56th Fighter Group: Difference between revisions
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Four fighter groups sent to England in the summer of 1942 as part of the [[Operation Bolero|Bolero]] buildup had been transferred to the [[Twelfth Air Force]] to support the [[Operation Torch|invasion of North Africe]], leaving VIII Fighter Command with a single fighter group. The 56th Fighter Group was alerted for movement to the UK in October 1942. The unit sailed on the [[Queen Elizabeth]] [[6 January]] [[1943]], arriving [[Gourock]] [[11 January]] [[1943]]. |
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The unit sailed on the [[Queen Elizabeth]] [[6 January]] [[1943]], arriving [[Gourock]] [[11 January]] [[1943]]. |
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===History=== |
===History=== |
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Revision as of 04:23, 13 March 2007
| 56th Fighter Group | |
|---|---|
 P-47D 44-19770, 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th FG | |
| Active | December 16, 1941 - October 18, 1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Type | Fighter group |
| Role | Air Superiority |
| Size | 125 P-47 aircraft, 1000 personnel |
| Part of | Eighth Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | RAF Halesworth, UK RAF Boxted |
| Motto(s) | Cave Tonitrum - Beware the Thunderbolt |
| Engagements | DUC February 22 - March 9, 1944 DUC September 18, 1944 447 group missions |
The 56th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and as the 56th Operations Group, a current unit of the United States Air Force. Created in 1941 as part of the expansion of the AAF immediately prior to World War II, the 56th FG was the first fighter group to receive and operate the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, while the current USAF group operates F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Credited by the Air Force Historical Research Agency with the destruction of 666 aircraft in air-to-air combat, the 56th Fighter Group had more air-to-air kills than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force, was the top-scoring P-47 group during World War II, and recorded the second-highest number of air-to-air kills of any USAAF fighter group.[1] The 56th also claimed 311 fighters destroyed on the ground.[2]
After World War II the 56th FG served as part of the 56th Fighter Wing of the USAF before being deactivated February 1, 1961, for more than thirty years. Reactivated on November 1, 1991, as the flying group of the 56th Fighter Wing, the 56th OG conducted F-16 transition training at MacDill AFB, Florida, until its inactivation January 4, 1994. The group was reactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on April 1, 1994, and with eight fighter squadrons, provides F-16 crew training for pilots from USAF, Taiwan, and Singapore.[3]
56th Fighter Group in World War II
Organization
(Except where noted, this material is from the official USAF group history by Maurer Maurer.)[4]
Constituted by Headquarters USAAF as 56th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on November 20, 1940, the group was activated on January 15, 1941, at Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia. The 56th PG was assigned three fighter squadrons:
- 61st Pursuit Squadron
- 62d Pursuit Squadron
- 63rd Pursuit Squadron
Staffed by a cadre drawn from other units at Savannah AAB, and equipped with P-39's and P-40's the 56th PG trained, participated in training maneuvers, served as an air defense organization, and functioned as an operational training unit (OTU). On May 26, 1941, the group relocated to Morris AAF, Charlotte, North Carolina, and on December 10, 1941, in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to Wilmington AAB, North Carolina for air defense duties, with its 61st FS based at Charleston AAB, South Carolina. In mid-January 1942 the 56th FG shifted to air defense of New York City, with its headquarters based at Bendix AAF, New Jersey, and its squadrons assigned respectively to Bridgeport, Connecticut; Bendix; and Farmingdale, New York.
In May 1942 it was redesignated the 56th Fighter Group and in June received the first operational P-47B's from nearby Republic Aviation, in which it began training for combat. One of its most notable pilots, Major Robert S. Johnson, noted that during this "break-in" phase, in addition to numerous non-fatal training accidents at least 18 pilots of the 56th FG were killed and 41 aircraft destroyed in crashes.[5]
Four fighter groups sent to England in the summer of 1942 as part of the Bolero buildup had been transferred to the Twelfth Air Force to support the invasion of North Africe, leaving VIII Fighter Command with a single fighter group. The 56th Fighter Group was alerted for movement to the UK in October 1942. The unit sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 6 January 1943, arriving Gourock 11 January 1943.
History
Markings and squadron codes
Operations and tactics
The 56th flew out of five different bases during the course of the war, and was commanded by five different officers. The three component squadrons, the 61st, 62d, and 63d Fighter Squadrons, flew P-47C-2 and -5s from February 1943 to April 1943, P-47D (blocks 1 through 30), from June 1943 to March 1945, and P-47Ms from January 1945 to 10 October 1945. The unit flew 447 missions. Claims: 674 1/2 air, 311 ground; aircrew MIA: 128.
Claims to fame
- Top scoring aces, Frances Gabby Gabreski and Robert Johnson flew with the 56th.
