404th Fighter Group
Encyclopedia
The 404th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with III Fighter Command
, stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 November 1945.
During World War II the unit was assigned to Ninth Air Force
in England, flying its first combat mission on 1 May 1944. The group was one of the most decorated units of IX Fighter Command, being awarded both a Distinguished Unit Citation as well as the French Croix de guerre with Palm
. It flew its last combat mission in May 1945.
The 404th was redesignated as the 137th Fighter Group
, and allotted to the Oklahoma
Air National Guard
on 24 May 1946.
's 84th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. It flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
The group began operations by bombing and strafing targets in France. The squadrons provided top cover for landings in Normandy
on 6 and 7 June 1944. On 6 July the 404th moved across the Channel to its Advanced Landing Ground
at Chippelle (ALG A-5), France.
On the continent, the 404th operated in close support of ground troops until the end of the war, supporting the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July 1944, the drive through Holland in September 1944, Allied operations during the Battle of the Bulge
(December 1944 – January 1945), and the establishment of the Remagen bridgehead
and the subsequent crossing of the Rhine in March 1945.
The group also flew interdictory and escort missions, strafing and bombing such targets as troop concentrations, railroads, highways, bridges, ammunition and fuel dumps, armored vehicles, docks, and tunnels, and covering the operations of B-17s, B-24s, and B-26
s that bombed factories, airdromes, marshaling yards, and other targets.
Reassigned back to United States and assigned to Third Air Force
, being programmed for deployment to Okinawa to take part in planned Invasion of Japan
. Training plans discontinued after Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
and the sudden end of the Pacific War
. Most personnel either separated or reassigned to other units, with a skeleton staff arriving at Drew Field, Florida on 1 September. Unit inactivated on 9 November 1945.
The 404th Fighter Group received a French Croix de guerre with Palm
for assisting the US First Army at Saint-Lô
on 29, 30, and 31 July 1944 when the group, although suffering severe losses from flak, continuously provided cover for four armored divisions.
The group was also cited by the Belgian government for operations contributing to the liberation of its people.
After V-E Day
, the group aided in disarming the German Air Force
and in dismantling the enemy's aircraft industry. It returned to the United States in August and was inactivated on 9 November 1945 at Drew AAF Florida.
III Fighter Command
The 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:...
, stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 November 1945.
During World War II the unit was 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....
in England, flying its first combat mission on 1 May 1944. The group was one of the most decorated units of IX Fighter Command, being awarded both a Distinguished Unit Citation as well as the French Croix de guerre with Palm
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. It flew its last combat mission in May 1945.
The 404th was redesignated as the 137th Fighter Group
137th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 137th Air Refueling Wing is an Oklahoma Air National Guard wing located at Will Rogers Air National Guard base, Oklahoma. The wing flies KC-135 Stratotankers....
, and allotted to the Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest 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 24 May 1946.
Lineage
- Constituted as 404th Bombardment Group (Dive) on 25 January 1943
- Activated on 4 February 1943
- Redesignated 404th Fighter-Bomber Group in August 1943
- Inactivated on 9 November 1945.
Assignments
- 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:...
, 4 February 1943 - IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe 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....
, 4 April 1944 - 84th Fighter Wing84th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 84th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the IX Tactical Air Command, based at Brunswick, Germany...
,
- Attached to: 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...
, 1 August 1944- XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
, 26 October 1944 - 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...
, 16 January – 2 August 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:...
, 1 September – 9 November 1945
- XXIX Tactical Air Command
Stations
- Key FieldKey fieldA key field is a field or set of fields of a database table which together form a unique identifier for a database record . The aggregate of these fields is usually referred to simply as "the key". Key fields also define searches...
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 4 February 1943 - Congaree AAF, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 5 July 1943 - Burns AAF, Ore, 4 September 1943
- Myrtle Beach AAF, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 13 November 1943 – 12 March 1944 - RAF WinktonRAF WinktonRAF Station Winkton is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Christchurch; about southwest of London...
