367th Fighter Group
Encyclopedia
XII Tactical Air Command
The XII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Bad Kissingen, Germany...
stationed at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 367th participated in seven European Campaigns rolling up an impressive list of statistics, flying 14,175 combat sorties destroying 432 enemy aircraft, probably destroying another 28 and damaging 344. They had destroyed or badly damaged 384 locomotives, 4,672 motor vehicles and 8,288 railroad cars. The group flew its last combat mission on 6 May 1945.
The unit was redesignated as the 133d Fighter Group, and allotted to the Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
on 23 May 1946.
History
The 367th Fighter Group was activated at Hamilton Field, California on 15 July 1943. That Summer and Fall the cadre of the Group slowly increased and P-39 Aircobra aircraft arrived. In December the three squadrons, the 392nd, 393rd and 394th were scattered to three different fields in the San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area. Dive bombing and gunnery training was carried out at Tonopah Army Air Field
Tonopah Army Air Field
Tonopah Army Air Field was a World War II United States Army Air Force training airfield located seven miles east of the central business district of Tonopah, a city in Nye County, Nevada, USA. It was active between 1942 and 1945.- Origins :...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. In January 1944 the 367th was beefed up with personnel from the 328th and 368th Fighter Groups. Training continued into February at which time all overseas inspections were completed and the Group was declared ready to move to a combat zone. The training had been costly – eight pilots having been killed in the P-39s.
The Group's journey to the European Theater began with entrainment in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California on 8 March 1944. A six day train trip across the country was followed by a week of final inspections and training at Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks, named after Major General David Carey Shanks was a United States Army installation in and around Orangeburg in the Town of Orangetown, New York. Situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River, it served as a point of embarkation for troops departing overseas...
, New York before boarding the British liner SS Duchess of Bedford in New York Harbor. The Duchess docked at Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland on 3 April and the Group was transported by train to its airfield at RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Stoney Cross
RAF Station Stoney Cross is a former World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton....
, England.
Having trained on single engine aircraft the pilots had expected to find P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s, but were surprised to find 75 P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s sitting on the dispersal pads. The change from single engine to twin engine aircraft required considerable retraining. By early May the 367th was ready for combat. The first two combat missions were completed successfully and the 367th was at war. Fighter sweeps, bomber escorts and dive bombing missions were the order of the day for the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
units. Many sorties were scheduled and successfully completed. The pilots were gaining respect and confidence in the P-38. Unfortunately, the baptism of fire over Festung Europe resulted in seven pilot casualties.
D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, 6 June, arrived and the Group flew nine missions in the next three days maintaining low aerial cover over the invasion troops. By mid June, the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
had been cut-off and the German ground forces had withdrawn into a perimeter defense of Cherbourg, a major port which had become extremely important to the allies due to the storm damage to the artificial port facilities on the invasion beaches. A three division attack ordered for 22 June was to be preceded by a low level bombing and strafing attach by 12 IX Fighter Command
IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
fighter groups. The 367th was to be the last fighter group over this highly defended area and would be followed by a massive IX Bomber Command attack from medium altitude. the fighters were ordered to fly at low altitude from west to east through this five by 26 mile highly defended area. The 367th P-38s were "sitting ducks." Within two to three minutes after entering the area the 394th had lost five pilots. The mission was an unqualified disaster – seven pilots killed in action (KIA). All but 11 of the returning aircraft had extensive battle damage. The 367th was out of action for several days. During the 17 day period, including the operations in the Cherbourg area, the 367th had 14 pilots killed and one taken prisoner.
The last week of July the Group's forward echelon crossed the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on Liberty Ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
s and landed in France with the 392nd Fighter Squadron moving to Carentan, the 393rd to the airfield Cricqueville-en-Bessin
Cricqueville-en-Bessin
Cricqueville-en-Bessin is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The municipality takes its name from its deep-water creek that forms a natural harbor, from Crycavilla.-World War II:...
(A-2), and the 394th to Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église
Sainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Founded in the eleventh Century, the earliest records include the name Sancte Marie Ecclesia, Latin for "Church of St. Mary", while a later document written in Norman-French mentions Saincte...
