123rd Operations Group
359th Fighter Group | |
---|---|
P-51 Mustang 1944-45 |
The 359th Fighter Group was a
The group was redesignated the 123d Fighter Group and allotted to the
History
World War II
Organization and training
The
Combat in Europe
The 359th entered combat in mid-December 1943 after five 359th pilots flew combat missions with the
In April 1944, the group began converting to the North American P-51 Mustang, whose extended range permitted it to provide escort for bombers that struck rail centers in Germany and oil targets in Poland. With the Mustang, the group supported Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, by patrolling the English Channel, escorting bomber formations to the French coast, and dive bombing and strafing bridges, locomotives, and rail lines near the battle area.[1]
From July 1944 until February 1945, the group engaged chiefly in escorting bombers to
In addition to its escort duties, the 359th supported campaigns in France during July and August 1944, bombed enemy positions to support
Following
Notable pilots
Ray Wetmore was credited with 21.25 victories in aerial combat and ended the war as a 21-year-old major. His last victory was on March 15, 1945, near Wittenberg, destroying a Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet rocket fighter.[6]
Avelin P. Tacon Jr. was commander of the 359th Fighter Group and went on to become a major general in the US Air force.[7]
Howard L. Fogg, an American artist specializing in railroad art, flew 76 combat missions with the 359th Fighter Group and was awarded the Air Medal with three clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with one cluster.[8]
George A. "Pop" Doersch. was the 359th Fighter Group's second highest ranking ace with 10.5 victories in aerial combat (according to USAAF and Imperial Air Museum records) and other sources. Major Doersch flew 78 missions between April 1943 (many in his personal P-51B named "Mis Pop") and July 1944, when returned to the Zone of the Interior. Returning to combat on 20 September 1944, he flew another 69 missions, most in a Mustang P-51D (a replica "OLE GOAT" hangs in the Wisconsin State Museum in Madison). Doersch flew over 500 hours in the ETO, which __ Most of his victories were German Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters. After World War II he went on to serve in the Strategic Air Command until 1967, retiring from the USAF as a full Colonel.
Claude J. Crenshaw was the 359th Fighter Group's fourth highest ranking ace with seven victories in aerial combat. Crenshaw flew 270 combat hours between April 1944 and December 1944 in ETO, and his personal P-51 was named 'Louisiana Heatwave'. After World War II, he continued served in the USAF until 1965, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[9]
Air National Guard
The group was redesignated
Korean War mobilization
After the surprise
Return to state control
The group was activated the same day in the Guard and returned to its familiar Mustangs. It again replaced them, this time with
In connection with the
The group was activated again as the 123d Operations Group when the Guard reorganized under the Objective Wing model in 1993. It now operates Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 359th Fighter Group on 20 December 1942
- Activated on 15 January 1943
- Inactivated 10 November 1945
- Redesignated 123d Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946
- Activated on 8 September 1947
- Federally recognized on 28 September 1947
- Called into active service on 10 October 1950
- Redesignated 123d Fighter-Bomber Group on 26 October 1950
- Inactivated and returned to state control on 10 July 1952[10]
- Redesignated 123d Fighter-Interceptor Group and activated on 10 July 1952
- Redesignated 123d Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 January 1953
- Redesignated 123d Fighter-Interceptor Group c. 1 July 1955
- Redesignated 123d Tactical Reconnaissance Group c. 1 June 1958
- Called into active service in January 1968
- Released from active service in July 1969
- Inactivated on 9 December 1974
- Redesignated 123d Operations Group
- Activated on 1 January 1993
Assignments
- Boston Air Defense Wing, 15 January 1943
- New York Air Defense Wing(later New York Fighter Wing), 11 July 1943
- Boston Air Defense Wing, 23 August 1943
- 66th Fighter Wing, 20 October 43[5]
- 67th Fighter Wing, c. 1 November 1943[5] (attached to 1st Tactical Air Force, Provisional after November 1944)
- Army Service Forces, Port of Embarkation, 9 November 1945 – 10 November 1945
- Kentucky National Guard, 8 September 1947
- Kentucky Air National Guard, 18 September 1947
- 55th Fighter Wing, 20 December 1947
- Tactical Air Command, 10 October 1950
- 123d Fighter-Bomber Wing, 26 October 1950 – 10 July 1952
- 123d Fighter-Interceptor Wing (later 123d Fighter-Bomber Wing, 123d Fighter-Interceptor Wing), 10 July 1952 – c. 1 June 1958
- 123d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, c. 1 October 1962 –9 December 1974
- 123d Airlift Wing, 1 January 1993 – present
Components
- 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10 April 1958 – c. June 1958
- 123d Operations Support Squadron, 1 January 1993 – present
