P-51B 42-106950 WR-P of the 354th FS 355th Fighter Group color photo
The 355th Fighter Group – assignments, operations, aircraft, and history:
Assignments:
- Eighth Air Force: Assigned on 6 July 1943.
- 65th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command: From August 1943.
- 65th Fighter Wing, 2nd Bombardment Division: From 15 September 1944.
- 65th Fighter Wing, 2nd Air Division: From 1 January 1945.
Component Squadrons:
- 354th Fighter Squadron
- 357th Fighter Squadron
- 358th Fighter Squadron
Combat Aircraft:
- P-47D Thunderbolt: Operated from July 1943 to 13 March 1944.
- P-51B Mustang: Entered combat on 9 March 1944.
- P-51D and P-51K Mustangs
Stations:
- Steeple Morden: 8 July 1943 – 3 July 1945.
Group Commanding Officers (COs):
- Col William J. Cummings Jr.
- Lt Col Everett W. Stewart
- Lt Col Claiborne H. Kinnard Jr.
- Lt Col William D. Gilchrist
Combat Missions:
- First Mission: 14 September 1943.
- Last Mission: 25 April 1945.
- Aircraft MIA: 175.
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 365 in air; 502 on ground.
Major Awards:
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Awarded for an attack on a German airfield on 5 April 1944.
Claims to Fame:
- Ground Strafing: The 355th Fighter Group destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force group.
History:
- Activated: 12 November 1942 at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, and trained there until February 1943.
- Training Locations: Moved to Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, on 17 February 1943, and then to Philadelphia Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, on 4 March 1943. Trained with P-47 Thunderbolts until the overseas movement commenced in mid-June 1943.
- Overseas Movement: The group sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 1 July 1943, arriving in Clyde, Scotland, on 6 July 1943.
Post-War Activity:
- Occupational Forces: Selected for assignment to occupational air forces in Germany, moving to Gablingen (R-77) in early July 1945.
- Absorption and Transfer: The 358th Fighter Squadron was absorbed by the 56th Reconnaissance Squadron in December 1945. The group moved to Schweinfurt in April 1946 but was gradually disbanded, with remnants transferred to other groups during the summer of 1946.
- Inactivation: The group transferred personnel and equipment to Mitchel Field, New York, on 1 August 1946, and was inactivated on 20 November 1946.
Aircraft Markings and Camouflage:
P-47D Thunderbolts (July 1943 – March 1944):
- The aircraft were initially finished in Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray with white type identity stripes.
- Squadron Code Letters: Introduced in August 1943:
- WR for the 354th Fighter Squadron.
- OS for the 357th Fighter Squadron.
- YF for the 358th Fighter Squadron.
- Letters were painted in white, 24 inches high, in the standard locations for P-47s.
P-51B/C/D/K Mustangs (March 1944 – July 1945):
- Early P-51Bs had a Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray finish, with some in bare metal.
- Squadron code letters from the P-47s were retained, painted in white or black as appropriate, in standard locations.
- Group Identification Color: In late March 1944, white was designated as the group’s identification color, leading to changes in markings. For natural metal-finish aircraft, black nose markings were removed, and the spinner and 12 inches of the adjacent cowling were painted white.
- By May 1944, many of the bare metal P-51B/C Mustangs received dark green uppersurfaces.
- Rudder Colors (October 1944):
- Red for the 354th Fighter Squadron.
- Blue for the 357th Fighter Squadron.
- Yellow for the 358th Fighter Squadron.
- The white cowling band was overpainted with squadron colors to enhance nose markings.
- Unique markings were applied to command aircraft, such as the all-white nose of Col. Everett Stewart’s P-51D (44-15255 WR-S) and Col. Claiborne H. Kinnard Jr.’s P-51D (44-73144 WR-A).
OTU (Operational Training Unit) Aircraft:
- Carried standard group and squadron markings, initially distinguished by the individual letter within an outlined rectangle.
- In early 1945, OTU aircraft had their rudders painted black for additional recognition, and the call-letter outlining was discontinued.
- AT-6D Texan used for communications flights was given a white engine cowling.
- P-51s used by the 2nd Scouting Force had normal markings with a black bar above or below the squadron letters.