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Mustang Australia 1

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The North American P-51 Mustang was designed for the RAF early in WW2. It entered combat service in 1942 and proved to be good at low altitude but lacking above 15,000 feet. The RAF's Fighter Development Unit fitted some Mustangs with Rolls Royce Merlin engines and it proved to be a stroke of genius - The Mustang was now faster than almost anything and could reach over 40,000 feet altitude. The USAF became interested, and North American began producing Mustangs with a Packard Merlin engine as a new fighter to escort bombers on long-range missions.

There were several modifications, and the final 'D' versions had a 'bubble' canopy for better visibility. The Mustang was armed with 6 x 12.7mm machine guns, and was also adapted for ground-attack with rockets and bombs being carried in the Korean War and later in Central America.
The P-51 was known as the F-51 when it was exported in large numbers and the end of WW2. The Mustang was used extensively well after then, by many air forces, with some being on active service until 1984!

This example is a P-51D of 77 Squadron RAAF 1945.
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diversdream's avatar
mmmm sorry mate me again mmmm
this sqd was disbanded by this time and were not flying (see below).
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82 RAAF Squadron

Initially equipped with Kittyhawk and Airacobra fighters, 82 RAAF Squadron formed at Bankstown, New South Wales in June 1943.
In May 1944, 82 RAAF Squadron relocated to Ross River airfield near Townsville where the squadron participated in training exercises with Army units until its redeployment to New Guinea in August 1944.

Soon after their arrival,82 RAAF Squadron flew its first combat mission bombing and strafing targets at Sorong.
Ground attack operations as well as barge sweeps along the New Guinea coast became the focus of the Squadron's efforts for the next six months.

In 1945 the Squadron moved to Morotai, from where it flew convoy patrols around Borneo and assisted ground forces in operations against by-passed Japanese garrisons.

June 1945 saw 82 RAAF Squadron operating from Labuan Island providing close air support to Australian troops during the Borneo operations.
82 RAAF Squadron's most successful strike during this period occurred in mid August 1945 when several Kittyhawks caught Japanese aircraft about to take off from Kuching airfield.
Four enemy aircraft were destroyed and two others damaged before the fighters turned their attention to barge traffic on the Sarawak River.

Almost as soon as hostilities ceased 82 RAAF Squadron was informed that it would form part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) that was to garrison a defeated Japan.
The Unit converted to Mustangs and in March 1946, moved to BCOF U in Japan.
82 RAAF Squadron was engaged on surveillance patrols over Japan until it was disbanded at Iwakuni on 22 October 1948.

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