(AAF-414), England, 4 April 1944 - Chippelle AirfieldChippelle AirfieldChippelle Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of La Chapelle-en-Juger in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-5), France, 6 July 1944 - Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, 29 August 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, 13 September 1944 - Sint-Truiden Airfield (A-92), Belgium, 4 October 1944
- Kelz AirfieldKelz AirfieldKelz Airfield is a former World War II military airfield in Germany. It was located about 2 miles north of Vettweiß ; approximately 315 miles southwest of Berlin....
(Y-54), Germany, 30 March 1945 - Fritzlar Airfield (Y-86), Germany, 12 April 1945
- AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen, Germany, 23 June – 2 August 1945
- Drew Field, Florida, 1 September – 9 November 1945
Components
- 455th Fighter Squadron: 1943–1944
- 506th (formerly 620th Bombardment) Fighter Squadron (4K): 1 December 1943 – 12 February 1944
- 507th (formerly 621st Bombardment) Fighter Squadron (Y8): 4 February 1943 – 9 November 1945
- 508th (formerly 622d Bombardment) Fighter Squadron508th Fighter SquadronThe 508th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 404th Fighter Group, IX Fighter Command, stationed at Drew Field, Florida...
(7J): 4 February 1943 – 9 November 1945 - 623d Bombardment Squadron: 4 February – 15 August 1943
Aircraft
- A-35 Vengeance (1943)
- A-24 Banshee (1943)
- P-39 Airacobra (1943)
- 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...
(1944–1945)
Operations history
Trained with P-39, P-47, and other aircraft. Moved to England, March— April 1944. Assigned to Ninth Air ForceNinth 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....
's 84th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. It flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
The group began operations by bombing and strafing targets in France. The squadrons provided top cover for landings in Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
on 6 and 7 June 1944. On 6 July the 404th moved across the Channel to its Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
at Chippelle (ALG A-5), France.
On the continent, the 404th operated in close support of ground troops until the end of the war, supporting the Allied breakthrough at 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...
in July 1944, the drive through Holland in September 1944, Allied operations during 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...
(December 1944 – January 1945), and the establishment of the Remagen bridgehead
Operation Lumberjack
Operation Lumberjack was a military operation conducted in the last stages of the war in Europe during World War II. It was launched by the First United States Army in March 1945 to capture strategic cities in Germany such as Cologne, and to give the Allies a foothold along the Rhine River.With the...
and the subsequent crossing of the Rhine in March 1945.
The group also flew interdictory and escort missions, strafing and bombing such targets as troop concentrations, railroads, highways, bridges, ammunition and fuel dumps, armored vehicles, docks, and tunnels, and covering the operations of B-17s, B-24s, and B-26
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
s that bombed factories, airdromes, marshaling yards, and other targets.
Reassigned back to United States and assigned to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, being programmed for deployment to Okinawa to take part in planned 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...
. Training plans discontinued after Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
and the sudden end of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Most personnel either separated or reassigned to other units, with a skeleton staff arriving at Drew Field, Florida on 1 September. Unit inactivated on 9 November 1945.
Citations
The 404th Fighter Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for three armed reconnaissance missions flown on 10 September 1944 when, despite bad weather and antiaircraft fire, the group attacked enemy factories, rolling stock, and communications centers to aid the advance of ground forces.The 404th Fighter Group received a French Croix de guerre with Palm
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
for assisting the US First Army at 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...
on 29, 30, and 31 July 1944 when the group, although suffering severe losses from flak, continuously provided cover for four armored divisions.
The group was also cited by the Belgian government for operations contributing to the liberation of its people.
After V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, the group aided in disarming the German Air Force
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....
and in dismantling the enemy's aircraft industry. It returned to the United States in August and was inactivated on 9 November 1945 at Drew AAF Florida.