P-51 D Mustang 4thFG captured by ARR ???, Unknown story of P-51D on rom. airfield

In the picture no doubts is P 51-D Mustang WD-O "Thunderbird" Sn 44-13555, the one with fate unknown to 4thFG ( but last seen on Popesti Airfield).

Ah, ok, I missed the S/N. Still haven't heard anything back from anyone else who might have more info on this plane.

Hi!
I have this:
"On September 17 1944 a "Mustang" formation made a very low pass on Popesti-Leordeni a/f,the one from right of the formation hit with landing gear and wing IAR-80 No.121 in fin and rudder."

Probably it's the P-51 D, QP-U "Hey-Rube IV" of Dan Zoerb (52thFG) on 8 september '44 experienced fuel pressure problems just as he was making a low pass over Popesti-Leordeni airfield to observe the loading of the former POW into the B-17. The engine lost power, and the pilot tried to drop his wing tanks prior to emergency landing. The tanks refused to fall away and "Hey -Rube IV" landed hard, buckling both wings. Next day Dan Zoerb returned to Italy as B-17 passenger.

Below "Hey-RubeIV " P-51 D, QP-U Sn 44-14227, on Popesti-Leordeni airfield with romanians in front of the plane. Picture from Denes Bernad coll.

There are nine days time discrepancy between the two described incidents. Perhaps, the s/n of 'Hey-Rube IV' can be found, so the problem could be clarified.

I received this photo several years ago from a Rumania fellow whose name unfortunately I forgot. He did not have any further information about the photo.

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on April 17, 2006 12:33 am

Yes, i noticed the difference but it could be a mistake in rom. doc. because on 15 september there was no reason for US pilots to fly over Popesti Leordeni.
All american POW were taken out until 9 september.

The S/N of "Hey -Rube IV" was found (read my early post).

Daniel Zoerb in the cockpit of "Hey Rube IV". Picture D.Zoerb coll.

Hey Dan, can you post the whole pic that has WD-O and the other P-51s, not just the zoomed in shot?

Or e-mail it to me?

The pony-lovers I fly online with want to see it.

The picture is blurry but here it is. (Corneliu Nastase coll.)

This particular plane ("Sleepy Ann") was featured in an old Modelism. Are you sure is not the plane that Bazu flew back when his 109 got damaged in Italy?

This post has been edited by petru on April 21, 2006 10:09 pm

Petru, the story of "Sleepy Ann" and Bazu flights to Italy is allready known (published in some magazines).

This topic was open for the other Mustang from this particular picture (behind "P-51-B no71"Sleepy Ann" from 325FG).
The P-51 is a D-model and had 4th FG (8th AF) radio code on fuselage (WD-O).
Nobody knows why this P-51 D from 4th FG standing (with damaged wingtip) on Popesti-Leordeni airfield ( in september '44 ?).


This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on April 22, 2006 05:15 am

One of the guys in the other forum says he found that aircraft listed as having been left behind in Russia due to damage sustained in a LW attack on the field it was parked at.

But that still does nothing to explain how it came to be in Romania.

And the 4th was 8th AAF, not 9th

Did he mentioned when was this LW attack. In a shuttle raid ?

Thanks, I made the corrections.

According to several 4th books, the LW made a a night attack on several of the fields the B-17s and P-51s were parked at, and also a few daytime raids that the Russians wouldn't let the Americans takeoff against.

Did he refer to a Mustang coded WD-O, or a Mustang with the c/n 44-13555?
The difference is important, because the fuselage code could be reissued, while the c/n not.

Gen. Dénes