(A-6). Life in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
was quite different – pup tents, squad tents, fox holes, plenty of C and K rations, Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) runways and thousands of yellow-jackets in the jam and jelly. With the break out of the ground forces from the Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
area, close air support of Patton's
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
Third Army became the order of the day. The Groups first big bag came with attacks on the German Seventh Army which, to prevent being surrounded, was withdrawing eastward through the gap between Falaise and Argentan
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
. Five convoys and 100 Tiger Tanks
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
were destroyed on one day.
A resurgence of Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
activity occurred in August with the 367th in the middle of the fray. On 22 August the Group was ordered to attack, simultaneously, three separate airfields in the Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
area. The 392nd Squadron dive bombed and destroyed two hangars on one airfield but were jumped by 12 FW 190s as the completed their attack. The 393rd was jumped by 18 ME 109s and FW 190s as they reformed from their dive bomb run. After bombing its target, the 394th Squadron turned to help the 392nd. The 394th bounced four Germans but in turn were attacked by three others. The fight continued with the 394th shooting down six additional aircraft. In the mean time, the 392nd had taken care of itself, destroying five enemy aircraft without a loss. Altogether the Group had destroyed 14 enemy aircraft for a loss of one.
Returning to the Laon area on 25 August, the 367th Group simultaneously attacked three Luftwaffe airfields at Clastres
Clastres
Clastres is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
, Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
and Rosières
Rosières-en-Haye
Rosières-en-Haye is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:* Toul-Rosières Air Base* Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
. The dive bombing attacks ignited one of the greatest fighter versus fighter air battles in U.S. history. It was unique in that most of the action took place in a relatively small area and from 3,000 feet to ground level. There are still witnesses to this dramatic event who refer to it as "the day the sky over I'Aisne was on fire." The fight started when the 392nd Squadron, radioed the other two squadrons the location of 30 FW 190s that had just taken off. Leading the attack, the 392d on the initial attack and four FW 190s fell simultaneously. Before the cover flight could reach them, four members of the flight were surrounded and shot down. Captain Mateson leading the cover flight shot down two, Lt Lezie damaged one and destroyed another. Lt Platt shot down another while Lt Tremblay hit the wing root and cockpit of another FW 190. After driving three 190s from the tail of a P-38, Lt Lemley had his right engine shot out, but was able to escape at tree top level. Lieutenants Broniee and Conney were shot down and killed in action. With the 392nd and 393rd Squadrons joining the fight the odds were more even. Major Griffin leading the 392nd attacked from out of the sun and shot down one FW 190 and damaged another as did Lieutenants Livingston and Plotecia. Captain Blumer leading the 393rd and with Lt Awtrey on his wing destroyed five enemy aircraft becoming an ace on one mission. Lt Pacek flying his third combat mission shot down two and Lieutenants Dobrowolosk and Melvin Jones destroyed one each. Of the 50 enemy aircraft engaged, 25 were destroyed, one probably destroyed and 17 damaged. The 367th lost two pilots KIA. Four other bailed out over enemy held France. In the afternoon the 367th destroyed 16 Ju-52s while on a long range strafing mission to airfields in the Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
-Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
area. For its achievements on 25 August, the 367th Fighter Group received the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
, the highest possible award for a unit in combat.
By now the Allied forces were moving forward and it was time for the three squadrons to start leap-frogging to new bases; moving from bases in Normandy to Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
(A-35), to St. Quentin and by late October to Juvincourt
Juvincourt-et-Damary
Juvincourt-et-Damary is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Juvincourt Airfield:Built prior to World War II as a French Air Force facility...
