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Sunsetters - Pilot groupings of the 7th Air Force and more


Waltz41
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Hello everyone,

I'm pretty excited to finally be sharing some of my 7th AF groupings and items. I decided to put everything together in one thread, where I will be updating and adding to it over the next couple weeks as I have time. Hope that is ok!

 

While I'm an WWII aviation nut and 90% of my collection revolves around that, my favorite and most passionate subject area is that of the 7th Air Force, particularly the P-51 Mustang drivers who flew from Iwo Jima starting in March of 1945. These include the 15th, 21st, and 506th Fighter Groups. I currently have in my collection 4 P-51 pilot groupings from these fighter groups, along with a lot of other items belonging to the 7th Air Force. I'll even share some of my displays in my 'man cave' as well which includes some painting prints and more. I also will bring some of the 7th AF story to you in these posts as well, mostly focusing from Iwo Jima and those P-51's.

 

As I have been gathering up pictures and scans of some of my items, I was looking for a good day to start my post on (like a history nerd!). I just couldn't wait another couple weeks till the first VLR mission (which would of been a good one to start on) but I decided on today. The reason is that March 11, 1945 was the first over water flight to attack the Japanese for the P-51's.

 

On March 6, the airfield on Iwo was declared 'opened' and 25 P-51's from the 47th FS, 15th FG landed. The other two squadrons of the 15th landed the following day. The first mission was flown on March 8, and Marines called for some air strikes and close air support on the northern coast of the island. However, in the next couple days, after several CAS missions, the remaining Japanese fighters became so close and in small pockets that the CAS missions were no longer useful. Thus the next step was to be taken.

 

Here is an original photo that I was able to identify of the 47th Fighter Squadron pilots of that very first mission, just before their take off on March 11. Their target was Chichi Jima, which was about 150 miles north of Iwo.

 

post-89245-0-05125800-1457707191.jpg

 

This strike would be the first of many and would eventually in less than a month lead to the flights to the Japanese mainland.

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Although not on this flight, this small grouping belonged to one of the 47th FS pilots. While small, there is a very interesting and sad story that goes with it. The grouping consists of some copied paperwork, and the pilot's lapel pins, DFC ribbon bar, and pilot wings which are still with the paper backing. The 7th bullion patch I added for display purposes.

 

post-89245-0-41429600-1457707380.jpg

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2nd Lt. Scanlan actually arrived on Iwo way before the P-51's did. He was part of the ground echelon that first waited off shore while the fight was happening for Iwo. Their job was to go on shore and basically get the field ready for the P-51's to eventually arrive. They waited out the first 5 days of the battle, and then on day 6 went ashore. I found this little blurb in the great Osprey Publishing book Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War. It's from another pilot who went ashore on that day.

 

"I was paired with Scanlan. Each of us had a digging tool and one half of a pup tent. Digging in the black sand was not easy, however, for every shovelful you threw out of the hole, two more fell back in. By dark, John and I had a hole about three feet deep and twenty feet around. We pitched our pup tent in the middle of the excavation and went to sleep"

 

Here's a copy of Scanlan's photo

post-89245-0-94731600-1457707779.jpg

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Scanlan flew missions from March to June, where unfortunately he was shot down. On June 23, 1945, on a mission to attack an air field, the 47th FS was jumped by Japanese fighters. Scanlan was flying as wingman that day, and his lead pilot tells of what transpired from the MACR report:

 

post-89245-0-00862000-1457708128.jpg

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A much more detailed account is in the mission reports and is covered well in John Lambert's 15th FG history. Here's the account from his flight lead, who knew Scalan since their training days at Luke Field back in the US. The two got seperated from the rest of the squadron during the fighting, but stayed with each other.

 

"It wasn't long before we were jumped again. They were really out to get us. I called a warning to Jack and a flight of Zekes was on us. We tore right back at them. If there was ever a time to run for it, that was the moment, but I don't think either of us ever considered it. All we could think of was to kill those devils. I saw Jack get one but there were a few too many, more than I could count. After I had rolled out of a turn and could see Jack, I knew it was a little too late for me to help him. There were two Zekes sneaking up on his tail. I was heading toward him and yelling over the radio for him to do something, but he flew straight and level. His radio must have already been hit. I came on firing and calling him, but the Japanese fighters hit him in the wings and set him on fire. I could see his ammunition exploding as he pulled up, rolled over, and jumped out."

 

Scanlan had parachuted out and Scamara had protected him even though only 2 of his 6 machine guns were firing. He finally had to leave for the rally point and for over a year, Scanlan's fate was not known. Even his own mother did not have any details on her son. There was some correspondence between the War Department and his mom, but she was feeling that she should know more. Here's a copy of a letter she sent with regards to her son's fate:

 

 

 

post-89245-0-01191500-1457709327.jpg

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Whether that prompted further investigation or just happened during that time, more information came out. They had finally located the crash site and the remains of 2nd Lt. Scanlan.

 

post-89245-0-14634000-1457709422.jpg

 

 

In some chain of events, Scanlan was taken prisoner but was eventually beaten and tortured by the villagers and he died the next day.

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It is then later determined that there were more than 1 set of remains that were recovered from the small cemetery that was outside a school house in the small island of Chiba, Japan. There is some testimony as well that these might be the remains of a B-29 crewman or two, as stated by a local who heard a story.

 

post-89245-0-03284300-1457709876.jpg

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So it would seem that the fates of two more missing American airmen were found and their stories come to a close. However, this was not to be the case. The other remains were later determined not to be of the 2 missing B-29 crewmembers that the local had mentioned. It was of the opinion of the examiner eventually that they were other Japanese locals. This was in June of 1948. This copy is hard to read but sums up the recovery efforts.

post-89245-0-52435600-1457710228.jpg

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However, Scanlan's mother is very upset as she learns in a newspaper article that there was no justice for the villagers that beat and killed her son. While the War Department reports confirm the story, nothing has been done against those individuals involved, from the Japanese military who handed him over and let it happen to the actual villagers who committed murder. And so she writes the president of her anguish in response to the article.

post-89245-0-79386200-1457710473.jpg

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post-89245-0-74172100-1457710537.jpg

 

Unfortunately that is where the story stops, but so much in such a small group. 2nd Lt. Scanlan's story will not be forgotten.

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Here's a 47th FS P-51 and pilot

 

post-89245-0-18261600-1457710972.jpg

 

And more before mission photos of the 47th Fighter Squadron that I have not been able to identify yet in terms of which exact missions these were for

 

post-89245-0-57643100-1457711072.jpg

post-89245-0-58875200-1457711081.jpg

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doinworkinvans

Man....what an incredible story. How tragic and torturous it must have been for that mom and many like her.

 

Also, being a fan of the Pacific AAF - I LOVE this! Keep it coming man...I am subscribed

 

Daniel

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