55th Fighter Squadron P-51 Mustang over Germany, 8 April 1945

On 8 April 1945, a USAAF reconnaissance sortie imaged a P-51 Mustang returning from a mission over Germany. The aircraft, part of the 55th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group (8th Air Force), carried the squadron code KI-N.

This aircraft -- P-51 44-13799 'Hoodinky' flown by Lt. Paul J. Milan) -- was most likely the one seen in a line-up of 20th Fighter Group P-51’s in August 1945, although neither of the 55th aircraft in the photo retained identification stripes on the wings and horizontal stabilizers. At least four other P-51's bore the marking KI-N: aircraft 44-13541 ('Nancy' Ltc. Joseph McKeon), lost (POW) 7 October 1944; 44-14780 (2 Lt. Everett Urbanski), lost 10 December 1944; and 44-63808 (2 Lt. Horace Smith), lost 25 February 1945.