The “Sun Setters”,
were the VLR Mustang pilots of the 15th, 21st and 506th
Fighter groups, VII Fighter Command. Based on a volcanic island in the Pacific
Ocean, flying 650 mile missions to Tokyo and back, if you made it you were a
member of the “Tokyo Club”. VII fighter command flew 51 Very Long Range
missions to Japan from April 7 to August 14, 1945, initially flying B-29 escort
missions, ground attack missions followed including 140 strikes against targets
in the Bonin Islands.
Final
accounting of the Sun Setters was 234.5 confirmed aerial kills and 219 ground
kills, while losing 131 P-51’s and 99 pilots lost to all causes.
On March 6th
the 47th FS arrived at Southfield Iwo Jima, followed on March 7th
by the 45th and 78th FS.
45th FS
P-51’s were assigned numbers 50 to 99, was commanded in the following order by
Maj. Gilmore Snipes, Maj. Arthur Bridge, Capt. Harold Collins and Maj. Robert
Moore.
Stinger
VII was piloted by Maj. Moore, the leading VLR ace with 11 kills. These were the
initial markings of this unit.Click on
images below to see larger images
47th FS
P-51’s were assigned numbers 150 to 199, was commanded in the following order
by Maj. John Piper, Maj. Theon Markham, Capt. Walter Powel, Capt. Ernest
Hostetlerand and again Maj. Theon Markham.
“Black Rufe”
named after one of Al Caps comic strip characters from “Li’l Abner”, was
piloted by Lt. Sparks. This was one of five 47th FS Mustangs lost in
the storm of June 1, Lt. Sparks was not flying it that day. These were the
initial markings of this unit.
Click on
images below to see larger images
Jeanie VIII
was piloted by Maj. Vande Hey, survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack. On the
first VLR mission to Tokyo, April 7th, he knocked down a twin
engined “Dinah”. These were the initial markings of this unit.
Click
on images below to see larger images
These are among the
last USAAF Mustang units to be activated for combat. If you would like to know
more about the VII Fighter command, the Banzai attack and the storm of June 1,
you will enjoy reading the following:
References: Osprey
Aviation Elite Units – Very Long Range Mustang Units of the Pacific War –
Author: Carl Molesworth.
Decals: AreoMaster
48-797.
Watch
for Part 2, 506th FG later in 2008.
Mark
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