P-38F Lightning, pilot Capt Newbury and ground crew 1st Fighter Group, 27th Fighter Squadron . “Dear John” Nose Art
1st Fighter Group within 8th AF – overview
The 1st Fighter Group, equipped with P-38 Lightnings, was one of the premier fighter groups of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. With a rich history dating back to World War I, the group was among the first to deploy to the European theater during World War II, although it saw limited combat with the Eighth Air Force before moving to the Mediterranean theater.
Command Assignments
- Assigned to Eighth Air Force: 10 June 1942
- Wing & Command Assignments:
- VIII Fighter Command: 10 June 1942
- VIII Fighter Command, 6th Fighter Wing: 16 August – 13 September 1942
Component Squadrons
- 27th Fighter Squadron (FS)
- 71st Fighter Squadron (FS)
- 94th Fighter Squadron (FS)
Combat Aircraft
- P-38F Lightning
Stations
- Goxhill, Lincolnshire, England
- Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England
- Ibsley, Hampshire, England
- High Ercall, Shropshire, England
- Colerne, Wiltshire, England
Group Commanding Officers (COs)
- Major John O. Zahn
- Lt. Col. John N. Stone
Mission Details
- First Mission: 2 September 1942
- Last Mission: 25 October 1942
- Total Sorties: 237
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: None
- Aircraft Missing in Action (MIA): 1
- Note: The 94th Fighter Squadron flew the first air defense sorties on 29 August 1942.
Historical Background
- Origins: The 1st Fighter Group was organized on 5 May 1918 at Toul, France, and became the principal U.S. Army fighter organization between the wars. It was based at Selfridge Field, Michigan, from 1922 to 1941.
- Move to the West Coast: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the group moved to San Diego Naval Air Station, California, on 9 December 1941 and began receiving early model P-38s. By 1 February 1942, it was fully equipped with P-38F Lightnings.
- Deployment to the UK: The ground echelon sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from New York on 3 June 1942, arriving in Gourock, Scotland, on 9 June 1942. The air echelon flew their aircraft to the UK via the northern ferry route, with the first P-38s departing Dow Field, Maine, on 27 June 1942.
- 27th Fighter Squadron in Iceland: The 27th FS air echelon remained in Iceland, conducting ocean patrols from 6 July to 25 August 1942. Lt. Elza K. Shahan shared in the destruction of a FW 200 Condor on 14 August 1942. The 27th FS rejoined the group in late August 1942.
- Operations in the UK: Although the 1st Fighter Group was based in the UK for several months, it did not engage in significant combat operations during this period.
Transition to North Africa
- Reassignment: The 1st Fighter Group was assigned to the 12th Air Force, XII Fighter Command, on 14 September 1942 but continued operating under the VIII Fighter Command.
- Movement to North Africa: The first contingent of the ground echelon left Ibsley on 21 October 1942, sailing on the SS Orbita from Gourock on 26 October 1942. Two other groups left on 23 and 26 October, with one sailing on HMS Mooltan from Bristol and the other on the Empress of Canada from Gourock. The air echelon flew to North Africa from Portreath, Cornwall, between 14-16 November 1942, losing two aircraft en route, including one in Portugal.
- Combat in the Mediterranean: The group fought in North Africa with the 12th Air Force and later in Italy with the 15th Air Force, primarily performing bomber escort missions.
Aircraft Markings and Color Schemes
P-38F-1-LO Lightnings (July-October 1942)
- Standard Finish:
- Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray were the standard colors.
- Unit Markings:
- Initially, the only markings were command stripes on the fuselage booms, located aft of the radiator housing.
- Squadron Commanders’ Aircraft: Two encircling 5-inch wide bands, 5 inches apart.
- Flight Commanders’ Aircraft: A single 5-inch band.
- A Flight: The band was vertical relative to the boom axis.
- B Flight: The band was diagonally inclined forward.
- C Flight: The band was diagonally inclined backward.
- The colors used for these bands were:
- 27th FS: Red
- 71st FS: White
- 94th FS: Yellow
- August 1942 Marking Updates:
- A 2-inch wide yellow surround was added to the fuselage national insignia.
- Squadron code letters were painted on the radiator housings in Sky S (a pale blue-green color).
- The advised size for these letters was 18 inches high, but the width varied due to the dimensions of the radiator housing, with one letter placed on the control door.
- A hyphen separated the squadron letters from the individual aircraft letter.
- Squadron letters preceded the individual aircraft letter when read from either side of the aircraft:
- 27th FS: HV
- 71st FS: LM
- 94th FS: UN
- With the addition of the squadron letters, the command stripes were removed.