15th FG / 45th FS Colors

Gallery Article by Mark L. Rossmann on Feb 10 2015

 

      

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 they flew 650 mile missions to Tokyo and back, if you made it you were a member of the “Tokyo Club”. 

The 15th FG loaded 82 P-51’s aboard the USS Sitkoh Bay at Ford Is. and shipped off to Guam. From Guam they flew to Saipan on Feb 14th. The 15th FG arrived on Iwo Jima March 7th, 1945. The 15th FG was the longest serving Mustang group operating out of Iwo.

The 45th got its first taste of action on March 9th, when Col. Beckwith lead one of three missions in support of the Marines on Iwo, also attacking Kama and Kangoku islands just off the coast of Iwo.

Black Friday, June 1, occurred when a large weather front was entered by all 3 Fighter groups. As a result 27 planes and 24 pilots were lost, on that day’s mission no plane was lost to fighters or ground fire. One of the 45th pilots, 1 Lt. Arthur Burry, MIA, was able to turnaround but lost power 275 miles north of Iwo and crash landed in the ocean. He was able to get into his raft, but got dumped out when a storm hit on June 5-6, and lost all his rations. June 7th he was picked up by a destroyer, closing the chapter on the worst mission for the VII Fighter Command.

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, #67, 44-63483 was piloted by Maj. Robert W. (Todd) Moore, the leading VLR ace with 11 kills plus one flying a P-40N in the central Pacific. Maj. Moore transferred between the 78th and 45th FS several times before assuming command of the 45th on July 19th. Major Moore was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Medal with nine OLC's. He passed away at the age of 81 on April 21, 2003 in Glasgow Ky.

This model shows the simplified markings during the last two months of the war. Green wing tips, tail tip and propeller.

Pic #3 shows the full side view of Stinger VII in its later markings. Also see the B-25’s in the background.

Pic #4: Shows Maj. Moore in his 78th FS Mustang

 

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Pic #3

Pic #4

The second P-51 is “Foxy”, #86, 44-63474, Pilot unknown

These were the initial markings of this unit, green/black/green propeller spinners, 18 inch slanted band with black border on upper fin and rudders and on the upper wings, just curling over underneath the front of the wing. Green propeller with black circle. “Foxy” met an untimely fate as noted on Page 68 of “VLR Mustang Units of the Pacific War”, the picture shows ”Foxy” and another Mustang destroyed when the pilot of a third Mustang lost control and ran into them. 

34 pilots were credited with partial or full kills from the 45th, the most out of the VII Fighter command. After the Japanese surrender, the squadron remained on Iwo Jima until 25 November 1945, when it transferred to Bellows Field, Hawaii. On 8 February 1946, the squadron moved to Wheeler Field, where it stayed until inactivated on 15 October 1946.

Pic #2 above

Pic #2: Top picture it shows the early markings of Stinger VII and note in the top photo it shows the green wing markings just wrapping around underneath. The bottom photo is the late version as you can just make out the green upper tail.

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:

1)  First I must give a big thanks to the “Tom Ivie” picture collection. Tom had responded to me 7 years ago when I first wrote about the 15th FG. At that time he provided picture #2. I contacted Tom again in early December 2014 and asked permission to use the picture for this article. Tom graciously provided several other pictures from his collection to publish with this article. Tom was a friend of Robert (Todd)  Moore and a recipient of a number of his WWII pictures.  Thanks Tom!!!

2)   References: Osprey Aviation Elite Units – Very Long Range Mustang Units of the Pacific War – Author: Carl Molesworth.

3)   Wikipedia – 45th fighter Squadron

4)   Decals: AreoMaster 48-796 and SuperScale 48-1153.

Pic #11: Shows San Antonio Rose with the 45th FS squadron badge, as seen on the model of Foxy. The background wreckage is not “Foxy”. Also note the early green wing stripe just wrapping around the lower wing.

Mark L. Rossmann

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Pic #11

 

Photos and text © by Mark L. Rossmann