Whether flying a bomber escort, divebombing a bridge or strafing an airfield, the P-47s of the 78th FG cut a destructive swath through occupied Europe. A great affection and bond between pilot and plane soon established itself as the Eagles of Duxford tore apart the Axis. Many times, the black-andwhite checker-nosed P-47s brought their pilots back from a mission with extra weight in the form of German flak and cannon shells embedded in the Jug's fuselage.
Bad news comes in threes
Fighter pilots were creatures of habit and most everyone in the 78th FG agreed they wouldn't change or give up flying the P-47 for anything in the world. In mid-December 1944, the world fell apart as the winds of change blew cold and harsh across Europe and onto the fighter base at Duxford. Bad news seemed to come in threes.
First, the Germans had smashed through the thin Allied lines in Belgium and were now on the offensive. Second, some of the worst winter weather to hit England and the continent grounded the desperately needed Allied fighters and bombers. And finally, the worst news yet for the 78th FG and one of its pilots, First Lt. Frank Oiler, by order of Gen. Jimmy Doolittle. It simply read Turn in your Jugs, boys and transition into Mustangs!” For Lt. Oiler, he felt as though he just lost his best friend. He soon realized after much kicking and screaming” that change was not really all that bad, especially at the controls of a P-51 Mustang:
This story is from the November - December 2022 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the November - December 2022 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
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