Saxton, Peter The P51 Mustang

From Tactical Superiority to Strategic Supremacy

The P-51 Mustang changed the course of aerial warfare in Europe by enabling long-range, high-altitude bomber escort, turning strategic bombing into a winning campaign. The P-51 Mustang, a single-engine fighter, was introduced late in the Second World War but proved decisive in the air war in Europe. It was originally intended for a tactical role as a fighter-bomber to support ground forces. It served well in this role, but was rejected by RAF Fighter Command as a high-altitude fighter because it was inferior above medium altitudes. The RAF Bomber Command had abandoned daytime raids on Germany because its bombers were vulnerable to attack by fighter aircraft outside the range of Fighter Command's Spitfires. The waiting Me 109s and FW 190s attacked, causing enormous losses. Bomber Command then resumed its attacks on Germany under cover of darkness. The 8th US Army Air Force resumed daytime bombing with a tactic of using large formations of B-17 Flying Fortresses with heavy machine guns for defence, but against the experienced pilots of the Luftwaffe, losses again rose to unacceptable levels. The author paints a vivid picture of the experiences of the aircraft crews, allowing the reader to empathise with them personally. Development of the P-51 continued, and this must be regarded as one of the success stories of the air war. Rolls-Royce approved the admirable airframe and replaced the inadequately supercharged Alison engine with the RR Merlin engine. Merlin engines were installed in the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfires, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster. The result was the Mustang, a virtually unbeatable high-altitude fighter with large fuel tanks that allowed for an enormous range. This created a world-class strategic fighter that could protect strategic bombers to their target and back home again. The P-51 Mustang was the only single-engine fighter with strategic capabilities that made strategic bombing a decisive campaign in Europe. This is the essential difference between strategy and tactics and the connection with the concepts of offensive and defensive as well as the unique role of the P-51.