#Dieppe Raid

[historydailyfrancischappellblack]

The Dieppe Raid August 19, 1942

Subscriber Content Add content here that will only be visible to your subscribers. Payment One pilot, rescued. August 19 1942, during the Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee). #DieppeRaid https://amzn.to/46R8Jvq If you enjoy my Canadian military history content, you can support it with a donation at https://buymeacoffee.com/CanadasMilitaryHistory The Dieppe Raid was an Allied operation designed…

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"'Civilian Turned Soldier,' Says Kin," Toronto Star. October 2, 1942. Page 14. ---- SGT. JOHN CARROLL, EXTREME LEFT, AND SIR JOHN DILL, RIGHT --- "I think they should all get medals." declared Edward Carroll, Columbine Ave., when he was informed today that his brother, Sergt. John M. Carroll of the Royal Regiment, had been mentioned in dispatches in connection with the great raid on the French port of Dieppe." "John is a perfect example of acivilian made into a fine soldier." his brother said. "Before the war, John had absolutely no interest in military matters, but within two weeks of the declaration of war he was in the army. He said he just had to get in and help get rid of that guy Hitler.' He went into the first recruiting office he came to and it happened to be that of the Royals." Announcements following the Dieppe raid listed Sergt. Carroll as "dangerously wounded." Letters received by his mother, Mrs. Margaret Carroll of Kitchener, said he had been wounded by gunshot to the abdomen and the left thigh in the storming of the beaches.

"John left home at the age of 18 to join a carnival that came to town," Edward told The Star. "He was always adventurous, but very quiet about his accomplishments. He never mentioned his part in the raid except to say that he was wounded. This news will be welcome to his mother." Sergt. Carroll joined up in September, 1939. and went to England before his regiment to take a special course in trench mortar operation. Later he went to Iceland as an instructor.

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

BATTLE TIMESLIPS

On August 4, 1951, two English women were abruptly shaken from their sleep by the sound of fierce gunfire—from nearly nine years earlier!

Dorothy Naughton and her sister-in-law, Agnes, were vacationing at the seaside village of Puys, near Dieppe, France. They were staying in a house where German troops had lived during World War II. The women experienced an audio replay of the fierce fighting that took place in the area on August 19, 1942, during the Dieppe Raid (also known as Operation Jubilee).

The first burst of battle sounds took place at 4 a.m., the actual time when Canadian and British troops had attacked the German-held post. Once awakened, the two ladies went out onto their balcony, where they heard sounds coming from the beach. For the next three hours the cries of soldiers shouting over a storm of gunshots and bad weather rose and fell, interspersed with uncanny silence. Then came the roar of dive-bombing planes, followed by explosions. The report of the sounds the two women heard matched with official military records of the previous battle.

On August 4, 1642, a pamphlet printed in London reported:

“A Signe from Heaven, or a Rearful and Terrible Noise heard in the Ayre at Aldborow in the County of Suffoke, on Thursday, the 4th day of August, at 5 of the clocke in the afternoone--wherein was heard the beating of Drums, the discharging of Muskets and great Ordnance for the space of an houre or more.”

The small publication continued by stating that the eyewitnesses, "many men of good worth," would be giving evidence before the House of Commons as well as displaying a large stone which fell from the sky during the phantom battle.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[majorhortonisonleaveinlondon]

An updated (April 3, 2024 7:48am pst) list of WW2 movies and TV shows in chronological order

thought out WW2 -(Imitation Game 2014) -(The Book Thief 2013) -(The Zookeeper’s Wife 2017) -(The Pianist 2002)

1937

October 26, 1937 Defence of Sihang Warehouse (The Eight Hundred 2020)

December 13, 1937 Nanjing Massacre - (John Rabe 2009) - (The Flowers of War 2011)

1938

Fall of 1938 (Munich – The Edge of War 2022)

1939

Summer 1939 (Six Minutes to Midnight 2020)

September 3, 1939 King George VI first wartime speech (King’s Speech 2010)

September 17, 1939, Soviet Union Invitation of Poland (The Way Back 2010)

