365th Fighter Group
Group![Lieutenant Colonel Louis Houck of the 365th Fighter Group wearing a flying helmet with devil horns in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Screamin' Weemie". Image stamped on reverse: 'Keystone Press.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN FLYER WEARS "DEVIL'S HELMET" Lieutenant Colonel Louis Houck, 27, commander of a Ninth US Air Force fighter group, waves for contact after donning his "devil's helmet" for a mission against the Nazis. The flyer calls his plane "Screaming' Weemie". Keys](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-456675.jpg.webp?itok=WhY51z8e)
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 9803 - Lieutenant Colonel Louis Houck of the 365th Fighter Group wearing a flying helmet with devil horns in the cockpit of his P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed...
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.
Commanding Officers
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group Headquarters (365th Fighter Group)
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Group Commander
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Unit stations
| 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 |
Fritzlar | 12 April 1945 |
|
Based |
Aachen | 12 April 1945 |
Encompassing
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group 387th Fighter Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group 387th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18086673 / O-?
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group 386th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O 813107
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron 388th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-671485
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group 388th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-812742
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 365th Fighter Group
Mission
- Date: 26 April 1944
- Date: 24 April 1944
- Date: 22 April 1944
- Date: 19 April 1944
- Date: 18 April 1944
Revisions
"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland, Page 303
"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland
page 306
"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes, Crump and Sutherland
page 306
Stations added with details from:
- "Battle Colors Volume III - Insignia and Tactical Markings of the Ninth Air Force in World War Two' by Robert A. Watkins;
- http://www.ixengineercommand.com/airfields/physical.php
Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks - Barnes/Crump/Rutherford
Page 305
Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks - Barnes/Crump/Sutherland
Page 305
"Thunderbolts of The Hell Hawks" - Barnes/Crump/Sutherland
page306
Association to Gosfield.
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)
![Colonel Ray J Stecker of the 365th Fighter Group with the damaged nose of his P-47 Thunderbolt. Image stamped on reverse: 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 13 Jun 1944.' [stamp] and '338719.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'FIGHTER PILOT HAS NARROW ESCAPE. Col Ray J Stecker of Pennsylvania, the CO of a 9th Fighter Group was attacked by 32 ME 109s he dived down and was hit by flak which went through his machine, missing him by inches, However he landed safely. Photo shows@ Col St](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456071.jpg.webp?itok=lyib1_xc)
![Colonel Ray J Stecker of the 365th Fighter Group straps Staff Sergeant Bailey R Ingram into the cockpit of his two- seat P-47 Thunderbolt. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 22 Nov 1944.'[stamp], 'Sacred.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: 'Two-seated P-47, Nov 22. Official 9th US Air Force photo. NINTH AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS, SOMEWHERE IN FRNACE.... A P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber, normally seating only the pilot, has been converted into a passenger plane at a Ninth Air Force base in B](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456564.jpg.webp?itok=tdF2vmma)
![Colonel Ray J Stecker of the 365th Fighter Group with the damaged nose of his P-47 Thunderbolt. Image stamped on reverse: 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 13 Jul 1944.' [stamp] and '338719.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'FIGHTER PILOT HAS NARROW ESCAPE. Col Ray J Stecker of Pennsylvania, the CO of a 9th Fighter Group was attacked by 32 ME 109s he dived down and was hit by flak which went through his machine, missing him by inches, However he landed safely. Photo shows: Col St](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456575.jpg.webp?itok=RNCoI2t1)
![Colonel Ray J Stecker of the 365th Fighter Group inspects a flak hole in his P-47 Thunderbolt. Image stamped on reverse: 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 13 Jul 1944.' [stamp] and '338593.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'CO OF NINTH FIGHTER GROUP HAS NARROW ESCAPE. Col Ray J Stecker of Pennsylvania, the CO of a 9th Fighter Group was attacked by 32 ME 109s he dived down and was hit by flak which went through his machine, missing him by inches, However he landed safely. Photo sh](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456597.jpg.webp?itok=N-nHkXTQ)
![Colonel John R Murphy of the 365th Fighter Group, examines a whistle he made and attached to his P-47 Thunderbolt. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 22 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and 'Sacred.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Ger. Incend Shell on P...47. Nov 22. NINTH AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. Lieutenant Colonel John R Murphy, Minot N,D, a Ninth Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber, examines the "screamer" whistle he devised from a German incendiary shell. When his unit](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-456600.jpg.webp?itok=lJr_vh9w)
![P-47 Thunderbolts of the 365th Fighter Group in Belgium. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for puiblciation Mar 1945.' [stamp], 'Sacred.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'NINTH AIR FORCE PHOTO. Two P-47 Thunderbolt Fighter-bombers of the 365th Fighter-bomber group take off from a Ninth Air Force base in belgium to strafe German motor transport and troop concentrations. Three P-47s are shown parked in the foreground.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-457111.jpg.webp?itok=mcKqjZ_p)
