Strana 36
P-51D-20, 44-72579, Capt. J. B. Baker Jr., 458th FS, 506th FG,
20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945
P-51D-20, 44-72587, 2nd Lt. William G. Ebersole/2nd Lt. James R. Bercaw,
462nd FS, 506th FG, 20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945
Captain J. B. Baker Jr shot down a Ki-44 during
the escort sortie over Nagoya and Kobe area
on June 23, 1945. He was also credited with
J2M Raiden probably destroyed during another
raid to Tokyo area, when the Mustangs strafed
the airfields east and northeast of Tokyo.
The 506th Fighter Group struck Katori and
strafed Yachimata and Miyakawa. Based on
No. 3 Airfield, the marking of Mustangs of 458th
FS squadron consisted of 4-inch wide angled
dark blue stripes but the replacement aircraft’s
tails were painted in solid blue except vertical
rudder. Note the Luftwaffe style spiral on the
spinner and an attractive archer emblem on the
right side of the aircraft.
This Mustang was shared by 2nd Lieutenants
Bill Ebersole and James Bercaw. Bill Ebersole,
the youngest pilot of the 462nd FS, arrived to
Iwojima’s east side No. 3 Airfield on May 1945,
at the time of the last night attacks of the
remaining Japanese soldiers on the island.
Ebersole flew his first combat sortie over
Chichijima on May 15, 1945 and flew the first
VLR Mission among his total 10 on June 7, 1945,
which was an eight-hours long escort sortie
over Osaka. He was credited by Zero destroyed
on ground during the attack on Hyakurigahara
airfield on June 26, 1945 and also destroyed
small transport ship Sugar Dog type on early
August. His final strafing mission was flown
against Tachikawa on August 5, 1945, only one
day before the atomic bomb was dropped on
Hiroshima.
KITS 07/2025
INFO Eduard36
July 2025