November 30, 1939 Soviet Union invades Finland (The Winter War 1989)

1940

April 9, 1940 Operation Weserübung -(April 9th [movie] 2015) -(King’s Choice 2016) -(Narvik 2022) -(War Sailors 2023)

April 27, 1940 (Into the White 2011)

June 4, 1940 -Churchill gives “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech (Darkest Hour 2017) -Dunkirk Evaluation (Dunkirk 2017)

July 10-October 31, 1940 Battle of Britain (Battle of Britain 1969)

1941

May 1941 (Call to Spy 2019)

June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa -(Fortress of War [The Brest Fortres 2010) -(Defiance 2008)

September 8, 1941, Siege of Leningrad begins. -(Battle of Leningrad [Saving Leningrad] 2019) -(Leningrad 2009)

October 1941 Battle of Moscow (The Last Frontier [The Final Stand] 2020)

October 1941 Battle of Sevastopol (Battle for Sevastopol 2015)

December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970)

December 8, 1941 Japan invades Shanghai International Settlement (Empire of the Sun 1987)

1942

January 20, 1942, Wannsee Conference (Conspiracy 2001)

February 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Greyhound 2020)

February 1942 (The Railway Man 2013)

February 19, 1942, Bombing of Darwin (Australia 2008)

Spring 1942 (U-571 2000)

April 18, 1942 The Doolittle Raid (In Harm’s Way 2018)

June 4, 1942 Battle of Midway (Midway 2019)

1942 Summer Occupation of Jersey Island (Another Mother’s Son 2017 Prime)

July, 10 1942 Easy Company Trains in Camp Tocca (Band of Brothers 01x10 Currahee 2001)

July 21, 1942, Kokoda Track Campaign (Kokoda: 39th Battalion 2006)

August 7, 1942, 1st Marine Division land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 1 Guadalcanal/Leckie 2010)

August 19, 1942, Dieppe Raid (Dieppe 1993)

August 23, 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begins (Stalingrad 1993)

September 1942 Formation of Troop 30 (Age of Heroes 2011)

September 18, 1942, 7th Marines Land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 2 Basilone 2010)

Autumn of 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Das Boot 1981)

October 18, 1942, Operation Grouse (Heavy Water War Ep. 2 2015)

November 8, 1942, Operation Torch (The Big Red One 1980)

November 10-17 1942 Vasily Zaytsev kills 225 German Soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates 2001)

December 1942 The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal is relieved (The Pacific Ep. 3 Melbourne 2010)

December 15, 1942, Battle of Mount Austen (Thin Red Line 1998)

1943

March 13-14 1943, liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto -(Schindler’s List 1993)

April 17, 1943 Operation Mincemeat (Operation Mincemeat 2021)

April 19, 1943, beginning of the Warsaw Uprising (Uprising 2001)

May 4, 1943, Final Mission of The Memphis Bell (Memphis Bell 1990)

May 15, 1943, Salamo Arouch and his family arrive in Auschwitz Concentration Camp (Triumph of the Spirit 1989)

May 27, 1943 Louis Zamperini plane crashes on a search and rescue mission (Unbroken 2014)

May 30, 1943 first All-American Girls Professional Baseball League game played (A League of Their Own 1992)

June 25, 1943, 100th Bomb Group flew its first 8th Air Force combat mission (Master of the Air: Part One 2024)

July 1943 -(The Tuskegee Airmen 1995) -(The Liberator Ep. 1 2020) -(Heavy Water War Ep. 5 2015)

July 16, 1943, The 100th Bomb Group bombed U-Boats in Tronbhdim (Masters of the Air: Part Two 2024)

August 17, 1943 the 4th Bomb Wing of the 100th Bomb Group bombed Regenberg (Masters of the Air: Part Three 2024)

September 16, 1943, William Quinn and Charles Bailey leave Belgium (Masters of the Air: Part Four 2024)

September 18, 1943 John ‘Bucky’ Egan returns from leave to join the mission to bomb Munster (Master of the Air: Part Five 2024

October 14, 1943, John ‘Bucky’ Egan interrogated at Dulag Lut, Frankfurt Germany (Masters of the Air: Part Six 2024)

December 26, 1943, 1st Marine Division lands on Cape Gloucester (The Pacific Ep. 4 Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika 2010)

1944

January 22, 1944, Battle of Anzio -(The Liberator Ep. 2 2020) -(Red Tails 2012) -(Anzio 1968)

February 20, 1944, Hydro Ferry bombing (Heavy Water War Ep. 6 2015)

March 7, 1944, Stalag Luft III Sagan, Germany, Germans find the concealed radio Bucky was using to learn news of the War (Master of the Air: Part Seven 2024)

March 24/25, 1944 Allied Mass Escape of Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape 1963)

June 1944 (Cross of Iron 1977)

June 6, 1944, 00:48 & 01:40 First airborne troops begin to land on Normandy (Band of Brothers 02x10 Day of Days 2001)

June 6, 1944, 06:30 D-Day landings -(Storming Juno 2010)

-(Saving Private Ryan 1998)

June 10, 1944, Easy Company Takes Carentan (Band of Brothers 03x10 Carentan 2001)

June 15-July 9, 1944 Battle of Saipan

-(Windtalkers 2002)

-(Oba: The Last Samurai 2011)

July, 1944 The Monuments Men land in Normandy (The Monuments Men 2014)

July 20, 1944 Operation Valkyrie (Valkyrie 2008)

August 12, 1944, The 332nd Fighter Group attack Radar stations in Southern France (Masters of the Air: Part Eight 2024)

September 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed on Peleliu at 08:32 (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 16, 1944, U.S Marines take Peleliu Airfield (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden

-(Band of Brothers 04x10 Replacements 2001)

-(A Bridge Too Far 1977)

October 2, 1944 Battle of Scheldt (Forgotten Battle 2021)

October 12, 1944, Battle of Peleliu, Assault on Bloody Nose Ridge (the Pacific Ep. 7 Peleliu Hills 2010)

October 13, 1944, Rovaniemi public buildings were destroyed (Sisu 2022)

October 14, 1944, Erwin Rommel is arrested (Rommel 2012 Prime)

October 22/23, 1944, 2100 – 0200 Operation Pegasus (Band of Brothers 05x10 Crossroads 2001)

November 1944 middle of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (When Trumpets Fade 1998)

December 16, 1944, Battle of the Bulge (Band of Brothers 06x10 Bastogne 2001)

December 1944 (Hart’s War 2002)

1945

January 2, 1945 (The Liberator Ep 3 2020)

January 10, 1945 (Attack Force Z)

January 13, 1945, Battle of Foy (Band of Brothers 07x10 The Breaking Point 2001)

January 30, 1945 The Raid at Cabanatuan (The Great Raid 2002)

February 14, 1945, David Webb rejoins the 506th in Haguenau (Band of Brothers 08x10 The Last Patrol 2001)

February 19, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima starts. - (Letters from Iwo Jima 2006) - (The Pacific Ep. 8 Iwo Jima 2010) - (Flags of our Fathers 2006)

March 21, 1945, Operation Carthage (The Bombardment 2021)

April, 1945 (Fury 2014)

April 5, 1945, 506th Finds abandoned Concentration Camp (Band of Brothers 09x10 Why We Fight 2001)

April 26, 1945, near the end of the war in Europe (A Woman in Berlin 2008)

April 29, 1945, 45th Infantry Division liberated Dachau Concentration camp (The Liberator Ep. 4 2020)

May 2, 1945, Fall of Berlin -(Downfall 2004) -(Jojo Rabbit 2019)

May 1945 Battle of Okinawa -(Hacksaw Ridge 2016) -(The Pacific Ep. 9 Okinawa 2010)

May 7, 1945, Germany Surrenders V-E Day - (Master of the Air: Part Nine 2024) - (Band of Brothers 10x10 Points 2001)

July 30, 1945, USS Indianapolis sank. (USS Indianapolis 2016)

August 15, 1945, The Empire of Japan surrenders end of the War. -(Oppenheimer 2023) -(The Pacific Part Ten: Home 2010)

September 11, 1945 US Military search and Arrest Japanese Leaders for war crimes (Emperor 2012)

1946 April 29, 1946 Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (Tokyo Trial 2016)

[captain-price-unofficially]

A group of haggard Commandos walk by a collapsed Goatley boat upon returning to New Haven U.K. after the failed Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942.

[usafphantom2]

Spitfire AB910’s last wartime operational sortie – 15th July 1944

Header image: Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 (Photo: Jim Dooley)

Eighty years ago this month, on 15th July 1944, BBMF Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 flew its last operational sortie of the Second World War, with 402 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). This was a two-hour shipping protection patrol of four Spitfires, covering convoys to France, with Pilot Officer Ken Heggie RCAF at the controls of AB910.

402 Squadron was now re-equipping with Spitfire Mk IXs, although not for long as they were soon to receive new Griffon-engine Mk XIV Spitfires. The Spitfire Mk Vs had almost seen their day in the front line and AB910’s operational flying came to an end after 58 operational sorties with 402 Squadron and 143 in total. During almost three years of front-line duties AB910 had played a significant part in the war, including being involved in the fierce aerial battles of the Dieppe Raid on 19th August 1942, and the D-Day operations in June 1944. It was now to serve in a training role with No 53 Operational Training Unit at Hibaldstow for the rest of the war, allowing new Spitfire pilots to find their feet with the type before joining an operational unit, and also achieving infamy by flying with a WAAF on the tail!

Spitfire AB910 is currently undergoing a ‘Major’ servicing with The Spitfire Company at Biggin Hill, which is progressing well, and she is expected to be returned to the BBMF at the end of September. On her return she will be painted in the markings she wore with 402 Squadron RCAF during the D-Day invasion period. Watch out for a feature on AB910’s time with 402 Squadron in the forthcoming Club Autumn Journal.

On its return from its ‘Major’ servicing, Spitfire AB910 will, once again, be in the markings it wore whilst serving with 402 Sqn RCAF during the period of D-Day and for its final wartime operational sorties. (Artwork: Chris Sandham-Bailey inkworm.com)

@classicwarbirds via X

[fantastictyphoonpeanut]

Salute the Brave: Lt. Col. Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat. DSO, MC CdeG (Fr.). One of the founder members of the Commandos so-much-so he had a 100,000 Marks bounty on his head. A fearless and popular commander, he was badly injured by a shell a week after D-Day. Pictured here after the Dieppe raid, his No.4 Commando was the only fully successful unit that day in 1942 in a 'lessons' learned' precursor for D-Day 2 years hence. (FTP)

[pesoglav]

Kreigsmarine next to an abandoned Churchill tank left during the failed Dieppe Raid, 1942

[bray-tech]

Y’ ever thought about what a fucked-up thing immortality would be?

But not just any immortality, the specific kind where when you die, you just… respawn. Like ten feet away. GTA Respawns. Or for simplicity, you wake up a lil' bit later, exactly where you were. so like, as an example, say you’re a WW1 soldier, drilling to place one of the bombs along the Somme for the allies.

You don’t know what set it off, but the world around you goes up in flames instantly and…

Somehow

somehow you don’t.

You wake up buried in the rubble, or in a newly opened tunnel, or crawling out of a fissure of water deep underground.

So you spend the next week stumbling around collapsing every so often from dehydration before inexplicably standing back up. until suddenly you find

Trenches

 At the surface.

But of course, you don’t have the good fortune, no sir, no fortune here. These aren’t your trenches.

They’re your enemy’s.

So you fight like a mad dog, trying to get back across to your guys

You make it

Despite the gas,

Despite the shelling

Despite the hell around you

And your boss calls it a miracle

Sends you back to medical for some much-needed rest

So, you make it through the rest of that war

Confused as hell when people die around you and you just… don’t.

You get a reputation among the others;

You’re unkillable, unsinkable. Somehow, unshakeable. They must not hear your mind in the dark.

You find out towards the end that your wife and child were informed that you had been killed at the Somme.

It’s the British intelligence agency, or what will become it. They invite you to come to them.

