Did P51 Mustangs fly in the Pacific with wing mounted bazookas?

Answer 1

A "Bazooka" is a single shot rocket launcher of short range. I can see no reason they would be mounted on an aircraft, when wing mounted rockets were already in use on fighter and ground support aircraft.

While that is correct as far as it goes, there is a particular weapon that this question refers to. That weapon is the three-tube 11.5 centimeter (4.5 inch) M-8 "bazooka"-style rocket launchers.

The earliest unguided rocket system used operationally by the United States in World War II was the "M-8" 11.4 centimeter (4.5 inch) triple-tube "Bazooka" launcher. This weapon consisted of what looked like three pipes bundled together, each containing a stubby rocket about 40 centimeters (16 inches) long, with the bundle attached to an aircraft's stores pylons in place of a bomb.

The M-8 had fins that unfolded in the airstream after launch. It was very inaccurate, but had a reasonable punch. The M-8 was used with US Army Air Force aircraft such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang, and Lockheed P-38 Lightning. (But for the most part in ETO and MTO operations)

There is little evidence to indicate that these weapons were used in the Pacific Theatre (probably because of the "drag" effect on aircraft range and the difficulty of targeting in a jungle environ) However, they were in the USAAC inventory... More appropriate armament for a Pacific P-51C or P-51A would be 5" HVAR's (but again - cannot photo verify that these were used) Certainly the USMC and USN made very effective use of the 5 inch HVAR against targets on Guam / Saipan / Iwo Jima.

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Yes, P-51A's operating out of India used the M-8 4.5" Bazooka's against Japanese installations on several occasions. They also carried 1,000 lb. bombs, which put them over combat weight. The proviso of which forced them to remain non-aerobatic (straight-and-level) while carrying them.

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