Strana 32
P51C-1-NT, s/n 42-103309, Lt. William B. Overstreet, 363
rd
FS, 357
th
FG, 8
th
AF,
Leiston, the United Kingdom, June 1944
P-51B-15-NA, 43-24857, Capt. Robert M. Barkey, 318
th
FS, 325
th
FG, 15
th
AF,
Lesina, Italy, June 1944
“Bill” Overstreet became particularly famous for
his story of chasing a German Bf 109 through
the arches of the Eiffel Tower. The dogfight
supposedly happened sometime in the spring
of 1944, but it is questionable whether the
passage through the Eiffel Tower actually took
place. Nor is the exact date of the duel known,
and there is no mention in German records
of such a strange event as a fighter plane
crashing into the streets of Paris ... Overstreet
was, however, an aggressive and capable pilot,
and on September 3, 1944, for example, he took
part in an Aphrodite-Anvil top-secret mission
in which a remote-controlled four-engine
bomber attacked a heavily defended and heavily
protected German submarine base hidden
in the cliffs of Heligoland. He subsequently
flew other secret missions in support of the
French Resistance, often landing behind enemy
lines. His Berlin Express, with which he was
to fly under and through the Eiffel Tower, bore
a partial coat of olive drab paint on the upper
surfaces, while the sides and undersides were
left in a natural metal and aluminum paint.
Robert Barkey, after his initial training, was
assigned to the unit called the “Checkertail
Clan” (319
th
FS, 325
th
FG) flying P-40s in Africa.
After retraining on P-47s in late 1943, he was
transferred to Italy with the unit. Barkey’s first
victory came on February 22, 1944, when he shot
down two Bf 109s, both flown by aces from the
German elite JG 26. After his unit switched to
P-51B Mustangs, Barkey scored his fifth and
final victory on June 6, 1944. He retired with the
rank of Major in 1961. During World War II, he flew
53 combat sorties and achieved five confirmed
victories and one probable victory. Barkey’s
Mustang number 90 bore his wife Dorothy’s
name on the left side of the engine cowling.
KITS 10/2026
INFO Eduard32
October 2026