You accept and begin sending your paychecks as ‘death benefits’ to your grieving family.

It’s probably better this way. The war changed you.

So you find your way to the front again.

You’re now a British officer.

You volunteer, in WW2, for the disastrous Dieppe raid. You heard the plans. You just want to get out as many as you can.

This earns you a rep as ‘insane’ among the British. You’re hailed as ‘a good one’ among the Canadians.

You work with them, mouse-holing up Italy.

Eventually, you make it through that war.

Not without incident, of course. More than once, you took grenades for your men to prevent them from dying.

They don’t know how to explain your survival, so they call you a hero.

After the war, you retire.

You get bored.

To cover your tracks, you take a job as an actor with the Globe. You get cast as older men; frequently you portray Richard III.

Sometimes you portray Macbeth.

Eventually, that grows stale.

On a trip to America, you meet the son of a doctor you met once in Europe. His name is unimportant; he’s now a doctor himself. The man mentions being in need of a butler.

You took that training as part of your British intelligence work.

You offer.

He accepts.

Ten relatively quiet years pass.

You’re pulling the car around to pick up him and his family.

He and his wife are murdered in front of their eight-year-old son.

You resolve to help the child.

Your name is Alfred Pennyworth. Your ward hasn’t figured out that you can’t die. World’s Greatest Detective, my ass.

[scotianostra]

July 8th 1911 saw the birth of Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, the Chief of Clan Fraser, Scottish aristocrat and soldier.

Lovat was involved in the formation of the Commandos, the Dieppe Raid and D-Day. As 24th Chieftain of Clan Fraser, Shimi – MacShimidh to give him his Gaelic title – was born into leadership. It was in his genes (David Stirling, his cousin, co-founded the SAS). Shimi Lovat’s military background ran back through generations of Frasers, including Simon Fraser, known as the Patriot, hung drawn and quartered at Tower Hill at Edward I’s orders, and Simon Lovat, The Old Fox, was beheaded after the 1745 rebellion, his character featured in the Outlander series

Shimi’s leadership qualities were tested to the limit on D-Day. The mission of 1st Commando Brigade – or 1st Special Service Brigade, as it was known in June 1944 – was to break through German defences on the eastern side of Sword Beach. At lightning speed, they were to fight their way four miles inland to Pegasus Bridge over the Caen Canal, and bring reinforcements to the 6th Airborne Division, relieving the glider-borne troops who had taken the bridge at dead of night.

Shimi and his commandos arrived just after the appointed hour of midday, to the swirl of pipes. He famously apologised for being two minutes late. The bridges were crucial; at the push of a detonator, the Germans could have destroyed them. With the Allied supply lines cut, the invasion could have foundered.

Plunging into further battles, Shimi was nearly killed four days later by Allied shrapnel and was given the last rites by Father René de Naurois. His last words as he handed over his brigade were: ��Take over the Brigade and not a step back; not a step back!”

More info on Shimmie here http://clanfraser.org/timeline/1911-1945/

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

Watching the WW2 channel's entire series (all 330 videos) made me gain a particular appreciation for how the western allies - through blood, sweat and tears - became the world's foremost experts in (opposed) amphibious landings. Not just D-Day, but operations like Torch (North-Africa), Husky (Sicily) and Dragoon (southern France), the Anzio landing, landing in Norway, the Saint Nazaire and Dieppe raids, the battle of the Scheldt (Antwerp), virtually every battle in the Pacific Campaign, and more. The Soviets also did some landings, but those were only supplemental to their main efforts, like landings during the liberation of Crimea - the western allies were constantly forced by the war's geography to have to (re)gain a toehold on a continent or capture an island.

So in that light it makes so, so much sense when in 1950 UN forces were being squeezed into the Pusan perimeter their first instinct was: "Hey, you see that muddy bay there (Incheon) with narrow approaches that's difficult to assault for a dozen different reasons? Let's do another fucking landing there, trust me bro."

And they fucking pulled it off.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"MEET THE FIGHTING HICKSONS AND THEIR GALLANT DIEPPE HERO," Toronto Star. October 2, 1942. Page 14. ---- SERGEANT George A. Hickson of the Royal Canadian Engineers has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for outstanding valor at Dieppe. Sgt. Hickson's home is in Kitchener.

HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN smile happily at the news of Sgt. Hickson's decoration. Mrs. Hickson is the former Mary Potwarka of Kitchener. George Jr. (left) will be six in December. Larry was four last month.

PROUD PARENTS of the Dieppe hero are Mr. and Mrs. George Hickson. Mr. Hickson is a veteran of the last war. Sergt. Hickson blew in the wall of the casino at Dieppe. blasted the steel door from a gun emplacement. FOUR BROTHERS of Sgt Hickson are also in uniform. Gerald, 17 (above), is in a reserve army unit, while anxiously awaiting his 18th birthday and a call to the R.C.A.F. STAUNCH ARMY MEN are Gordon (left, above) and Robert Hickson, shown with their sister, Mrs. George Bews of Kitchener. Pte. Gordon is training in eastern Canada with the Irish Regiment. Pte. Robert is overseas with the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Their father served through the last war.

ELDEST brother of the fighting Hicksons, Harry is a flight sergeant in the R.C.A.F., at present serving in Alaska. His home is in London.

[barbucomedie]

Officer's Batledress Blouse of the 1st Special Service Brigade from the British Empire dated to 1944 on display at the Highlander's Museum in Inverness, Scotland

This uniform was worn by Brigadier Lord Lovat as Commander of the 1st Special Service Brigade. Lovat led this Commando formation during raids on Norway, Dieppe and then ashore on D-Day. Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat was represented in the film The Longest Day, about the D-Day landings as wearing a white jumper and wielding a Mannlicher rifle. In reality he wore this uniform and used an American made M1 Carbine.

Lord Lovat instructed his personal piper, Private Bill Millin, to pipe them as they stormed the beaches despite specific orders not to. Private Millin cited these orders and army regulation. Lord Lovat reportedly replied with:

"Ah, but that's the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn't apply"

Despite this archaic attitude his championed the use of irregular warfare and Commando units during the war against the fascists.

Photographs taken by myself 2024

[brotherhoodwarlord]

@agentnamed [ INSTINCT ]: Something isn't quite right with the receiver, and the sender knows it. In order to get them to open up, the sender prepares some tea. (for Steve Rogers)

Dieppe Raid. Thousands of men dead and wounded and all for naught. A second front wouldn't be opened up, making it all the more harder to end this. One man, but he was still just that one man and he couldn't make a difference. Even back in the London flat, weeks after his thoughts were still back there on the beaches.

[captain-price-unofficially]

Dieppe's chert beach and cliff immediately following the raid on 19 August 1942. A Dingo Scout Car has been abandoned.

[usafphantom2]

#onthisday in 1942 the first A-36 flew. These were P-51 Mustangs modified with bomb racks to provide close support to ground troops

@classicwarbirds via X

North American P-51 Mustang | Classic Warbirds

The story of the P-51 began in 1940 when North American Aviation President James J. Kindelberger had approached the British Purchasing Commission to sell North American Aviation's twin engined bomber, the B-25 Mitchell. However with the Royal Air Force in desperate need for fighter aircraft and the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk being the only aircraft coming close to the specification required for the air war in Europe and even this aircraft was only available in limited numbers. So North American Aviation was asked, under licence from Curtiss-Wright, to produce the P-40. North American Aviation felt, however, that they could have a better aircraft working quicker than it would take a production line to produce the P-40 to be set up. Whilst it was agreed for North American Aviation to supply this new aircraft instead it was required for a prototype to be ready in 120 days.

Although this looked like a tall order, North American Aviation already had a design outline for an aircraft which benefited from information from the air war in Europe. Under the leadership of Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued the design team set about fitting the new fighters design to the specification laid out by the British. And impressively just 102 days later the prototype airframe designated NA-73X was completed, however due to the 1,100-hp Allison V-1710-39 engine, which was to power the aircraft, running behind schedule, it wasn't until a couple of months later on the 26th October 1940 when the prototype finally flew for the first time.

