Ray Stecker
Military | Colonel | Group Commander | 365th Fighter Group
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Group
The Group moved to England in December 1943 as part of the Ninth Air Force. Flying P-47s, the Group took part in missions over northern France designed to weaken Germany's ability to repulse the planned Allied invasion of summer 1944. After the successful beach landings, the Group supported the Allies as they fought to break out at St. Lo and push further westwards. They supported the airborne assault into Holland and during the autumn of 1944, flew to aid the seizure of Aachen. The Group received a DUC for taking out a large number of enemy aircraft over the Bonn-Dusseldorf area in Germany on 21 Oct 1944. The 365th was one of the Ninth Air Force fighter groups to win a DUC for action in southern Germany, knocking out airfields and aircraft to help speed the American advance.
Military | Colonel | Group Commander | 365th Fighter Group
Wing
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
24 February 1944
A combined force of 767 fighters of types: P-38; P-47 and P-51 are despatched to provide escort to the heavy bombers attacking the German aircraft industries at Gotha, Germany and the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany as part of Day 5 of BIG...
25 February 1944
A combined force of 899 fighters of types: P-38; P-47 and P-51 are despatched to provide escort to heavy bombers attacking the German aircraft industries at Regensberg, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Furth, Germany in the final Day 6 operation of BIG WEEK....
29 February 1944
A combined force of 79 P-47s from 78FG and IX Fighter Command 365FG are despatched to provide escort from heavy bombers attacking the V-Weapon site at Lottinghen, France. There are no losses, claims or casualties.
2 March 1944
Two separate fighter operations are utilized to escort the two heavy bomber operations attacking at Frankfurt, Germany and Chartres, France.
...
2 March 1944
Two separate fighter operations are utilized to escort the two heavy bomber operations attacking at Frankfurt, Germany and Chartres, France.
...
4 March 1944
A combined force of 770 fighters of types: P-38; P-47 and P-51 are despatched to heavy bombers attacking at Berlin. The weather is terrible and many of the bomber formations either abort of seek Targets of Opportunity in the Ruhr valley. The P-38...
6 March 1944
A combined figther force of 801 figthers of types: P-38; P-47 and P-51 are despatched to provide escort for heavy bombers attacking at Berlin, Germany. Mission Summary follows:
...
27 March 1944
A combined force of 960 fighters of types: P-38; P-47 ad P-51 are despatched to provide escort to heavy bombers attacking 11 German airfields and air depots in France. 243 of the 960 are frunished by IX Fighter Command. The P-51 element also attacks...
11 April 1944
12 April 1944
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based | Gosfield | 23 December 1943 – 5 March 1944 |
Based | Beaulieu | 6 March 1944 – 27 June 1944 |
Based | Azeville | 27 June 1944 – 15 August 1944 |
Based | Lignerolles | 15 August 1944 – 3 September 1944 |
Based | Bretigny | 3 September 1944 – 11 September 1944 |
Based | Juvincourt | 11 September 1944 – 2 October 1944 |
Based | Chievres | 4 October 1944 – 27 December 1944 |
Based | Metz | 27 December 1944 – 30 January 1945 |
Based | Florennes / Juzaine | 20 January 1945 – 17 March 1945 |
Based | Aachen | March 1945 – 12 April 1945 |
Based | Fritzlar | 12 April 1945 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Killed April 20, 1944 near Selsey Bill, England
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Assigned to 387FS, 365FG, 9AF USAAF. Flew 94 missions over France, Belgium, and Germany. Completed Tour Duty (ETD).
...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Major.
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Aircraft Crew Chief | 365th Fighter Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Master Sergeant
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | 365th Fighter Group
Military | Captain | Pilot | 365th Fighter Group
On DS (detached service) for operational training. Flew four missions with the 335th Fighter Squadron.
Awards: DFC, AM (13OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | 365th Fighter Group
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Distinguished Unit Citation - 21 October 1944 - Belgium
Distinguished Unit Citation - 20 April 1945 - Germany
Belgian Croix De Guerre - 21 December 1945
Belgian Fourragere - 16 December 1944 - 25 June 1945
Date | Contributor | Update |
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27 December 2020 06:07:27 | 466thHistorian | Changes to citations |
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"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland, Page 303 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 December 2020 00:05:01 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 December 2020 00:04:41 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
24 December 2020 02:29:14 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
24 December 2020 02:27:46 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
Sources | ||
"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
17 December 2020 23:55:54 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
17 December 2020 23:48:53 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Cleaned up stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
30 September 2019 13:40:26 | Emily | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 February 2017 13:51:13 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to stations |
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Stations added with details from: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 July 2016 01:45:59 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
Sources | ||
Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks - Barnes/Crump/Rutherford |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 July 2016 01:33:58 | 466thHistorian | Changes to commanding officers associations |
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Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks - Barnes/Crump/Sutherland |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 July 2016 00:03:21 | 466thHistorian | Changes to nicknames, aircraft types and stations |
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"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes/Crump/Sutherland |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
25 February 2015 17:11:13 | rossingtonj | Changes to type, mission associations and stations |
Sources | ||
Association to Gosfield. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |