BUILT

P-51D-20, 44-72587, flown by 2nd Lt. William G. Ebersole / 2nd Lt. James R. Bercaw, 462nd FS,

506th FG, 20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

This Mustang was shared with 2nd Lieutenants

Bill Ebersole and James Bercaw. Bill Ebersole,

the youngest pilot of the 462nd FS, arrived to

Iwojima east side No.3 Airfield already on May

1945, in times of latest night attacks of the rest

of Japanese soldiers. He flew his first combat

November 2023

sortie over Chichijima on May 15th, 1945. He flew

the first VLR Mission among his total 10 on June

7th, 1945, which was a 8 hours long escort sortie

over Osaka. He was credited by Zero destroyed on

ground during attack of Hyakurigahara airfield on

June 26th, 1945. He is also credited by destroyed

small transport ship „Sugar Dog“ type on early

August. His final strafing mission was flown

against Tachikawa on August 5th, 1945, only day

before dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

INFO Eduard

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