In a little under seven months and after a very successful testing programme the first production aircraft flew on the 1st May 1941 and six months later the Royal Air Force received the second production NA-73 for evaluation. The NA-73 had been ordered before the prototype had even flown and so more of the aircraft soon followed. Designated Mustang Mk I by the RAF, initial evaluation showed that at low-level the aircraft was fast and extremely manoeuvrable and was much better than any other American fighter then available. At higher altitude the performance of the aircraft suffered as its Allison engine power output fell rapidly as it climbed.

With eight machine-guns comprising four 0.50-in and four 0.30-in and its superb performance at low level it would be an ideal replacement for No. 26 Squadron's Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks that they were using. They began to receive their first Mustang Mk Is on the 5th January 1942 and would fly their first operation on the 5th May 1942. Other use of the aircraft saw it equip No. 2 Squadron of Army Co-Operation Command during April 1942, equipped with obliquely-mounted cameras, and on the 27th July 1942 they flew their first operational sortie. Its first aerial victory came on the 19th August 1942 during the Dieppe Raid when Flying Officer Hollis Hills of No. 414 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

Just two months later the Mustang showed its potential for long-range escort duties when on the 22nd October 1942, on an attack on targets in Germany, it became the first Royal Air Force single-engined fighter to cross the German border from its base in Britain, however the performance of the aircraft at higher altitude still needed to be improved, but an order for another 300 aircraft was placed.

One of the conditions to allow North American Aviation to supply the Royal Air Force with its NA-73 design was that two aircraft were given to the United States Army Air Corps for evaluation under the designation XP-51. Before these two aircraft were supplied to the USAAC the United States Army had already ordered 150 more aircraft to be sent to Britain under Lend-Lease. These aircraft featured self-sealing tanks and instead of eight machine-guns featured four 20-mm cannons and were designated P-51 by the US and Mustang Mk IA by the British.

Two examples initially designated XP-78, but later XP-51B, were each tested with different engines and they proved very successful and the Royal Air Force's findings of superb performance at low-level was confirmed. However the United States was committed to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, nevertheless 500 P-51's modified to have dive brakes and bomb racks to provide close support to ground troops and designated A-36 were ordered on the 21st August 1942. The first A-36 flew on the 21st September 1942 powered by a Allison V-17110-87 engine with six 0.50-in machine-guns, they were the first Mustang variant to go into operational service with the United States Army Air Force. Equipping two groups based in the Middle East during 1943 they also performed support operations during the invasions of Sicily and Italy. As well as ordering the A-36 an order for just over 310 P-51As had been placed by the United States with armament of four 0.50-in machine-guns and racks for either 1,000lb of bombs or two of either 75 or 150 US gallon external fuel tanks, this was designated Mustang Mk II by the RAF and powered by a 1,200-hp Allison V-1710-81 engine.

After showing its ability for potential long-range escort duties into Germany, but lacking high-altitude performance, during 1942 the decision was taken to install Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 and 65 engines in four airframes of the Mustang Mk I. Testing showed a much improved performance and North American Aviation were informed of the results and a 1,430-hp US-built Packard Merlin V-1650-3 engine was installed into two P-51s, these would be designated XP-78/XP-51B. Tested during September 1942 and achieving a maximum speed of 441 mph and having a better rate of climb than the P-38 Lighting, and confirming the British findings, the United States Army Air Force, impressed with the performance, ordered the Merlin powered Mustang in large numbers.

P-51B and P-51Cs, which featured a strengthened fuselage, improved ailerons and a number of small changes, to accommodate the new engine, and armament of four 0.50-in machine-guns, began to enter operational service with the United States Army Air Force in Britain as part of the Eighth Air Force. The 13th October 1943 saw this new aircraft complete its first long-range escort mission when a force of bombers were sent to attack the U-boat yard at Kiel, Germany. The P-51, with the benefit of external fuel tanks, would provide regular escort for bombers of the Eighth Air Force, during their perilous daylight operations deep into the heart of Germany. During March 1944 the P-51 took part in its first mission to Berlin and started being used operationally by both the 10th and 15th Air Force in Burma and Italy respectively. The Royal Air Force also started to receive their Lend-Lease P-51B/P-51Cs, designated Mustang Mk III, around the same time and No. 19 Squadron based at RAF Ford were the first to receive this new type, which would eventually be used by at least 21 RAF squadrons, many of which were part of the Second Tactical Air Force. The RAF modified the original cockpit canopy which opened sideways to a sliding hood design to overcome the poor rear view of the original canopy design.