(A-68), north of Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. Now the flying missions were predominantly interdiction, that is, dive bombing and strafing trains, motor transport, bridges, marshaling yards and supply areas. The 367th also supported the air drop of Nijmegen by escorting C-47s and destroying the flak positions. For successful combat activity that Fall, the Group was awarded an Order of the Day Citation of the Belgium Army. The Luftwaffe, now operating from German soil, reacted vigorously to the 367ths attacks. An engagement on 20 October is particularly worth mentioning. The Group, now low on P-38s, was ordered to simultaneously attack three railroad bridges in the Duren area. Lieutenant Estabrook, leading seven P-38s, from the 394th squadron was jumped by 16 FW 190s on his dive bombing run. Three pilots failed to return, three returned badly damaged and Lt Bradford was killed in action. Lt Malone, leading the 392nd Squadron, was jumped by 25 FW 190s on his dive bombing run. Lieutenants Malone and Mathisen bailed our of their badly damaged aircraft and were taken prisoner while Lt Andrews and the experienced and highly respected Deputy Group Commander, Lt Colonel Morris Crossen were killed. Major Carroll Joy, leading the 393rd Squadron, turned to help the other squadrons on completing his bomb run and found Lt Bowers of the 394th being attacked by seven FW 190s. He destroyed two and Lt Eldridge destroyed another. Altogether the 367th had destroyed 10 enemy aircraft, but seven of our pilots failed to return, three having been killed in action.
During this time, pilots were being decorated with Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
es (DFCs) and Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
s. Some were returning to the States with combat tours completed. Pilots were not the only ones receiving awards. Nine airmen received the Bronze Star.
On 9 November, Colonel Young completed his tour and was succeeded by Colonel Edwin S. Chickering. Cold weather was now approaching and the Group bedded down at Juvincourt, on an old German air base with more permanent facilities. Life settled into a routine with bad weather curtailing some of the flying activities and adding to their hazard. There were liberty runs to Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, an EM Club, more movies and a good basketball team. Missions from Juvincourt consisted mainly of fighter sweeps, bomber escorts, dive bombing and strafing of bridges and transport. Luftwaffe reaction continued. On 19 November Major Brooks destroyed three enemy aircraft while coming to the rescue of a P-47 under attack. Captain Blumer added another. Altogether the 393rd and the 394th Squadrons destroyed seven with no losses to themselves.
The German Ardennes Offensive occurred as the holidays approached. A planned move to a field in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
was canceled. On the night of 18 December a Forward Air Control Team from the 393rd Squadron was sent to Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
to assist the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. The team consisted of an experience flight commander, Captain James Parker, a radio operator, a driver and a radio equipped jeep. The team joined the 101st just an hour before the last road to Bastogne was cut. When the weather finally broke, Parker did a superb job of directing the flights of fighter aircraft that were reporting in to him. Bastogne was saved due to the guts and determination of the 101st Airborne Division, Captain Parker, and the Ninth Air Force fighter bomber pilots. On Christmas Eve the 367th, after escorting C-47s on a re-supply drop at Bastogne, conducted an armed reconnaissance of the Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
area. The 394th Squadron was jumped by FW 190s and a 40 minute air battle ensued in which Lt Jessie DeFrance bailed out of his burning P-38 and was taken prisoner, Lt Baxter was killed and Lieutenants Croker and Mygatt were badly shot up but were able to return to base. The Group claimed eight destroyed and two probably destroyed and nine damaged. On Christmas Day, Lt Harry Curtis was killed while strafing half-tracks behind the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
During the holiday season the enlisted men hosted and entertained 50 French orphan children, providing candy and small gifts. Throughout our moves in France, the officers and men continuously assisted in the welfare of the citizens surrounding our hastily made airfields.
As the year 1945 commenced, and with a shortage of P-38s due to losses, a decision was made by higher headquarters to re-equip the Group with P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
aircraft. Transition commenced with pilots flying P-38s on combat missions and P-47s on training missions. On 16 February the 393nd Squadron flew the first combat missions in P-47s. As the war progressed, the P-47s were kept busy, in one instance maintaining a ten hour patrol over the Remagen Bridge. The untiring crew chiefs, armorers, sheet metal repairmen, cooks, intelligence personnel, weather officer, surgeons, clerks and staff were working as a well forged team. R&Rs were provided and some rotated to the States on leave. Also for a second time, our Group was cited in a Belgium Army Order of the Day.
On 19 March 1945 a special maximum strength mission was scheduled to destroy a castle and complex near Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany. , Bad Nauheim has a population of 30,365. The town is located approximately 35 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a world-famous resort, noted for its salt...
, Germany housing the German Army Headquarters for the entire Western Front. the headquarters of Field Marshal Kesselring
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
who had recently replaced Field Marshal Von Rundstedt
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Army during World War II. He held some of the highest field commands in all phases of the war....
