P-51D Mustang SX-I 44-14495 “Dallas Doll”. Pilot Lt Frank Bouldin Jr of the 352nd FS 353rd Fighter Group
353rd Fighter Group – overview of the group’s assignments, operations, and history:
Assignments:
- Eighth Air Force: Assigned on 7 June 1943.
- 66th Fighter Wing (VIII Fighter Command): From 18 August 1943.
- 66th Fighter Wing (3rd Bombardment Division): From 15 September 1943.
- 66th Fighter Wing (3rd Air Division): From 1 January 1945.
Component Squadrons:
- 350th Fighter Squadron
- 351st Fighter Squadron
- 352nd Fighter Squadron
Combat Aircraft:
- P-47D Thunderbolt: Operated from July 1943 to 10 November 1944.
- P-51D Mustang: Introduced in combat from 2 October 1944.
- P-51K Mustang: Operated from December 1944.
Stations:
- Goxhill: 7 June 1943 – 3 August 1943.
- Metfield: 3 August 1943 – 12 April 1944.
- Raydon: 12 April 1944 – 10 October 1945.
Group Commanding Officers (COs):
- Lt Col Joseph A. Morris: 15 October 1942 – 16 August 1943 (MIA).
- Lt Col Loren G. McCollom: 18 August 1943 – 25 November 1943 (POW).
- Col Glenn E. Duncan: 25 November 1943 – 7 July 1944 (MIA, evaded).
- Col Ben Rimerman
- Col Glenn E. Duncan
- Lt Col William B. Bailey
- Lt Col Robert A. Elder
Combat Missions:
- First Mission: 12 August 1943.
- Last Mission: 25 April 1945.
- Total Missions: 447.
- Aircraft MIA: 137.
- Enemy Aircraft Claims: 330 in air, 414 on ground.
Major Awards:
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Awarded for actions from 17-23 September 1944 during the support of airborne landings in Holland.
Claims to Fame:
- Pioneering Tactics: The 353rd Fighter Group pioneered the P-47 Thunderbolt dive-bombing and ground attack technique, which was widely adopted by both the 8th and 9th Air Forces.
- Walter Beckham: Notable pilot who was the leading ace of the 8th Air Force at the time of his loss.
History:
- Activated: 1 October 1942 at Mitchel Field, NY. The nucleus of the group was established at Richmond Army Air Base, VA, before transferring to Baltimore Municipal Airport, MD, in late October 1942.
- Training: Initially trained with P-40 Warhawks until February 1943, when P-47 Thunderbolts were assigned. Continued training with P-47s until May 1943.
- Overseas Movement: The group sailed on the Queen Mary on 1 June 1943, arriving in Clyde, Scotland, on 6 June 1943.
- After VE-Day, many personnel were transferred. Aircraft were sent to depots in August and September 1945.
- The group returned to the United States in October 1945, sailing on the Queen Mary from Southampton on 11 October 1945 and arriving in New York on 16 October 1945.
Aircraft Markings and Camouflage:
P-47D Thunderbolts (July 1943 – November 1944):
- Initially featured the standard factory finish of Dark Olive Drab and Neutral Gray with white type identity stripes.
- Squadron code letters:
- LH for the 350th Fighter Squadron.
- YJ for the 351st Fighter Squadron.
- SX for the 352nd Fighter Squadron.
- Some aircraft had individual letters on the underside of the cowl front.
- The first natural metal-finish P-47Ds arrived at the end of March 1944, featuring black markings instead of white.
- The group adopted yellow and black checkerboard nose markings from late March to mid-April 1944. The checks were arranged in a diamond pattern relative to the fuselage axis, made up of 7-inch squares.
- The Group CO’s aircraft, 42-25971
, had a unique checkerboard pattern with four yellow and four black squares per row relative to the aircraft’s axis.
- When D-Day stripes were applied, parts of code letters were overpainted but later reinstated on the black and white bands.
- Few natural metal-finish aircraft received field camouflage, with 42-26429
being a known example with gray and green shading.
P-51D/K Mustangs (September 1944 – September 1945):
- Aircraft had a natural metal finish, with few receiving dark green camouflage on the upper surfaces.
- Code letters were applied in standard size, color, and position.
- Group markings included three equal divisions of the propeller spinner painted black/yellow/black and three encircling rows of 6-inch black and yellow squares on the cowling.
- An extra row of checks was added in December 1944 to distinguish the group’s aircraft from those of the 55th Fighter Group.
- Rudder Colors: Introduced in November 1944, with yellow for the 350th Fighter Squadron, black for the 352nd Fighter Squadron, and unpainted for the 351st Fighter Squadron.
- Early in 1945, most aircraft of the 350th Fighter Squadron had their identification letters outlined in yellow, a practice later adopted by the 352nd Fighter Squadron.