- 156th Fighter Squadron (later 156th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 156th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron), 1948 – 10 Jul 52, 10 July 1952 – c. 1 June 1958
- 166th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, c. 1 November 1952 – c. June 1953
- 368th Fighter Squadron (later 165th Fighter Squadron, 165th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 165th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 165th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 165th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 165th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 165th Airlift Squadron), 15 January 1943 – 10 November 1945,[2] 8 September 1947 – 10 July 1952, 10 July 1952 – c. 1 June 1958, c. 1 October 1962 – January 1968, c. 30 June 1969 – 9 December 1974, 1 January 1993 – present
- 369th Fighter Squadron (later 167th Fighter Squadron, 167th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 167th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 167th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 167th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron), 15 January 1943 – 10 November 1945,[3] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 457</ref> 8 September 1947 – 10 July 1952, 10 July 1952 – c. 1 June 1958
- 370th Fighter Squadron, 15 January 1943 – 10 November 1945[4]
Stations
- Westover Field, Massachusetts, 15 January 1943
- Grenier Field, New Hampshire, 7 April 1943
- Republic Field, New York, 11 July 1943
- Westover Field, Massachusetts, 23 August – 3 October 1943
- RAF East Wretham (Sta 133),[11] England, October 1943 – November 1945
- Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 9–10 November 1945
- Standiford Field, Kentucky, 8 September 1947
- Godman Air Force Base, Kentucky, c. 20 October 1950 – 15 November 1951
- RAF Manston, 10 December 1951 – 10 July 1952[10]
- Standiford Field, Kentucky, 10 July 1952
- Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, 30 January 1968
- Standiford Field, 9 June 1969 – present
Aircraft
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943-1944
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945,[10] 1946–1951; 1952–1956
- Republic F-84E Thunderjet, 1951–1952
- North American F-86A Sabre, 1956–1957
- Martin RB-57A Canberra, 1957–1965
- McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo, 1965–1976
- McDonnell RF-4C Phantom, 1976-1989
- Lockheed C-130B Hercules, 1989-1992
- Lockheed C-130H Hercules, 1992–present
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- ^ Approved 20 December 1951.
- ^ The group uses the 123d Wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Air Force Instruction 84-105, Organizational Lineage, Honors and Heraldry, 19 March 2013, para 3.3.3.
- ^ Aircraft are Republic P-47D-5-RE Thunderbolts. In the foreground is serial 42-8596 (CV-P) "Marryin' Sam" of the 368th Fighter Squadron. Flown by Lt William R. Simmons, the aircraft was named from the Al Capp cartoon strip, Li'l Abner.
- ^ Aircraft is North American P-51D-5-NA Mustang. serial 44-13404 (CV-Z), painted in D-Day Invasion markings, June 1944. The pilot of this aircraft, Lt. Louis E. Barnett, was killed on 12 September 1944.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 241-243
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 456
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 457
- ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 458-459
- ^ a b c d Freeman (1970), p. 252
- ^ Smith (2012)[page needed]
- ^ "Biography, Major General Avelin P. Tacon Jr". United States Air Force. 15 September 1964. Archived from the original on 31 March 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ Fogg [page needed]
- ISBN 9781526759931. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Lineage information, including stations and aircraft, through July 1952 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 241-243
- ^ Station number in Anderson, p. 21.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- Fogg, Richard P. (28 July 2011). Fogg in the Cockpit: Howard Fogg Master Railroad Artist, World War II Fighter Pilot. Philadelphia PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-004-6.
- ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Smith, Jack H. (20 October 2012). 359th Fighter Group. London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-535-3.
- Further reading
- Baldridge, Charotte; Fogg, Janet; Fogg, Richard (2017). A Manifest Spirit: The 359th Fighter Group 1943-1945. self published. ISBN 978-1546791638.
- Fogg, Janet; Fogg, Richard (2019). Tales from the 359th Fighter Group. self published. ISBN 978-1796444643.
- ISBN 0-900913-09-6.
- ISBN 0-304-35708-1.
- Miller, Kent D. (1987). Jigger, Tinplate & Redcross: The 359th Fighter Group in World War Two. Academy Publishing Corporation.
- Raines, Thomas H. (1978). 359th Fighter Group, 1943-1945. Self published at Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-105-96875-4.
- Smith, Jack H. (1997). Mustangs & Unicorns: A History of the 359th Fighter Group. Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-57510-029-6.
External links
- "359th Fighter Group 1943-1945". 359th Fighter Group on Facebook.
- "359th Fighter Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- "359th Fighter Group". Little Friends. Retrieved 5 August 2018.