On August 17, 1943, he scored his first aerial victories while flying a temporary replacement plane, P-47C-2-RE 41-6259, coded UN:V (normally assigned to Capt. Glen Schiltz) by shooting down a pair of German Focke-Wulf Fw 190s while escorting B-17 bombers as part of the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission. One of these fighters was flown by "Major" Wilhelm "Wutz" Galland, "Gruppenkommandeur" of II/JG 26, and an ace with some 55 claims to his credit. The next plane that Mahurin received was the third P-47 of his career, and one that would become his primary aircraft; P-47D-5-RE 42-8487. It again bore the squadron codes UN:M and was nicknamed "The Spirit of Atlantic City, N.J." (The aircraft had been "bought" courtesy of war bonds purchased (to a value approximately equivalent to the cost of a fighter) by the citizens of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Consequently, the name painted on the aircraft was chosen by Atlantic City.) Mahurin became an ace on October 4 after shooting down three Messerschmitt Bf 110s. Mahurin had his best mission on November 26, 1943, shooting down three Bf 110s, presumably shooting down another, and damaging a fourth to become the first American pilot in the European Theater of Operations to score 10 aerial victories. Mahurin scored two more victories in another aircraft, (P-47D-11-RE 42-75278, coded UN:B) on November 29, 1943. On March 8, 1944, he destroyed 3 Fw 190s. He eventually went on to score 19.75 confirmed victories in combat in Europe, with 3 more enemy planes probably destroyed, and one damaged, before being shot down himself.