LONG WAY TO VICTORY

Iwo to Tokyo in a Mustang

LT. JERRY YELLIN, JAMES P. BUSHA

THE BOMBING CAMPAIGNS OVER EUROPE AND JAPAN were as different as tea and sake, with one exception: Mustangs were the escort of choice for both—and for obvious reasons. While the B-17s and B-24s reigned supreme over fortress Europe, the distances in the Pacific--especially to the Japanese mainland—were greater, and only the B-29 had the range to make the trip with a big bomb load. And only the Mustang, with its long legs and fuel efficiency, could escort the bombers to the target area and still have fuel for combat. Follow along with one Pacific Mustang pilot as he endures flak, fighters and over eight hours of solitude in the cockpit of a P-51. Itching to fight I had been interested in aviation ever since Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. As a…

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Flight Journal (Digital) - 1 Issue, January/February 2024

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