The Contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the Victory of the Allies :: World War Two American History Essays

The Contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the Victory of the Allies This paper deals with the contributions of the P-51 Mustang to theeventualvictory of the Allies in Europe during World fight II. It describes thewarscene in Europe before the P-51 was introduced, traces the developmentofthe fighter, its advantages, and the abilities it was able to contributetothe Allies arsenal. It concludes with the effect that the P-51 had onGerman air superiority, and how it led the destruction of the Luftwaffe.The thesis is that it was not until the advent of the North AmericanP-51Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effectsthat it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve airsuperiority everywhere the Germans.This paper was divine largely by my grandfather, who flew the P-51 outofLeiston, England, during WW II and contributed to the eventual Alliedsuccess that is traced in this paper. He flew over seventy missionsbetweenFebruary and August 1944, and sco red three kills against Germanfighters.Table of ContentsIntroductionReasons for the Pre-P-51 Air SituationThe Pre-P-51 SituationThe Allied Purpose in the Air WarThe Battle at SchweinfurtThe Development of the P-51The initiation of the Merlin EnginesFeatures, Advantages, and Benefits of the P-51The P-51s Battle PerformanceThe Change in Policy on Escort Fighter FunctionP-51s Disrupt Luftwaffe Fighter TacticsP-51s Give Bombers break dance SupportConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionOn September 1, 1939, the German military forces invaded Poland to beginWorld War II. This invasion was very successful beca social occasion of its use of anewmilitary strategic theory -- blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, literallylightningwar, involved the fast and deadly coordination of two distinct forces,theWermacht and the Luftwaffe. The Wermacht advanced on the ground, whiletheLuftwaffe sunk the enemy air force, attacked enemy ground forces,anddisrupted enemy communication and transportation systems. This setup w asresponsible for the successful invasions of Poland, Norway, WesternEurope,the Balkans and the initial success of the Russian invasion. For manyyearsafter the first of September, the air war in Europe was dominated by theLuftwaffe. No other nation involved in the war had the experience,technology, or numbers to challenge the Luftwaffes superiority. It wasnotuntil the United States joined the war effort that any great harm wasdoneto Germany and even then, German air superiority remained unscathed. Itwasnot until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and allofthe improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it,thatthe Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans.Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air SituationThe continued domination of the European skies by the Luftwaffe wascausedby two factors, the first of which was the difference in military theory