“Marie”, one of P-51D Mustang of the 52nd Fighter Group’s 2nd Fighter Squadron, the “American Beagle Squadron”, photographed in Italy on 1944. Coded QP-Q, this P-51D-5-NA, serial number 44-13298, was assigned to pilot Freddie Ohr. On 8th December 1944, with the Lt. Paul C. Keyser as pilot, “Marie”, took off from Madna airfield, was lost over Austria. The Lt. Keyser was declared MIA. Victor Sierra

“Marie”

Four USAAF’s North American P-51D-5-NA Mustangs flying over Italy, 1944 or 1945. The planes are aircraft of the 52nd Fighter Group’s 4th Fighter Squadron, distinctive mark the yellow tail. The nearest Mustang is the s/n 44-13287 WD-M "Miss Ruth", behind the s/n 44-13289 WD-X. Both survived the war and were salvaged in September 1945. The third Mustang is the s/n 44-13263 WD-D "Jo-Baby" while the fourth, barely visible is the s/n 44-13485 WD-H, both lost on 11th November 1944. The 4th FS was one of the Squadrons of the 52nd FG, the other were 4th and 5th FS, one of the Fighter Groups of 306th Fighter Wing, HQ on Fano, The Marches, Central Italy, the other Fighter Groups were the 305th FG and 306th FG, being part the XV Fighter Command. This latter, aircraft in use P-48, P-47 and P-51, were the fighter component of the 15th Air Force committed on the escort missions to Fifteenth’s heavy bombers, B-17 and B-24. The 52d Fighter Group, equipped with Mustangs from 1944, after a deployment in Corsica, returned in Italy on 14 May 1944 when was based at Madna, Foggia Airfield Complex, Apulia, Southern Italy. On 21 April 1945 was moved to Piagiolino airfield, near Ancona, The Marches, in front to Adriatic coast, 200 km North of Rome. Victor Sierra

“Yellow tail” on Italian skies

Another shot of the 52th Fighter Group’s 2nd Fighter Squadron P-51D code QP-Q “Marie” on an Italian airport, 1944. The 52th FG (Fighter Squadrons 2nd, 4th, 5th) was one of the two U.S. Army Air Force fighter groups, the other is the 31st FG (Fighter (Squadrons 307th, 308th, 309th), which began operations throughout the Mediterranean theatre flying the Supermarine Spitfire. Both, after their transfer to 15th Air Force for long-range bomber escort, was destined to transition to North American P-51 Mustang. In the case of the 52th, this latter received their first Mustang, as Spitifire’s replacement, on 14 April 1944. The Squadrons 2nd and 5th begin their conversion on 17 April, while the other, 4th Squadron, continued flying Spitfires for a few more days. On 20 April, they too were pulled off combat status, the same day was flown the first operational combat mission of 52nd FG’s Mustang. In Italy the 52nd FG’s bases was Madna Airfield, Foggia Airfield Complex, Southern Italy, from May 14 1944, Piagiolino Airfield, Marche, Central Italy, from April 21 1945, and, finally, Lesina, Southern Italy from July until August 1945. Victor Sierra