- Only 8th Air Force group to fly the Thunderbolt throughout the hostilities
Bases and casualties
Aerial victories
The first aerial victory by a 56th pilot occurred June 12, 1943, with the downing of an Fw 190 by Capt. Walter V. Cook C, 62nd Fighter Squadron, flying P-47C 41-6343 (LM-W Little Cookie). The final victory was an Me-262 shot down on April 10, 1945, by 2nd Lt. Walter J. Sharbo, also of the 62d Fighter Squadron, in P-47M 44-21237 (LM-C Marian - North Dakota Kid).
The 56th Fighter Group had 674½ claims credited by the Eighth Air Force for German aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat. U.S. Air Force Historical Study No. 85 recognizes 666 aerial victories for the 56th. This total is the second highest among USAAF fighter groups in the ETO (behind the 354th Group with 701), the highest among all Eighth Air Force groups, and the highest among all P-47 groups of the USAAF. Eighth Air Force also credited the 357th Fighter Group with 311 German aircraft destroyed on the ground, making an overall total of 977, which is second among all Eighth Air Force fighter groups. Of the air-to-air totals, 4 were Me-262 jets, all shot down by P-47M's.
Among the various units of the 56th, the 61st Fighter Squadron had the most victories, with 68 pilots credited with 232 kills. The 62nd Fighter Squadron was credited with 219.5 kills by 79 pilots, the 63rd Fighter Squadron with 174.75 kills by 64 pilots, and group headquarters with 41 kills by 4 pilots.
Counting only air-to-air victories registered while with the group (therefore discounting air-to-ground claims), the 56th had 39 pilots become aces, the second-most of any ETO fighter group (the 357th Fighter Group, flying P-51s, had 42).
Aces of the 56th Fighter Group
| Pilot | Sqdrn | Credits | Casualty Status | Aircraft Flown |
| Lt.Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski | 61 | 28 | POW 20 July 1944 | |
| Major Robert S. Johnson | 61 | 27 | Half Pint, Lucky, All Hell, Penrod & Sam | |
| Col. David C. Schilling | Grp | 22.5 | Whack | |
| Capt. Fred J. "Chris" Christensen | 62 | 21.5 | Boche Buster-Rozzie Geth, Miss Fire-Rozzie Geth II | |
| Major Walker M. "Bud" Mahurin | 63 | 19.75 | Evaded 27 March 1944 | "Spirit of Atlantic City, N.J." |
| Major Gerald W. "Jerry" Johnson | 61,62 | 16.5 | POW 27 March 1944 | In the Mood-"Jackson County, Michigan, Fighter" |
| Col. Hubert A. Zemke | Grp | 15.25 | POW | Happy Warrior -Oregon Brittania |
| Capt. Joseph H. Powers, Jr. | 61,62 | 14.5 | Powers' Girl | |
| Capt. Felix D. "Willie" Williamson | 62 | 13 | Willie | |
| Major Leroy A. Schreiber | 61,62 | 12 | KIA 15 April 1944 | |
| Major James C. Stewart | 61 | 11.5 | ||
| Major Paul A. Conger | 61,62 | 11.5 | Hollywood High Hatter-"Redondo Beach, California" | |
| Capt. Michael J. Quirk | 62 | 11 | POW 9 September 1944 | |
| 1st Lt. Robert J. "Shorty" Rankin | 61 | 10 | ||
| Sqd. Ldr. Boleslaw M. Gladych | 61 | 10 | Pengie and four successors | |
| 1st Lt. Stanley D. "Fats" Morrill | 62 | 9 | Fats-Btfsplk, Debt Collector | |
| Major Michael L. Jackson | 62 | 8 | Teddy | |
| Major George E. Bostwick | 62,63 | 8¹ | Ugly Duckling | |
| 1st Lt. Glen D. Schiltz, Jr. | 63 | 8 | Pam | |
| Capt. Robert A. Lamb | 61 | 7 | Jackie | |
| Lt.Col. Leslie C. Smith | 61 | 7 | Silver Lady | |
| 1st Lt. Frank W. Klibbe | 61 | 7 | Little Chief-Anderson Indian | |
| 2nd Lt. Billy G. Edens | 62 | 7 | POW 9 September 1944 | |
| 1st Lt. John H. "Lucky" Truluck, Jr. | 63 | 7 | Lady Jane | |
| Capt. Mark L. Moseley | 62 | 6.5 | Sylvia | |
| Capt. James R. Carter | 61 | 6 | ||
| 1st Lt. Robert J. Keen | 61 | 6 | Ice Cold Kattie | |
| Capt. Walter V. Cook | 62 | 6 | Little Cookie | |
| Capt. Cameron M. Hart | 63 | 6 | ||
| 1st Lt. George F. Hall | 63 | 6 | ||
| 1st Lt. Frank E. McCauley | 61 | 5.5 | Rat Racer | |
| Major Donovan F. "Dieppe" Smith | 61 | 5.5 | Ole Cock, Ole Cock II | |
| Capt. Joseph H. Bennett | 61 | 5.5 | Ann II, Lucky | |
| F.O. Evan O. McMinn | 61 | 5 | Killed in action 6 June 1944 | |
| 2nd Lt. Steven N. Gerick | 61 | 5 | ||
| 2nd Lt. Joe W. Icard | 62 | 5 | Killed in action 8 March 1944 | |
| Major Harold F. "Bunny" Comstock | 63 | 5 | Happy Warrior | |
| 1st Lt. Joseph L. Egan, Jr. | 63 | 5 | Killed in action 19 July 1944 | Holy Joe |
| Capt. John W. Vogt, Jr. | 63 | 5 |
SOURCE: USAF Historical Study 85 ¹Totals include one Me 262 jet shot down
Campaigns
World War II:
- American Theatre
- Air Offensive, Europe
- Normandy
- Northern France
- Rhineland
- Ardennes-Alsace
- Central Europe
USAF service
Cold War air defense role[3]
With the end of hostilities, the unit's aircraft went to depots in September 1945. The unit transferred stateside on 11 October 1945 on the Queen Mary, arriving at New York, 16 October 1945 and was inactivated 18 October 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
The 56th FG was reactivated in May 1, 1946, at Selfridge Army Air Base, Michigan, equipped with P-47 and P-51 fighters until the unit was reequipped with Lockheed P-80s in 1947. It was redesignated 56th Fighter-Interceptor Group on [[January 20, 1950, then inactivated on February 6, 1952, as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization eliminating groups from the operational structure.