. History reported that Hitler's Minister of War Production, Albert Speer
Albert Speer
Albert Speer, born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office...
, was also there. The attack was scheduled for 1330 hours, the time the senior staff and commanders were expected to be lunching. The initial attack was to be made at minimum altitude by Major Matheson leading 16 P-47s of the 394th Fighter Squadron, each aircraft loaded with two 1,000 pound bombs with delay fuses. Having difficulty navigating at low level due to unexpected haze, the 394th was not able to attack as scheduled. Fortunately, Major Mateson's difficulties did not alert the headquarters' defenses and Lt Diefendorf, leading 16 P-47s loaded with 1,000 pound bombs with .01 second nose fuses was able to surprise the headquarters by initiating his dive bomb attack from 7,000 feet. Lt Diefendorf's bombs made a direct hit on the castle; however, the German generals escaped into deep underground bunkers. General Kesselring did receive a scalp wound from a falling chandelier. The 394th made their attack as the 392nd completed theirs. The 16 P-47s of the 393rd Squadron led by Major Slingerland were loaded with napalm to burn-up anything remaining. The bombs and napalm reduced the military complex to ruins, causing many casualties and disrupting communications and the flow of intelligence at a critical time when the Allies were crossing the Rhine. For this successful undertaking the 367th Fighter Group was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
.
As our ground forces crossed the Rhine and forced their way deeper into Germany the 367th's interdiction mission accounted for the destruction of much motor and rail transport, tanks and supplies. We were commended by the Commanding General of Twelfth Corps for superior close air support of his divisions. In addition our excellent basketball team went on to win the Ninth Air Force finals but lost the championship in a close game. On 10 April the Group moved to an airfield on the northwest side of Frankfurt, Germany. Life here was quite different. KP was done by displaced persons and the officers turned in their field equipment and moved into two hotels in the nearby town of Bad Soden
Bad Soden
Bad Soden is a town and spa in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. Population 21,412 .Bad Soden is a popular residential town for commuters working in Frankfurt am Main. It is known for its various springs, which contain carbonic acid gas and various iron oxides. The waters are used both...
. However, the war was not yet over, Mid-April saw the Group destroy 70 enemy aircraft. Many missions were to furnish continuous air cover over the advancing U.S. armored divisions. At one time the Commanding General of the 11th Armored Division, General Dager, flew into our base to personally shake the hand of every pilot who had flown on a mission the day before that had saved his armored columns from disaster. The 367th had put to route a German Panzer division destroying many of their tanks. About this time General Weyland presented Group Personnel with two Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
s, two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s, five DFCs and 17 Bronze Stars. Our last combat mission was flown on 8 May.
All hostilities ceased on 9 May V-E Day, exactly one year after the Group became operational. Some local flying continued and on 4 June the 367th led a long line of Ninth Air Force groups in a fly-by viewed by General Weyland
Otto P. Weyland
Otto Paul Weyland was an Air Force General, and the post-World War II Commander of Far East Air Forces during the Korean War and of Tactical Air Command.-Early life:...
. By now the point system was in effect and some personnel were rotating to the States. On 1 July it was announced the 367th was to go to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. Only four of the 15 Ninth Air Force fighter groups were selected for this redeployment showing the respect that the 367th had developed. The move was to be made through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and direct to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
where the Group would be re-equipped with P-47Ns in preparation for the invasion of Japan
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
. The Group moved to Camp Detroit in France and after a month there moved to a staging area near Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. Here the Group was split and loaded on two ships, the USS General Morton
USS General C. G. Morton (AP-138)
USS General C. G. Morton was a for the U.S. Navy in World War II. She was named in honor of U.S. Army general Charles Gould Morton. She was transferred to the U.S. Army as USAT General C. G. Morton in 1946. On 1 March 1950 she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS...
, and the USS John Ericcson. About this time the Twentieth Air Force
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.20 AF's primary mission is Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations...
dropped the two atomic bombs and Japan surrendered. The Morton was diverted to Newport News, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the John Ericcson sailed for Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York.
The few personnel that remained in the Group after leaves, transfers and discharges reassembled at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
on 2 November. On 7 November 1945 the 367th was inactivated.
