Ken wrote:
Given the markings, within what date range could this photo have been taken?
Full invasion stripes, fighter recognition stripes on the horizontals, no Malcolm hoods ...
IIRC it is around D-Day. The general order from 8th AF FC to ditch the top wing strripes and the fuse stripes above the star/bar on July 9th
Very interesting to see the gap of NMF remaining around the US insignia and what appears to be thin black stripes at the end edges of the first and last white invasion stripes.
Ken
The gap is all about the 'hand painting' of the stripes the day/night before by the ground crews trying not to paint on the star/bar national insignia.
Ken - malcom hoods were installed only on about 20 percent of the P-51B's by D-Day. IIRC it was an 85 hour mod at the Service Depot - don't think the Service Group co-located with each group had the ability and had to farm them out for two weeks.
Not to mention that the 361st had just recently converted from 47s in mid May and all the new 51s were straight from factory and some of the older ones shed by some of the groups weren't equipped with the 'hood' - too rare to give up to another group.
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