US Army Air Force

“Yellow tail” on Italian skies

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