{"id":1604555,"date":"2026-01-21T16:37:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/?p=1604555"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:37:10","slug":"70071-carl-decklar-and-his-p-51k-dot-darlin-our-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armahobbynews.pl\/en\/blog\/2026\/01\/21\/70071-carl-decklar-and-his-p-51k-dot-darlin-our-mom\/","title":{"rendered":"Carl Decklar and His P-51K \u201cDot Darlin\u2019 \/ Our Mom\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lieutenant Carl E. Decklar of Dubuque, Indiana, was a fighter pilot of the United States Army Air Forces, serving with the 354th Fighter Squadron, part of the 355th Fighter Group. In the final period of the war, the unit was based at Steeple Morden in the United Kingdom. His combat career coincided with the most intense phase of fighter operations over Western Europe, during the turn of 1944 and 1945.<\/p>\n

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Lieutenant Carl E. Decklar and the ground crew of his Mustang, S\/Sgt. Virgil McAfee and an unidentified mechanic. January\u2013March 1945. Photo: Mark Decklar, 355th Fighter Group<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Combat record<\/h3>\n

Second Lieutenant Carl Decklar scored his first two confirmed aerial victories on January 14, 1945, during an aggressive fighter sweep over the M\u00fcnster area. This was the group\u2019s third combat mission of the day. American pilots engaged successive formations of Bf 109s and Fw 190Ds. After a short but extremely intense fight, pilots of the 355th Fighter Group claimed 11 victories, with two Messerschmitt Bf 109s credited to Decklar.<\/p>\n

On March 22, 1945, Lieutenant Decklar took part in a large-scale attack on the airfields at Memmingen, W\u00fcrzburg, and Kitzingen. During this operation, he destroyed one enemy aircraft on the ground, shared with Lieutenant Paul Vineyard. On that day, the 355th Fighter Group inflicted heavy losses on the Luftwaffe, destroying a total of 12 aircraft\u2014including Me 262s, He 111s, Fw 190s, and Bf 109s\u2014and damaging a further nine machines.<\/p>\n

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Another significant episode followed on April 4, 1945, during an armed reconnaissance mission over the Parchim, Perleberg, and Kaltenkirchen areas, combined with systematic attacks on airfields. During this action, the 355th Fighter Group destroyed seven aircraft on the ground. Notably, pilot Cooper damaged an unusual aircraft identified as a Dornier Do 335, while Riffle damaged a jet-powered Arado Ar 234\u2014among the most advanced Luftwaffe aircraft of the final phase of the war.<\/p>\n

Decklar scored his third\u2014and final\u2014confirmed aerial victory as a First Lieutenant on April 8, 1945, over the Oberpfaffenhofen area in southern Germany. The type of enemy aircraft shot down remains unknown.<\/p>\n

Summary of Carl Decklar\u2019s combat achievements: 3 confirmed aerial victories and 1.5 aircraft destroyed on the ground (five total claims: four individual and one shared).<\/p>\n

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The aircraft \u2013 the P-51K in frontline service<\/h3>\n

Decklar\u2019s aircraft was a P-51K-1-NT Mustang<\/strong>, serial number 44-11360<\/strong>. The P-51K version was very similar to the early P-51D-5, differing mainly in the factory installation of the Aeroproducts propeller<\/strong> and the standard dorsal fin fillet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Propeller from the P-51D<\/h4>\n

In operational service in the European Theater of Operations<\/strong>, many P-51K Mustangs were modified by replacing the Aeroproducts propeller with the Hamilton Standard propeller<\/strong> used on the P-51D. The reason was the inferior operational characteristics<\/strong> of the Aeroproducts propeller. This modification was common and also applied to Decklar\u2019s aircraft.<\/p>\n

Gunsight and mirror<\/h4>\n

Another change was the installation of the K-14 computing gunsight<\/strong>, replacing the earlier N-9<\/strong>. At the same time, the pilot opted to fit a Spitfire-type rear-view mirror<\/strong> on top of the windscreen\u2014a popular solution among Mustang pilots that significantly improved rearward visibility. These features are included in the P-51K Mustang model straight from the box.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Tail warning radar<\/h4>\n

Later in its service life, the Mustang \u201cDot Darlin\u2019\u201d (after five victories, photo above) was fitted with the AN\/APS-13 tail warning radar<\/strong>, which alerted the pilot to an enemy approaching from behind. The characteristic antennae<\/strong> of the system are visible on the tail surfaces. Modelers can replicate them using thin wire and foil or thin sheet metal.<\/p>\n

Read more about the radar here: link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An example of the radar installed on another Mustang: photo below.<\/p>\n

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Markings and insignia \u2013 \u201cDot Darlin\u2019 \/ Our Mom\u201d<\/h3>\n

The name \u201cDot Darlin\u2019\u201d<\/strong> referred to the pilot\u2019s wife, Dorothy<\/strong>. The second inscription, \u201cOur Mom\u201d<\/strong>, is less clear; it may have been added by another pilot or ground crew members, but there are no confirmed sources explaining its origin.<\/p>\n

The squadron emblem\u2014a bulldog<\/strong>\u2014was painted on the tail, while the word \u201cBulldogs\u201d<\/strong> appeared on the engine cowling, above the exhaust stacks, a distinctive marking of the unit.<\/p>\n

The red band on the forward fuselage<\/strong> and the red vertical tail<\/strong> were not decorative elements\u2014they indicated assignment to the 355th Fighter Group<\/strong> and its 354th Fighter Squadron<\/strong>. This is a typical example of functional yet visually striking USAAF unit markings from the final period of the war.<\/p>\n

An example of how the P-51K changed during frontline service<\/h3>\n

The history of Carl Decklar\u2019s P-51K shows how combat aircraft evolved at the front\u2014from factory configuration, through local field modifications, to differences depending on the exact moment of the war. For the modeler, this is a particularly attractive subject, allowing a conscious choice of a specific \u201cmoment in time\u201d<\/strong>, rather than just a generic paint scheme.<\/p>\n

See also:<\/h3>\n

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  • P-51K Mustang model in the Arma Hobby store link<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    P-51K Mustang \u2013 trzy samoloty z zestawu Arma Hobby 1\/72<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n