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 assort This paper deals with the contributions of the P-51 Mustang to theeventualvictory of the Allies in Europe during World War II. It describes the strugglescene in Europe before the P-51 was introduced, traces the developmentofthe fighter, its advantages, and the abilities it was sufficient to contributetothe Allies arsenal. It concludes with the effect that the P-51 had onGerman air high quality, 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(prenominal) of the improvements, benefits, and side effectsthat it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve airsuperiority over the Germans.This paper was inspired by and large by my grandfather, who flew the P-51 outofLeiston, England, during WW II and contributed to the eventual affiliatesuccess that is traced in this paper. He flew over seventy missionsbetweenFebr uary and August 1944, and scored 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 nurture of the P-51The Installation of the Merlin EnginesFeatures, Advantages, and Benefits of the P-51The P-51s Battle PerformanceThe Change in form _or_ system of government on Escort Fighter FunctionP-51s Disrupt Luftwaffe Fighter evasive actionP-51s Give Bombers Better SupportConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionOn September 1, 1939, the German military forces invaded Poland to beginWorld War II. This attack was very successful because of its use of anewmilitary strategical system -- blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, literallylightning struggle, involved the fast and deadly coordination of two unambiguous forces,theWermacht and the Luftwaffe. The Wermacht advanced on the ground, whiletheLuftwaffe destroyed the confrontation air force, attacked enemy ground forces,anddis rupted enemy communication and transportation systems. This setup was trusty for the successful invasions of Poland, Norway, WesternEurope,the Balkans and the initial success of the Russian invasion. For manylong timeafter the first of September, the air war in Europe was dominate 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