World War Photos

North American P-51D-15-NA Mustang of the 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron, 44-14955, code HO+I

352nd Fighter Group – overview

Assignments:

• Eighth Air Force: Assigned on 6 July 1943.
• 67th Fighter Wing (VIII Fighter Command): From 6 October 1943.
• 67th Fighter Wing (1st Bombardment Division): From 15 September 1944.
• IX Tactical Air Command (9th Air Force): Temporarily from 23 December 1944 for operational control.
• VIII Fighter Command: Reassigned on 1 February 1945.
• 67th Fighter Wing (1st Air Division): From 13 April 1945.

Component Squadrons:

• 328th Fighter Squadron
• 486th Fighter Squadron
• 487th Fighter Squadron

Combat Aircraft:

• P-47D Thunderbolt: (blocks 5 to 16) from approximately 13 July 1943 to 20 April 1944.
• P-51 Mustang:
  • P-51B (from block 5) in combat from 8 April 1944.
  • P-51C
  • P-51D
  • P-51K

Stations:

• Bodney: 8 July 1943 – 7 February 1945 (Air echelon left 23 December 1944).
• Asche: 23 December 1944 – 27 January 1945 (Air echelon only).
• Chievres: 27 January 1945 – 13 April 1945 (Ground echelon arrived around 9 February 1945).
• Bodney: Returned on 13 April 1945 – 3 November 1945.

Group Commanding Officers (COs):

• Col Joseph L. Mason: 18 May 1943 – 15 November 1944.
• Col James D. Mayden: 16 November 1944 – September 1945.
• Lt Col William T. Halton: September 1945 – November 1945.
  • Col Mayden also served as acting CO from 24 July 1944 to approximately 1 September 1944.

Combat Missions:

• First Mission: 9 September 1943.
• Last Mission: 3 May 1945.
• Total Missions: 420.
• Aircraft Missing in Action (MIA): 118.
• Enemy Aircraft Claims: 519 in air, 287 on ground.

Major Awards:

• Two Distinguished Unit Citations (DUCs):
  • 8 May 1944: Brunswick escort mission.
  • 1 January 1945: The 487th Fighter Squadron independently awarded a DUC for the destruction of 23 enemy aircraft.

Claims to Fame:

• George Preddy: The highest-scoring Mustang ace in the 8th Air Force.
• The 487th Fighter Squadron was the only 8th Air Force squadron to be independently awarded a DUC.
• 2 November 1944: The group destroyed 38 enemy aircraft in a single battle, the second-highest record for a single day’s kill in the 8th Air Force.

History:

• Activated: 1 October 1942 at Mitchel Field, NY, with formation at Bradley Field, Connecticut.
  • The 486th and 487th Fighter Squadrons were redesignated from the 21st and 34th Fighter Squadrons, known for early Southeast Asia actions.
• Training:
  • Initial training at Westover Field, Massachusetts, and Trumbull Field, Connecticut.
  • On 9 March 1943, moved to Farmingdale AAF, NY, and commenced training on P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft.
  • Returned to Westover Field on 24 May 1943 before beginning overseas movement on 16 June 1943.
  • Sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 1 July 1943, arriving in Clyde on 6 July 1943.

Aircraft Markings and Camouflage:

• P-47D Thunderbolts (July 1943 – April 1944):

  • Standard factory finish of Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray with white type identity stripes.
  • Squadron code letters:
    • PE for the 328th Fighter Squadron.
    • PZ for the 486th Fighter Squadron.
    • HO for the 487th Fighter Squadron.
  • The blue group marking was not applied to P-47s due to the imminent conversion to P-51s.

• P-51B/C/D/K Mustangs (March 1944 – August 1945):

  • The first P-51B/C models initially went to the 486th Fighter Squadron and were mostly in Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray.
  • The other squadrons received mostly bare metal finish aircraft, with squadron code letters applied in standard size and colors.
  • The nose markings evolved from white and black stripes to a medium blue, which was later changed to a lighter blue (possibly Azure Blue) and then to a darker shade (possibly Deep Sky Blue from British sources) with the arrival of P-51Ds.
  • D-Day Stripes (black and white invasion stripes) were applied before the 6 June 1944 invasion, covering fuselage codes and later repainted on different parts of the aircraft.
  • Rudder Colors (introduced in October 1944):
    • 328th Fighter Squadron: Red rudder.
    • 486th Fighter Squadron: Yellow rudder.
    • 487th Fighter Squadron: Blue rudder (same shade as nose color).
  • No other officially authorized markings were carried by the group’s aircraft except underwing code letters for low-flying reference added in May 1945.

Subsequent History:

• After VE-Day, many personnel were transferred for early return to the U.S.
• Aircraft were sent to depots in August 1945.
• Remaining personnel returned to the U.S. in November 1945, sailing on the Queen Mary on 4 November 1945, and arriving in New York on 9 November 1945.
• The group was established at Camp Kilmer, NJ, and inactivated on 10 November 1945.