The 367th had participated in seven European Campaigns rolling up an impressive list of statistics. The pilots had flow 14, 175 combat sorties destroying 432 enemy aircraft, probably destroying another 28 and damaging 344. They had destroyed or badly damaged 384 locomotives, 4,672 motor vehicles and 8,288 railroad cars. The important thing is not the statistics, but the effect these combat sorties had on the outcome of the war. The Group's bomber escorts, attacks on enemy airfields and destruction of enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat materially contributed to the gaining of air superiority over Europe to the point where German forces could not move, except in darkness or adverse weather, without fearing devastating attacks from the air, while Allied forces moved about with impunity. The Group's attacks on bridges and enemy lines of communication materially prevented or delayed the German Army from moving troops and supplies to counteract the Allied advances. The Group spearheaded the attacks by our ground units by acting as eyes to see what was out ahead of them and destroying opposing forces. And the 367th struck at the very heart of the German Wehrmacht destroying the headquarters for Commander in Chief West at a critical stage during the Allied crossing the Rhein.
The 367th Fighter Group contributed greatly to the defeat of Hitler's Germany. For their accomplishments the Group received two Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
s, two Belgium Army Order of the Day Citations and many letters of commendations. These awards or recognition were the result of the professional and dedicated efforts of all the personnel of the Group, pilots and ground personnel, officers and enlisted men.
Lineage
- Constituted as 367th Fighter Group on 26 May 1943
- Activated on 15 July 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945. Emblem shown with bulldog/ammo belt is the "Squadron" design for 394th of this group NOT the Group's emblem.
Assignments
- IV Fighter CommandIV Fighter CommandThe IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
, 15 July 1943
- Attached to: San Francisco Fighter WingSan Francisco Fighter WingThe San Francisco Air Defense Region is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Fourth Air Force, stationed in San Francisco, California. It was inactivated on 31 August 1945- History:...
, 10 December 1943 – 8 March 1944- 70th Fighter Wing70th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
, 6 July 1944
- 70th Fighter Wing
- Attached to: IX Air Support (later, IX Tactical Air) CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 3 October 1944- XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 16 January – July 1945 - III Fighter CommandIII Fighter CommandThe III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, September-7 November 1945
- XIX Tactical Air Command
Stations
- Hamilton Field, California, 15 July 1943
- Santa Rosa Army Airfield, California, 11 October 1943
- Oakland Municipal AirportOakland International AirportOakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
, California, 10 December 1943 – 8 March 1944 - RAF Stoney CrossRAF Stoney CrossRAF Station Stoney Cross is a former World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton....
(AAF-452) England, 5 April 1944 - RAF IbsleyRAF IbsleyRAF Station Ibsley is a former World War II airfield in Hampshire, England. The airfield is located near the village of Ibsley, approximately north of Ringwood; about southwest of London...
(AAF-347), England, 6 July 1944 - Beuzeville AirfieldBeuzeville AirfieldBeuzeville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Beuzeville-la-Bastille in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-6), France, 22 July 1944 - Cricqueville AirfieldCricqueville AirfieldCricqueville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Cricqueville-en-Bessin in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-2), France, 14 August 1944
- Peray AirfieldPeray AirfieldPeray Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Peray in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France....
(A-44), France, 4 September 1944 - Clastres Airfield (A-71), France, 8 September 1944
- Juvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(A-68), France, 28 October 1944 - St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France, 1 February 1945
- Conflans Airfield (A-94), France, 14 March 1945
- Eschborn AirfieldEschborn AirfieldEschborn Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Germany located approximately 10km northwest of Frankfurt am Main and 435km southwest of Berlin....
(Y-74), Germany, 20 April – July 1945 - Seymour Johnson Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, September-7 November 1945
Components
- 392d Fighter Squadron (H5): 15 June 1943 – 7 November 1945
- 393d Fighter Squadron (8L): 15 June 1943 – 7 November 1945
- 394th Fighter Squadron394th Fighter SquadronThe 394th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 367th Fighter Group, IX Fighter Command, stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945-History:...
(4N): 15 June 1943 – 7 November 1945
Aircraft
- P-39 Aircobra, 1943–1944
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1944–1945 - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, February 1945-Inactivation