Air Sea Rescue P-47 Thunderbolt of the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron with Malcolm Hood canopy.
5th Emergency Rescue Squadron (5th ERS) – overview
Formation and Command:
- Formed: Early May 1944 as 65th Fighter Wing Detachment B.
- Redesignated and Activated: 26 January 1945 as 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron.
- Wing & Command Assignments:
- VIII FC, 65 FW: May 1944.
- 2BD, 65 FW: 15 September 1944.
- 2 AD, 65 FW: 1 January 1945.
Stations:
- BOXTED: c. 1 May 1944 – 16 January 1945.
- HALESWORTH: 16 January 1945 – unknown.
Combat Aircraft:
- P-47D Thunderbolt: May 1944 – May 1945.
- OA-10A Catalina: January 1945 – May 1945.
- B-17G Flying Fortress (Airborne Lifeboat configuration): c. March 1945 – May 1945.
Operations:
- First Operation: 10 May 1944.
- Total Sorties: 3,616 sorties (3,520 effective).
- P-47: 3,481 sorties.
- B-17: 16 sorties.
- OA-10: 119 sorties.
- Aircraft MIA: 3 (1 P-47 & 2 OA-10).
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 1 V-1.
History:
- Mission: The squadron was formed to supplement RAF air-sea rescue services. It initially operated in a spotter role using war-weary P-47Ds from various Fighter Groups.
- P-47 Configuration: Initially configured with two 108-gallon wing tanks, a belly container for two British ‘M’ type dinghies, and four smoke marker bombs under each wing. A revised configuration included a 150-gallon belly tank, dinghy packs on the wing racks, and four smoke markers on a small rack aft of the belly tank.
- Personnel: 90 original personnel were on detached service from 16 VIII FC stations.
- Aircraft: The squadron operated well-worn P-47Ds and later received OA-10A Catalinas and B-17G Flying Fortresses modified for air-sea rescue with airborne lifeboats.
- Notable Operations: The first use of a U.S. aircraft lifeboat occurred on 31 March 1945 off the coast of Denmark.
Squadron Commanding Officers:
- Major Robert P. Gerhart: c. 8 May 1944 – c. January 1945.
- Major E. L. Larson: c. January 1945 – unknown.
Aircraft Markings:
- P-47D Thunderbolts (May 1944-May 1945):
- Finish: Originally Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray; some were resprayed in Dark Green.
- Squadron Code: 5F, painted in white, 24 inches high, forward of the national insignia. Individual aircraft letters were aft on both sides of the fuselage, ranging from A to Y, with no exclusions.
- Natural Metal Finish: Only one P-47, 42-25711 (5F-D), had a natural metal finish with black codes and tail numbers.
- Markings: Red, white, and blue bands around the engine cowling (red leading band). An 18-inch wide yellow band was painted around each horizontal and vertical tail unit. The letters “WW” in yellow, 7.5 inches high, were painted on the fin, indicating War Weary status.
- D-Day Stripes: In June 1944, the aircraft carried D-Day stripes, and where obscured, fuselage codes were reinstated in either black or white.
- OA-10A Catalinas (January-June 1945):
- Finish: Overall matt white with a gloss white hull.
- Markings: Black radio call tail numbers, no individual letters, or unit markings. Some had personal decorations on the hull near the access panel.
- B-17G Flying Fortresses (March-May 1945):
- Finish: Aircraft were war-weary and retained the markings of their previous assignments from the 457th Bomb Group and the 406th Bomb Squadron.
- Identities:
- 42-31706 (M), 42-38021 (K), and 43-37765 (B) with red, yellow, and white propeller bosses respectively.
- 42-38167 (JJ-L), 42-37717 (JJ-B), and 42-39790 (JJ-F) were night leaflet aircraft with black undersides, retaining fuselage letters from their original assignment with the 422nd Bomb Squadron of the 305th Bomb Group.