P-51C 42-103578

[mjfur]

Any ideas as to why a Naval Pilot or what the P32 or the 120/12D on the rudder indicate?

North American P-51C-5-NT Mustang, 42-103578 converted to F-6C-5-NT at modification center. condemned salvage from enemy action Apr 15, 1946

"This North American P-51 Mustang of the allied air forces is shown here taking off from a partially completed landing strip in southern France. Its pilot, Lt. Stanley F. Fierstein, 27, of 2820 Cleburne Ave., Houston, TX, a naval pilot, was forced down on the beachhead as a result of a loose canopy and was the first Allied Fighter aircraft to land in Southern France."- P-51C 42-103578 of 111TRS, 68TRG, 15AF USAAF.

 

[MIflyer]

Nice shot. Here are some more of airplanes from the same Squadron. Note the tail codes, which are similar. Credit is the American Air Museum in England.

 

[MIflyer]

Here are a couple more.

 

[Tom Hail]

These are all F-6A/F-6D of the 111th TRS, 12th Tactical Air Command. It came over assigned to the 68th Observation Group. but the group was disbanded. It was allowed to create it's squadron codes. For Italy in September 43 it was operation with two separate echelons of P-51-1 aircraft and they were coded A and B. When the P-51C arrived they were still using the P-51-1 and they decided to code all the NEW P-51C with a C code. Before they were used (after Easter) the 12th Air Force redesignated these aircraft F-6A. For the Southern France invasion 10 navel pilots were assigned for navel gunfire spotting, and they were given 10 F-6As and were coded N. The unit had 36 F-6A for the invasion. The Naval pilots and crew were ordered back to their ships on October 1. The 111th kept the Navy marked ships. In November 44 the 12th TAC and the 111th were reassigned to the North European command with supplies from England and the 9th Air Force. They made the unit change the designations from F-6A to F-6C and supplied a few F-6Ds. On February 1 ,1945 they assigned a new Squadron Code of N5 to the 111th Squadron.

The P-32 code and number of the tail is the conversion project and sequence number for the Photo recon conversion.