Chattanooga Express across Europe

Text: Jan Zdiarský 

Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

Cat. No. 7477

The Mustang, known by the iconic name "Chattanooga Choo Choo," was a P-51D-5NA with serial number 44-13535, manufactured in the spring of 1944 in Inglewood, California.

It was assigned to the 20th Fighter Group on July 4, 1944, as one of the first Mustangs to arrive at the unit in Kings Cliffe. Unexpectedly, the aircraft served with this same unit until the end of the war, completing 107 operational sorties.

Its first regular user was Lt. Frank Roark of the 79th Fighter Squadron, who named it "Wilma" and took part in the 20th FG's first “P-51 only” mission on July 24, 1944 (the unit had previously used P-38s and was gradually being re-equipped with Mustangs). The objective was to support the invasion forces in northern France. Wilma opened its combat score against Luftwaffe aircraft on its seventh mission. On August 9, while escorting bombers to Munich, the 20th FG encountered Reich defense fighters. Lt. Roark shot down an Fw 190 in the ensuing battle.

Further victories came in the form of aircraft damaged and destroyed on the ground, with various pilots taking turns at the controls of Wilma. One of the important missions in which 44-13535 participated during this period was Operation Frantic VI, when the 20th FG escorted 3rd BD bombers to the Soviet Union. Their target was factories in Chemnitz, and it was in this area that the 20th FG took over the bombers from another escort unit to continue eastward. It was September 11, 1944, and although it was one of the most intense days of the entire air war over Europe, the 20th Fighter Group did not encounter any German fighters during its mission. However, the operation meant another claim for 44-13535 – the aircraft joined the Mustangs that were allowed to visit the Soviet Union (or rather its Ukrainian part) and Italy during their operational career.

At the end of the year, Wilma received a fillet on the leading edge of the fin to enlarge the vertical stabiliser surface and thus improve the aircraft’s lateral stability, this modification was added to a number of Mustangs from the D-5 production block. For a certain period, the aircraft also carried green camouflage paint on its upper surfaces. However, this was removed after plans to relocate some of the VIII Fighter Command units to the continent were canceled. Similarly, the invasion stripes were gradually reduced. On the contrary, a new 20th FG identification was added in the form of black and white "keyboard" stripes on the nose. Another change, not only in the form of the aircraft, was that Frank Roark completed his combat tour, and Wilma was assigned to Lt. Richard Black, who renamed it "Black's Bird."

In mid-February 1945, the aircraft got another permanent user. It was Lt. Edward Pogue, who renamed the aircraft again, this time to "Chattanooga Choo Choo," as a reminder of where he came from and, above all, Glenn Miller's 1941 hit song.

Lt. Pogue's second mission in Chattanooga Choo Choo on February 20, 1944, was another success for the aircraft. And that is the subject of Piotr Fokrasiewicz's current illustration. On that day, the 20th FG was to attack rail transport in the Nuremberg area. The unit arrived there around 11:50 AM and began searching for targets on the main lines leading out of the city.

The 79th FS report on the ten-minute attack states, among other things: “After our squadron had strafed transportation targets in the area Lt. Jones, leading Blue Flight, sighted an airfield on which there were approximately 35 He111s, 8 Me110s, 1 Me410, 1 Me109 and 1 Fw190. The airfield was strafed from 12:35 until 12:45. Blue Flight led by Lt. Jones made two passes, Red Flight led by Capt. Hollins made three passes, Yellow Flight led by Capt. Kies made two passes and White Flight led by Major Meyer made two passes. Light flak was encountered coming from the woods north west of the airfield. It was moderate and inaccurate. Capt. Kies was wounded in the right leg by a single .30 cal projectile. Planes were dispersed and an attempt had been made to camouflage them by covering them with boughs from trees and mesh netting”

Among the successful pilots was Lt. Pogue in his Chattanooga Choo Choo. He fired 530 rounds at his targets and destroyed two He 111s. His 79th FS destroyed 22 aircraft and another 15 were damaged in the attack.

Lt. Pogue scored another success against ground targets on April 13, 1944, when he damaged a Bf 109 in Jagel. He then damaged a He 177 at another airfield near Hutzfeld. This was the last confirmed victory for the pilots in the cockpit of 44-13535. The aircraft made six more combat flights, the last of which was on April 21, 1945. During its operational service, this Mustang flew a total of 107 combat missions throughout occupied Europe, was flown by 35 different pilots, and destroyed five enemy aircraft and damaged four others.

(Sincere thanks to Mike Murray, the 20th FG historian, for valuable details about this plane)