Some of the pilots of the 4th Fighter Group had seen many hours of combat by the time they joined the 4th Fighter Group as they had volunteered with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force. The three 'Eagle Squadrons' of RAF Fighter Command, Squadrons No. 71, 121 and 133 became the 334th, 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group on 29 September 1942. The Group's combined air (583.3) and ground (469) claims of enemy aircraft was the highest of any USAAF Group.

The 4th Fighter Group was activated on 12 September 1942. Based in Debden, England, it was made up of the three Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force (No. 71, No. 121, and No. 133). As they were transferred from the Royal Air Force to the United States Army Air Force, in the Eighth Air Force they became designated as the 334th, 335th, and 336th Squadrons.

They flew their first combat mission under American colors on 2 October 1942, still flying British Spitfires. Upon receipt of an adequate number of P-47 Thunderbolts and crews skilled in their maintenance, the group converted to P-47s in March 1943. In February 1944 the group switched to P-51 Mustangs, which they continued to fly until the end of the war in Europe. They flew their last combat mission on 25 April 1945. They had become the top scoring Allied Fighter Group in the war, having destroyed 1016 enemy aircraft for a loss of 241 of their own planes.

It is of note that their losses were disproportionately high due to the fact that their combat was always over enemy territory and many of their losses were suffered as the result of flak (anti-aircraft fire).

Notable achievements of the group are as follows:

The first fighter to penetrate German airspace;
the first selected to escort bombers on the first shuttle bombing run to land in Russia;
the first to escort bombers over Berlin.

The Association of the 4th Fighter Group

The Association of the 4th Fighter Group (A4FG) is an active group dedicated to preserving the memory of this famous unit. Originally established by 4th FG veterans themselves, it still holds reunions yearly and publishes a newsletter quarterly. The Association has a website which regularly publishes the results of research undertaken by its members, and is an invaluable resource for understanding more about the men who served with the 4th FG.

Visit The Association of the 4th Fighter Group website to find out more about their work.