide decals still being sold or resold on eBay.
Iwo Jima Models 