WWII, North American P-51 Mustang, 1940s
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Science History Images / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
HRP5EYFile size:
40.7 MB (826.4 KB Compressed download)Releases:
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3900 x 3652 px | 33 x 30.9 cm | 13 x 12.2 inches | 300dpiPhotographer:
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A P-51 takes off from Iwo Jima, in the Bonin Islands. From this hard-won base our fighters escorted the B-29s on bombing missions to Japan, and also attacked the Empire on their own. The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. From late 1943, P-51s were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany. The P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean and Italian theaters, and also served against the Japanese in the Pacific War. During WWII, Mustang pilots claimed 4, 950 enemy aircraft shot down. At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s.