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| Aviation Art Collecton - 4th Fighter Group |
The Eagles. Stationed at Debden. |
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| Aircraft for : 4th Fighter Group | ||
| A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by 4th Fighter Group. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
Mustang 
Manufacturer : North American | Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. | |
Thunderbolt 
Production Began : 1943 Number Built : 15683 | Thunderbolt Alexander Kartveli was a engineer with Seversky Aircraft who designed the P-35, which first flew in 1937. With Republic Aviation Kartveli supervised the development of the P-43 Lancer. Neither of these aircraft were produced in large numbers, and neither was quite successful. However, the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt, also nicknamed the Jug, was quite a different story. The Jug was the jewel in Kartvelis design crown, and went on to become one of the most produced fighter aircraft of all time with 15,683 being manufactured. The P-47 was the largest and heaviest single seat fighter of WW II. The P-47 immediately demonstrated its excellent combat qualities, including speed, rate of climb, maneuverability, heavy fire power, and the ability to take a lot of punishment. With a wingspan of more than 40 feet and a weight of 19,400 pounds, this large aircraft was designed around the powerful 2000 HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. The first P-47 prototype flew in May of 1941, and the primary variant the P-47D went into service in 1943 with units of the U.S. Armys Eighth Air Force. The Jug had a maximum speed in excess of 400 MPH, a service ceiling in excess of 42,000 feet, and was heavily armed with either six or eight heavy caliber machine guns. With its ability to carry up to a 2,500 pound bomb load, the Jug saw lots of use in ground attack roles. Until the introduction of the N model, the P-47 lacked the long range required for fighter escort missions which were most often relegated to P-51 Mustangs or P-38 Lightnings. In his outstanding painting entitled Bridge Busting Jugs, noted aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts Eighth Air Force Jugs in a ground attack mission in the Alps in June of 1944. The top P-47 ace was Francis Gabreski who had flown with the 56th Fighter Group, the first unit to be equipped with the P-47. In August of 1943 Gabreski attained his first aerial combat victory (over an Fw-190) and by years end he had reached ace status with 8 confirmed victories. As Commander of the 61st Squadron, Gabreski continued to chalk up victory after victory, and on seven different occasions he achieved two victories during the same mission. However, in July of 1944 Gabreski damaged the prop on his Jug during a low level attack on an airfield near Coblenz. Forced to make a crash landing, he was captured and remained a prisoner of war until Wars end in 1945. Following the War Gabreski returned to military service with the Air Forces 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing in Korea. Flying the F-86 Sabre Jet, Gabreski attained 6.5 more aerial victories in 1951 and 1952 becoming an ace in two different wars | |
| Signatures for : 4th Fighter Group | |||
| A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||
| Name | Info | ||
 Colonel Don Blakeslee Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Colonel Don Blakeslee
| Colonel Don Blakeslee Joining the RAF in 1940 Don Blakeslee flew Spitfires with 401 Squadron. When the Eagle Squadron were formed he transferred as an experienced flight commander with several victories to his credit. An aggressive and fearless fighter pilot, Blakeslee was promoted to lead 133 Squadron, and was described as the best fighter leader the war produced. Already an Ace, he transferred to the USAAF 4th Fighter Group. By the war end he had over four years of continuous combat flying, and 14.5 air victories to his credit. Colonel Don Blakeslee sadly passed away on 3rd September 2008. | ||
 Captain Richard Braley Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Captain Richard Braley | Captain Richard Braley Richard Braley joined the Royal Air Force as a volunteer in March, 1942. He flew Spitfires with 64 Squadron before being personally recruited by by General McColpin to join 133 Squadron - the third Eagle squadron to be formed by the RAF. On September 12, 1942, the Eagle Squadrons were transferred to the USAAF and activated as the 4th Figher Group. Richard Braley was one of the squadron P-51 strafing experts - attacking and destroying numerous trains, a bridge and an electrical plant. He flew over 210 combat missions, first in Spitfires, then in P-47s and P-51s - including 3 missions as Flight Commander of 336 Squadron on D-Day. | ||
 Colonel Gerald Brown Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Colonel Gerald Brown
| Colonel Gerald Brown Gerald Brown arrived in Europe in August 1943, completing his first tour with the 38th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, becoming the first P38 Ace in the 8th Air Force. Volunteering for a second tour, this time flying P-51 Mustangs with the 334th FS, 4th Fighter Group at Debden. In September 1944 he was forced to bail out of his burning P-51 over enemy territory, but escaped to return to his squadron, and completed his second tour in November 1944. Gerry Brown later flew in Korea, but was shot down, spending three years in captivity. Sadly, he passed away on 9th December 2007. | ||
 Colonel Bill Edwards Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel Bill Edwards | Colonel Bill Edwards Volunteering for the RAF in 1940, Bill Edwards was to fly 37 combat operations with 133 Squadron, the third Eagle Squadron to be formed, first on Hurricanes and then on Spitfires. Transferring to the 4th Fighter Group in September 1942, he was leading the Group on 13th July 1944 when he was shot down and taken prisoner of war. He remained in German captivity until liberated in June 1945. He retired from the USAF in 1968. | ||
 Captain John Fitch Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Captain John Fitch | Captain John Fitch Joining the Army Air Corps in 1941 he began his service flying the A-20 Havoc in North Africa. Volunteering for a second tour in 1944 he joined the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group initially flying P-47s and on 18th November 1944 he shot down an Me262 over Germany. Transferring to P-51s he was shot down in March 1945 whilst strafing a train, and was taken prisoner. After the war he became a successful Grand Prix racing driver and an icon of the racing industry. | ||
 Colonel Jim Goodson Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel Jim Goodson | Colonel Jim Goodson Jim Goodson joined the RAF in 1940. Posted to re-form 133 Eagle Squadron RAF flying Spitfires, he transferred to the USAAF 4th fighter Group in September 1942, commanding 336 Squadron. Flying P47s and then P51s, Jim Goodson flew continuously until he was shot down ten months before the end of the war. He was one of the most highly decorated Aces in the USAAF, with 32 enemy aircraft to his credit. | ||
 Colonel George Maxwell Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel George Maxwell | Colonel George Maxwell Joining the RAF at the height of the Battle of Britain, George flew combat operations with 71 Squadron, the first Eagle Squadron. In September 1942 the squadron became the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, where he notched up a further 86 sorties. Later he served in both Korea and Vietnam. | ||
  Colonel Steve Pisanos Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Colonel Steve Pisanos | Colonel Steve Pisanos Born in Athens, Greece, Spiro Nicolas Steve Pisanos came to America on a tramp steamer. Arriving in New York in 1938 speaking no English, he worked in a bakery and hotels to earn money for flying lessons. Prior to Americas entry into World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force, was trained in California and England and eventually assigned to the 71st Eagle Squadron, comprised of American volunteers. Transferred to the USAAF 4th Fighter Group in September, 1942, he was commissioned a Lieutenant and became an American citizen, the first ever to become such outside the continental U.S. He became an Ace on January 1, 1944. On March 5, 1944, his P-51 crash-landed south of Le Havre, France while returning from an escort mission. He evaded the Germans for 6 months and worked with the French underground and the OSS on sabotaging missions. Following the war he served as a test pilot and in assignments with NATO and the USAF in Europe, followed by a tour in Vietnam and retirement as a Colonel in 1973. | ||
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