508th Fighter Squadron

Squadron
media-16496.jpeg UPL 16496 508th FS drawn by TW James T W James collection

TW James

Object Number - UPL 16496 - 508th FS drawn by TW James

"During one of the many breaks in operations caused by weather, Lieut. Col. Cowart of the 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion introduced to pilots of the [404th FB] Group a radar set known as the SCR-584 (Signal Corps Radio). It had the ability to follow, continuously and automatically, the flight of an aircraft on which it had been directed or "locked"; used with a large-scale map on a table-type glass screen on which the position of the aircraft was shown by a spot of light, it could permit a controller to guide planes to a target under visibility conditions which would normally make bombing impossible. Led by Capt. John Ashby Marshall of Group operations, a special six-ship flight July 16 performed the first radar-controlled "blind" dive-bombing mission in combat in the history of the Army Air Forces. Directed by Lieut. Col. Cowart himself in the ground control station assisted by the homing station crew of the 508th Squadron, the flight was "talked in" on the target, a bridge chosen for its inconspicuousness. The planes dove when told to into a mass of clouds, and broke out of the overcast with the target dead ahead, with nothing to do but line up sights and release the bombs."

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Winkton 6 April 1944 - 3 July 1944

Encompassing

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-796658
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13093573
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Radio operator

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: My Mozelle, My Lady June
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Roseanne
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 404th Fighter Group 508th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date25 Jan 2021 04:46:03
Contributor508thRadarMan
ChangesChanges to description and stations. Changes to Media
Sources

http://www.winkton.net/Leap%20Off/LeapOffPdf3.pdf. Accessed 24Jan2021, quote lifted from p. 34. Dates at Winkton Station, pp. 11, 32.

Date16 Jun 2015 20:41:53
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:40:52
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:40:09
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:39:27
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to unit part of associations
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:38:39
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to nicknames and aircraft types
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:37:08
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to media associations
Sources

TW James

Date16 Jun 2015 20:35:58
Contributortjms50
ChangesChanges to media associations
Sources

TW James

Date9 Apr 2015 21:41:45
ContributorEMBLEMHUNTER
ChangesChanges to media associations
Sources

404th Fighter Group & 508th Squadron
my photo

Date13 Mar 2015 15:58:43
Contributorrossingtonj
ChangesChanges to type
Sources

Type added.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:42:49
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / 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)

508th Fighter Squadron: Gallery (22 items)