81st Fighter-Bomber Group

81st Fighter-Bomber Group
United States Air Forces in Europe
Motto(s)	Le Nom, Les Armes, La Loyauté - The Name, The Arms, and Loyalty
Engagements	World War II European Campaign (1943–1944) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1944–1945)

The 81st Fighter-Bomber Group (81 FBG) is an inactive

For additional history, see 81st Training Wing

World War II

The unit was constituted as the 81st Pursuit Group (Intercepter) on 13 January 1942, and activated on 9 February 1942, with the

Te group began combat with Twelfth Air Force in January 1943. It supported ground operations during the Allied drive against Axis forces in Tunisia.^[1] The group patrolled the coast of North Africa and protected Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea in April through July 1943 and provided cover for the convoys that landed troops on Pantelleria on 11 June and on Sicily on 10 July 1943.^[1] The group supported the landings at Anzio on 22 January 1944 and flew patrols in that area for a short time.^[1]

Group aircraft from its time in England through its action Italy consisted of P-39s and the British export version, the P-400. P-400s still had RAF camouflage and five digit alphanumeric serial number, RAF pilot's harness, and a 20 mm cannon versus the US 37 mm. These P-39s and P-400s were available due to a Murmansk Convoy so devastated, it turned back. The fighters were uncrated, assembled and test flown by the pilots that would take them to North Africa, Sicily and Italy. The 81st also flew

The flight of the P-39/400s of the 81st and 350th Fighter Groups to Morocco, is still in the Guinness Book of Records, as the largest flight over the greatest distance. A few of these Aircraft "experienced engine problems" and landed in Lisbon, Portugal. Perhaps the Pilots were hoping to sit out the duration. The Portuguese government kept these Fighters and handed the pilots over to the U.S. Embassy. These pilots flew "Tail-end Charlie" for most of the rest of their tour.^{[citation needed]}

It is notable that the 81st suffered the lowest loss rate of any Fighter Group in the MTO. This is a testament that the Bell P-39 Airacobra really was a capable fighter. Please visit the "81st Fighter Group Forum" for more detailed info on this remarkable group of men.

The group moved to India, February–March 1944, and began training with P-40 and P-47 aircraft.^[1] It then moved to China in May and became part of Fourteenth Air Force.^[1] The group continued training and on occasion flew patrol and escort missions before returning to full-time combat duty in January 1945. It attacked enemy airfields and installations, flew escort missions, and aided the operations of Chinese ground forces by attacking troop concentrations, ammunition dumps, lines of communications, and other targets to hinder Japanese efforts to move men and material to the front.^[1] The 81st was inactivated in China on 27 December 1945.^[1]

Cold War

Pacific Air Command

The 81st Fighter Group, Single Engine was reactivated at

As a result of limited defense budgets,

Operations at Wheeler were curtailed on 21 May 1949, the 81st and its parent 81 FW being transferred to

After fourteen months at now renamed Larson Air Force Base, the 81st FIG received movement orders to deploy to England. The 81st FIG deployed to two RAF Stations, built for use during World War II and laid out in a decentralized or dispersed plan. One being RAF Bentwaters, the other being RAF Shepherds Grove, both located in East Anglia about forty miles apart. The bulk of the ground station buildings were the metal Nissen hut type, with some wood frame and tar paper buildings, and were grouped together in numbered "sites", widely separated to blend into natural, rustic surroundings for purposes of camouflage. The main administrative building and clubs were of the larger Quonset hut type.

On 1 August 1951, the initial 81st aircraft flew into RAF Shepherds Grove. The group was located at Bentwaters, and worked with

Redesignated 81st Fighter Group, Jet on 29 July 1949[3]

Redesignated: 81st Fighter-Interceptor Group on 1 January 1950

Redesignated: 81st Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 April 1954

Inactivated on 8 February 1955

• Redesignated 81st Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (remained inactive).

Assignments

• III Fighter Command, 9 February 1942
• IV Fighter Command, 28 June 1942
• 7th Fighter Wing
  : 27 September 1942
• Twelfth Air Force, 5 January 1943
• Tenth Air Force, 2 March 1944

Attached to Fourteenth Air Force, 2 March – 12 May 1944

Attached to

312th Fighter Wing

, 12 May 1944 – 1 October 1945

• Seventh Air Force 15 October 1946
• 7th Air Division, 1 May 1946
• 81st Fighter Wing (later 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing), 1 May 1948 – 8 February 1955^[4]

• 78th Fighter-Interceptor (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 1 November 1952 – 8 February 1955
• 91st Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber) Squadron
  : 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946 – 8 February 1955
• 92d Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber) Squadron
  : 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946 – 8 February 1955
• 93d Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron
  : 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946 – 1 May 1950
• 116th Fighter Squadron, Jet (later, 116th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 10 February 1951 – 1 November 1952[4]

Federalized

Washington Air National Guard

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• 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
  .
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
  ISBN 0-912799-12-9
  .