Swiss WW2 P-51D Mustangs

[danhashman]

By 1947, the Swiss Air Force had the problem that its ageing fleet of WW2-vintage German Messerschmitt Bf-109E and G fighters and the license-built K+W D-3801 Morane fighters (WW2-vintage, improved and license-built version of the French Morane-Saulnier MS-406 fighter-type), as they wew becoming obsolete.

The US Army Air Force in Europe had large amounts of surplus aircraft, resulted in a Swiss delegation visiting the US Army Air Force depots at Oberpfaffenhofen to look for usable planes.
Endless rows with dozens of P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts plus many medium bombers and liaison aircraft were lined up at these locations, most of the planes in good condition.

So the Swiss Army decided to buy 100 P-51D Mustang, including tools, spare-parts and replacement engines.

In December 1947, a contract was concluded that the Swiss Air Force shall receive 100 aircraft, to be delivered as soon as possible, plus additional 30 aircraft for use as spare parts source. The first 26 aircraft were delivered by USAAF pilots early in February 1948, and the last of the 100 ordered planes arrived in August 1948.

Due to the Berlin blockade in June 1948 by the Soviet forces and the ensuing ‘Berlin Airlift’ almost all US flying-personnel were withdrawn to help in this effort, leaving the "transfers" inconcluded.

The remaining Mustangs therefore had to be collected in Germany by the Swiss Air Force. So in October 1948, the Swiss AF flew with their Junkers Ju-52 to Oberpfaffenhofen to make the remaining ferry-flights to Switzerland. They all were ferry flown by Swiss AF instructor pilots already familiar with the Mustang.

The mustang stood in service from 1947 until 1958.



Surplus USAAF Mustangs at Oberpfaffenhofen Airfield in Germany



Swiss mechanics performing an engine-change on a Mustang destined for the Swiss Air Force at Oberpfaffenhofen Airfield, November 1948.



Swiss Air Force pilots of ready for a ferry flight of a batch of P-51D Mustangs from Oberpfaffenhofen to Dübendorf.



A Mustang during a transfer.flight from Oberpfaffenhofen to Dübendorf, photographed from aSwiss Air Force Ju-52 . The Swiss pilots ferried the Mustangs with lowered landing gear to avoid any trouble with hydraulics.



The "new" P-51D's is Switzerland, Summer 1948.

[danhashman]

The bitter end...

After grounding of the Swiss P-51D fleet on 11th April 1958,the stored aircraft were scrapped

Apparently, a number of fuselages and wings were brought to Swiss Army shooting ranges for use as targets well into the late 70's..

Other pieces had look and survived "otherwise"...