Fact Files

With my build of the Hangar 9 Mustang I thought it would be great to view this models real life history and exploits.  I am waiting on permission to name my model "Miss Helen".  Mustangs came in variations of colours, the most well known is the black and white stripes of "Invasion Stripes".  Not so well known is the "Blue Nose Mustang".

It's hard to find P-51's that served with the Eighth Air Force here in the UK, however 44-72216 Miss Helen  is one such a aircraft, serving with the famous 352nd Fighter Group at Bodney in Norfolk, otherwise known as "The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney" based at RAF Bodney

Miss Helen (picture right) was built at Inglewood, California and given the construction No: 12238675 this aircraft was one of 1,600 of this model built at the Inglewood plant. Once completed and given the serial No: 44-72216, she was accepted into service with the USAAF on the 8th January 1945. World War II was in it's closing stages in Europe but aircraft were still needed in Europe to keep air superiority, as the Luftwaffe were still able and allied fighters were still being lost.

Upon arriving in the UK, she was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron. The 352nd FG had been in the thick of it whilst being deployed forward to strips located at Asche and Chievres in Belgium since 23rd December 1944 but returned to their permanent base on 13th April 1945. 44-72216 was assigned to Captain Raymond H Littge as his personal aircraft. She was painted in the units markings of medium blue nose, the squadron markings of a blue rudder and "HO" codes. The individual code letter " M " was applied. This was underlined as the this was one of two aircraft with the same code letter. Littge's previous mount 44-11330 E Pluribus Unum, is thought to have been written off in Belgium, so he named his new aircraft Miss Helen, after his girlfriend Helen Fischer, who he went on to marry after the war. Littge was no rookie pilot, he already had 10½ confirmed kills one of which was a Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter, and four other ground kills gained during strafing runs over German airfields.  

The exact number of missions flown by Littge in this aircraft still remains a mystery, however we do know that he was flying Miss Helen on 17th April 1945. 

On this date the 352nd FG were tasked with providing an escort for B17's launching a follow up attack upon the marshalling yards at Dresden in south east Germany.   

At 11:15 hrs fifty two P-51s were taking off under the leadership of Col James D Mayden, commander of the 352nd FG. Lead by Lt Col W T Halton, the 487th FS contributed 18 aircraft to this large force. Capt Littge was leading 'Red Flight' flying in Miss Helen.

The 352nd joined the bombers at 20,000ft at 13:05 hrs, flying to the south of Fulda. The formation of bombers came under attack from Me 262s making their usual head-on passes, the P-51's also came under attack and one was left damaged. The Me 262 was more than a match for the P-51 and the Luftwaffe suffered no casualties. When reaching the Filders area, 24 fighters lead by Mayden left the B17's and swooped down to their briefed patrol areas to find enemy airfields. They came across the airfield at Plattling in which 70 plus aircraft were parked. The first eight aircraft made a low pass to draw the flak,  eight others including Littge's 'Red Flight', hit the flak positions, while the rest provided top cover. For half an hour each flight took it in turns to make passes over the airfield after a left-right traffic pattern had been established.  

In all 66 aircraft were destroyed in these attacks and a further 24 were badly damaged. Six of the destroyed  aircraft were claimed by Littge, four Bf109s and two Me262s. During the initial attack on the AA defenses, Miss HELEN was hit badly with the oil tank holed and almost emptied, the manifold pressure line and two electrical lines were also hit. In all Ray Littge made seven passes at various parked aircraft.  For this action, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.  

Although the 352nd were to fly four more missions, it is unknown whether Miss Helen flew on any of these as she needed urgent attention after the Plattling attacks.

May 4th, four days before the German surrender, Littge returned to the USA and Miss HELEN was passed onto Lt Russell Ross who had flown as wingman to Littge on many occasions. On 27th December 1944 he came to Littge's assistance as a Fw-190 tried to attack Littge's Mustang, Ross shot down the Fw-190 his only kill of the war. The aircraft was renamed Miss Nita for the remainder of the war.

44-72216 remained in storage for 18 months before officially being struck off USAAF inventory on 13th June 1947. This was not the end for this aircraft as she was one of many  P-51's exported second hand to Sweden in 1947. All aircraft destined for service in Sweden were gathered together at Metfield in Suffolk, before heading north for a new life in the Royal Swedish Air Force. Given a new identity 26116, and re-designated J26 (Jaktplan or Fighter 26) she was officially accepted into Swedish service in 25th February 1948 with Flygflottilj 4 (F4) based at Froson in northern Sweden. It was only a short stay as the aircraft was relocated to Uppsala with F16. All Swedish P-51s remained in bare metal finish, with only the spinner painted in the division colours. (See the recent addition to The Fighter Collection, right)

After five years service 22116, along with all other Mustangs serving with the RSAF, was again struck off charge on 19th March 1953. The aircraft had another escape from the breakers as she was one of 25 P-51s sold on to Israel between 1952 and 1953. No documentation exists of her service with the Israeli Defence Force only that she wore the code"43", and although they initially remained in the bare metal finish, this was painted over with a tan and bluish camouflage with the code applied in white.  

By now piston engined fighters were obsolete as jet aircraft were becoming more common, so her days of ruling the skies were over and she was used for ground attack. The IDF had 30 P-51s on active duty for Operation Kadesh or the "100 Hour War" in which Israel occupied the Sinai Desert in October 1956. The Mustangs were deployed to strafe troops, and convoys using rockets, napalm, and the onboard 0.50 Cal machine guns. Another interesting use of the P-51 was cutting Egyptian communications. This was achieved by flying through the cables and using the propeller to cut the cables, an unorthodox but never the less dangerous operation. Operation Kadesh cost the IDF ten of its Mustangs all lost to ground fire.

As Israel's jet aircraft became more widespread, the P-51s were relegated to advanced training duties, and by the end of the 1950's they were withdrawn for good, the Mustang's reign was finally over.


This colour scheme didn't last long however because she was now  painted in an olive drab colour scheme with grey undersides along with five other Mustangs,  the codes AJ-L were applied and she was re-named Miss L . They were to be the co-stars in the film "The Memphis Belle" and the Mustangs were to play the part of the "Little Friends", escorts to the bombers.

During the winter of 2000/2001 she returned to her original 352nd FG colours, the nose being a slightly lighter shade of blue. The original post-restoration "blue nose" paint scheme was found to be too dark, however the correct shade was obtained by removing layers of the same colour paint from a former toilet block at Bodney. This was matched and the recent re-paint saw the correct shade of blue applied.

More Mustang P51D links

Read the full story at UK Warbirds

352nd FG Bluenoser Tales

Little Friends - 352nd Group

Miss Helen Photo Gallery

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^{Photos and details reproduced by kind permission of UK Warbirds}

Cripes A Mighty the 3rd Photo Gallery

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This aircraft is now available as an ARF 60 size model from Hangar 9