Development of the aircraft continued and the next production version was the P-51D, with a modified rear fuselage, six 0.50-in machine-guns and a bubble canopy as standard, this was to become the most produced version of the P-51. Later versions of the P-51D had a small dorsal fin added and racks to accommodate 5-in rocket projectiles. A change in propeller led to a change in designation to P-51K, and both of these aircraft were designated Mustang Mk IV and Mustang Mk IVA respectively by the Royal Air Force.

During 1944 as part of experiments into lightweight construction the United States Army Air Force had ordered three XP-51Fs and two XP-51Gs as part of this process. A new redesigned airframe was also produced and as a result of an overview of the aircraft a new low drag section of wing replaced the laminar-flow design, the oil cooler was also replaced with a heat exchanger and the cockpit canopy was stretched to reduce drag further. With a simpler structure and the removal of equipment no longer deemed necessary and the use of new lightweight materials being used a significant reduction in the aircraft's weight was achieved. Both prototypes were powered by different engines with a 1,695-hp Packard Merlin V-1650-7 engine powering the XP-51F and a 1,140-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 145m engine powering the XP-51G. Two P-51J prototypes of a similar design were ordered, however only one was finished and this would be powered by a Allison V-1710-119, 1,720-hp engine.

As a result of the prototypes the P-51H appeared, flying for the first time on the 3rd February 1945, powered by the V-1650-0 Packard Merlin engine, this was to be both the last production P-51 and the fastest with a top speed of 487 mph. Further improvements had been made to the aircraft and as a result the aircraft was 40% lighter than the last P-51 in wartime service, the P-51D.

Another permutation of the P-51 was the P-82 Twin Mustang which was two aircraft merged together, however this didn't see service in the Second World War (1939 – 1945).

Technical Details

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Top Speed Range Service Ceiling Armament

Mustang Mk I 382 mph 1,000 miles 31,350 ft four 0.50-in machine-guns

four 0.30-in machine-guns

A-36 365 mph 550 miles 25,150 ft six 0.50-in machine-guns

1,000lb bombs

P-51 390 mph 1,050 miles 32,000 ft four 20mm cannons

P-51A 390 mph 750 miles 31,350 ft four 0.50-in machine-guns

two 500lb bombs

P-51B 439 mph 1,180 miles 41,800 ft four 0.50-in machine-guns

and either two 1,000lb bombs or

rocket projectiles

P-51B side profile image

P-51C 438 mph 949 miles 42,000 ft four 0.50-in machine-guns

two 500lb bombs

P-51D 437 mph 1,000 miles 41,900 ft six 0.50-in machine-guns

and either two 1,000lb bombs or

six 5-in rocket projectiles

P-51D side profile image

XP-51F Lightweight version, three built.

XP-51G Lightweight version,, two built.

P-51H 487 mph 855 miles 41,320 ft six 0.50-in machine-guns

and either two 1,000lb bombs or

rocket projectiles

XP-51J Modified XP-51F.

P-51K 437 mph 1,180 miles 41,780 ft six 0.50-in machine-guns

and either two 1,000lb bombs or

rocket projectiles

P-51L Improved P-51H with new engine, only one built.

P-51M Improved P-51H with new engine, only one built.

A grand total of 15,576 P-51s were built by the time production ended, seeing service with China, Netherlands and a few were also supplied to the American Volunteer Group in China. The end of the war didn't see the end of the aircraft, as it remained in service with the United States Air Force, although under a different designation of F-51, until the 27th January 1957 when a F-51D, from the 167th Fighter Bomber Squadron, performed the types last flight with the USAF. In fact the last P-51 was retired from the Dominican Air Force in 1984.