The 56th was reactivated at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, on August 18, 1955, and reequipped with North American F-86D interceptor. The group was discontinued and deactivated on February 1, 1961, but its 62 FIS remained a separate active duty squadron flying McDonnell F-101 Voodoos until 1969. While still inactive the group was redesignated 56 Tactical Fighter Group on July 31, 1985.
56th Operations Group
| 56th Operations Group | |
|---|---|
 56th Fighter Wing | |
| Active | April 1 1994 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Training Wing Operations Group |
| Role | Fighter crew training |
| Size | 8 F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons 1 ground training squadron 1 operations support squadron 180 F-16 aircraft |
| Part of | 56th Fighter Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Luke Air Force Base, Arizona |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col. Timothy W. Strawther |
The group was redesignated 56th Operations Group on October 28, 1991, and activated on November 1 as the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It conducted F-16 transition training at MacDill until mid-1993, phasing down its operations until inactivated January 4, 1994. The 56th was subsequently reactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, on April 1, 1994, were it replaced on paper the deactivating 58th Operations Group. It has provided F-16 training operations since and also conducted F-15E Strike Eagle combat crew training for a period between April 1994 and March 1995.[3]
56 OG organization
The 56th OG consists of ten component squadrons:[6]
- 21st Fighter Squadron
- The 21st FS ("Gamblers") trains F-16 pilots for the Taiwan Republic of China Air Force.
- 308th Fighter Squadron
- Formerly part of the 31st Fighter Wing, the 308th FS ("Emerald Knights") was the first squadron to operate the Block 42 F-16C/D.
- 309th Fighter Squadron
- Also a former 31st FW squadron, the 309th FS ("Wild Ducks") is a combat-ready F-16 squadron that conducts F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots.
- 310th Fighter Squadron
- The 310th FS ("Top Hats"), previously a part of the 58th FW, conducts training in night operations, Forward Air Control-Airborne in the F-16, and MATIRN (Medium Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) training.
- 56th Operations Support Squadron
- A non-flying squadron, the 56th OSS controls all airfield activities at Luke.
- 56th Training Squadron
- Also a non-flying squadron, the 56th TS provides academic, simulator and live-mission ground training in a large variety of F-16 related missions
- 61st Fighter Squadron
- The 61st FS ("Top Dogs") is a combat-ready F-16 squadron that conducts F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots.
- 62nd Fighter Squadron
- The 62d FS ("Spikes") is a combat-ready F-16 squadron that conducts F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots.
- 63rd Fighter Squadron
- The 63rd FS ("Panthers") is a combat-ready F-16 squadron that conducts F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots.
- 425th Fighter Squadron
- The 425th FS ("Black Widows") provides F-16 crew training for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. The unit is unique in that its F-16's bear the lion's head roundel of the RSAF instead of the USAF star-and-bars insignia.
Notes
- ^ "USAF Historical Study 85: USAF Credits for Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II" (PDF). Office of Air Force History, AFHRA. Retrieved 14 Oct.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) pp. 556-563 - ^ Roger A. Freeman (1993). The Mighty Eighth. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-87938-638-X.
- ^ a b c "56th Operations Group". AFHRA. Retrieved 12 Mar.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Air Force Combat Units of World War II-Part 4". New York Military Affairs Symposium. Retrieved 12 Mar.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Jerry Scutts (1987). Lion in the Sky: US 8th Air Force Fighter Operations 1942-45. Patrick Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-788-9. p. 35
- ^ "56th Operations Group Fact Sheet". Air Force Link - Luke AFB. Retrieved 12 Mar.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
- Halesworth Museum
- Luke Falcons website of current 56th FW units