P-47D-15-RE Serial Number 42-76249 Major Gerald W. Johnson, CO 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, February, 1944.

Gerald W. Johnson was the 56th Fighter Group’s first ace, and the second American ace in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). He went on to command the 63rd Fighter Squadron, and was officially credited with 16.5 aerial kills. This aircraft has the briefly used ‘Sky Type S/ Duck Egg Blue cowl which was soon replaced with the red cowl applied to all 56th Fighter Group aircraft. This was the aircraft Johnson was flying on March 27th, 1944 when he was hit by flak and had to bail out, spending the rest of the war as a POW (at this point the aircraft would have had a red cowl.)

Profile notes: Note slightly ‘cocked’ code letter V aft of the star on the fuselage. Aircraft had the taller semi-spherical rearview mirror attached, and a British Mk.II reflector gunsight installed.

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