[TankerKC]

If he lost his trim (If it’s even what i am thinking) Wouldn’t and expert such as the pilot just compensate for it?

Probably. I'm not sure how a P-52 works, but the tab may have been a control tab. Loss of a control tab (especially low to the ground) could make moving the elevators very difficult...or impossible.

[Fundamentally Fair]

P-51 ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servo_tab

[wrench]

That is way too big to be a trim tab. I have never worked on a P-51, but the size is right to be a servo tab. A trim tab would be about 1/10 the size of that tab if it were trim.

Servo tabs control the entire elevator, the idea is to keep stick forces manageable across a large speed range.

[Ron C.]

"...or impossible."

You may have hit on the cause, methinks.