Shomo's F-6D - named or not?

[Dave Williams]

Just got my 1/32 Tamiya P-51D/K/F-6D kit and the Kagero decals for Pacific Mustangs, and have a question about Shomo's F-6D. I've seen references to it having the name "Snooks - 5th" on the right side of the nose, but the Kagero decals do not include a name. The decal instructions do have a photos of his F-6D from both sides and there is no name on either side of the nose. As near as I can tell, both photos were taken at the same time. The surroundings are consistent, the configuration of the aircraft (drop tanks, flap and control surface position, prop position) is the same, and the fact that the tail wheel appears to be sunk in the mud in both photos makes me believe that it's the same plane at the same time. Although you can't read the name under the cockpit, you can clearly see the 8 kill marks on the black square, the tail number is right in both photos, and it's clearly an F-6D (I've also heard they used a "stunt" standard P-51D with black stripe fuselage markings for some publicity photos after his MOH mission).

So my question is whether the F-6D he flew on the mission was ever named, and if so when. TIA.

[Alpha13]

Just got my 1/32 Tamiya P-51D/K/F-6D kit and the Kagero decals for Pacific Mustangs, and have a question about Shomo's F-6D. I've seen references to it having the name "Snooks - 5th" on the right side of the nose, but the Kagero decals do not include a name. The decal instructions do have a photos of his F-6D from both sides and there is no name on either side of the nose. As near as I can tell, both photos were taken at the same time. The surroundings are consistent, the configuration of the aircraft (drop tanks, flap and control surface position, prop position) is the same, and the fact that the tail wheel appears to be sunk in the mud in both photos makes me believe that it's the same plane at the same time. Although you can't read the name under the cockpit, you can clearly see the 8 kill marks on the black square, the tail number is right in both photos, and it's clearly an F-6D (I've also heard they used a "stunt" standard P-51D with black stripe fuselage markings for some publicity photos after his MOH mission).

So my question is whether the F-6D he flew on the mission was ever named, and if so when. TIA.

What is the tail number of the plane in the photo(s) you have? I have photos of Shomo's F-6D with "The Flying Undertaker" under the left exhaust manifold and "Snooks-5th" under the right side exhaust.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Alpha13

[Dave Williams]

What is the tail number of the plane in the photo(s) you have? I have photos of Shomo's F-6D with "The Flying Undertaker" under the left exhaust manifold and "Snooks-5th" under the right side exhaust.

44-14841. I heard the the aircraft with Flying Undertaker on the left side was Snooks -6th according to Zotz:

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/blog/P51_Mustang_Decals_from_Zotz/

This post shows the Kagero decal instructions, which also shows the two photos I mentioned above.

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=233815

Edited December 7, 2012 by Dave Williams

[Alpha13]

44-14841. I heard the the aircraft with Flying Undertaker on the left side was Snooks -6th according to Zotz:

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/blog/P51_Mustang_Decals_from_Zotz/

This post shows the Kagero decal instructions, which also shows the two photos I mentioned above.

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=233815

Here are the photos and info I have, the tail number was 472509 or 05. I remember back in the late 60"s early 70's a write up about Shomo and his feat was in either Wings or Air Classics magazines and this aircraft was in that article as the one used to shoot the 7 down.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Alpha13

[don f]

Just got my 1/32 Tamiya P-51D/K/F-6D kit and the Kagero decals for Pacific Mustangs, and have a question about Shomo's F-6D. I've seen references to it having the name "Snooks - 5th" on the right side of the nose, but the Kagero decals do not include a name. The decal instructions do have a photos of his F-6D from both sides and there is no name on either side of the nose. As near as I can tell, both photos were taken at the same time. The surroundings are consistent, the configuration of the aircraft (drop tanks, flap and control surface position, prop position) is the same, and the fact that the tail wheel appears to be sunk in the mud in both photos makes me believe that it's the same plane at the same time. Although you can't read the name under the cockpit, you can clearly see the 8 kill marks on the black square, the tail number is right in both photos, and it's clearly an F-6D (I've also heard they used a "stunt" standard P-51D with black stripe fuselage markings for some publicity photos after his MOH mission).

So my question is whether the F-6D he flew on the mission was ever named, and if so when. TIA.

Get hold of a copy of the article, "Undertaker's Delight", published in IPMS/USA Quarterly Vol. 13, No. 1, 1977. This article by Del Miller and William Shomo's crew chief, Ralph Winkle has the details of the markings applied to the six "Snooks" aircraft. The F-6D flown by the then Capt. Shomo on Jan. 11, 1945 was named "Snooks - 5th". Photos are in the article. When the name was applied is unclear. After the 11 Jan. mission, 44-14841 was dressed up a bit with yellow trim - yellow prop spinner, yellow outline around the "66" on the tail and a yellow tip with thin black stripe on the vertical stabilizer. After the destruction of 44-14841 by another pilot, P-51D 44-72505 became "The Flying Undertaker/Snooks - 6th". The posting above shows the pictures of this aircraft. According to a message from Jack Cook, a friend of Major Shomo, "Snooks" was Ralph Winkle's name for the aircraft.

Don

P.S. - The names applied under the cockpit on "Snooks - 5th" are, left side:

Pilot (block letters)

Capt. Wm. A. Shomo (cursive)

right side:

S/Sgt. R. E. Winkle (cursive)

CREW CHIEF (block letters)

Cpl. T. O. Davis (cursive)

ARMORER (block letters)

[Dave Williams]

The aircraft in the article posted above is a P-51D, not an F-6D as it lacks the camera ports. Everything I've read indicates that his kills were scored in F-6D 44-14841.

According to this, P-51D 44-72505 was allocated to Shomo and painted up after the mission, although it was not the aircraft actually used for the kills.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PtimzeNgNUUC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=f-6d+shomo&source=bl&ots=WY2Hcmzyzl&sig=J_H0x9mk3WQRKtgoaRdNNokEowI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=j5HCUJn9GoLm8gSa8oFA&ved=0CGMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=f-6d%20shomo&f=false

Looking at all photos, it seems that 44-14841 was seen in two schemes. First plain NMF overall as seen in the Kagero photos, and then later on with a yellow fin cap and spinner nose. The presence of the kill marks on the first version suggests that plain NMF was the configuration at the time of the kills. The photos that show the name on the left side of the nose also show the yellow spinner nose, so the name was definitely there with the later scheme. I haven't found anything to verify that the name was there with the early all NMF scheme, and the Kagero photos do seem to suggest that the name was not there.

"Flying Undertaker" is a bit of a red herring as, although it was a plane flown by Shomo, it was later on, and was not the aircraft used on the mission.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Dave Williams