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422nd Night Fighter Squadron

Squadron

  • A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5558) of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron taxies along the runway at Podington, July, 1944. Image via William Furness. Written on slide casing: '422 NFS.'

    A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5558) of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron taxies along the runway at Podington, July, 1944. Image via William Furness. Written on slide casing: '422 NFS.'

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  • A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed

    A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed "Double Trouble" of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. Image stamped on reverse: 'Charles E Brown.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 7 Sept 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publivation 24 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and '356697.'[Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Northrup P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter.'

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  • A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed

    A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed "Double Trouble" of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. Image stamped on reverse: 'Charles E Brown.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 7 Sept 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publivation 24 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and '356696.'[Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Northrup P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter.'

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  • Lieutenant Robert G Bolinder of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron inside P-61 Black Widow serial 42-5558

    Lieutenant Robert G Bolinder of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron inside P-61 Black Widow serial 42-5558 "No Love! No Nothing!" assigned to the commander, LTC O.B. Johnson. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Not to be published 13 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and '371556.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'American Night Fighter Pilots: 1st Lt. Robert G.Bollinder of West Englewood, NJ ,barely seen through the perspex before taking off in a rainstorm. He is using another his own being out of commission.'

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  • A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed

    A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed "Double Trouble" of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. Image stamped on reverse: 'Charles E Brown.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 7 Sept 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publivation 24 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and '356687.'[Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Northrup P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter.'

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    1-5 of 14
  • A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed

    A P-61 Black Widow (serial number 42-5565) nicknamed "Double Trouble" of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. Image stamped on reverse: 'Charles E Brown.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 7 Sept 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publivation 24 Nov 1944.' [stamp] and '356680.'[Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Northrup P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter.'

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  • An unidentified P-61 of the 422nd NFS photographed at Y-59 Strassfield, Germany

    An unidentified P-61 of the 422nd NFS photographed at Y-59 Strassfield, Germany

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  • First pictures of the P-61 Black Widow, night fighter of the 9th AF, in flight over France. Use of these twin tailed twin motored high performance night fighters in the European Theatre of Operations was recently revealed after they had proved themselves in combat. They are being used for night patrols by the 9th AF defence command, commanded by Brig Gen Ned Schramm. - P-61A's 42-5536 'Husslin' Hussey', 42-5564 'Jukin' Judy' and 42-5573 'Lovely Lady' of 422nd Night Fighter Squadron, 9AF.

    First pictures of the P-61 Black Widow, night fighter of the 9th AF, in flight over France. Use of these twin tailed twin motored high performance night fighters in the European Theatre of Operations was recently revealed after they had proved themselves in combat. They are being used for night patrols by the 9th AF defence command, commanded by Brig Gen Ned Schramm. - P-61A's 42-5536 'Husslin' Hussey', 42-5564 'Jukin' Judy' and 42-5573 'Lovely Lady' of 422nd Night Fighter Squadron, 9AF.

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  • First pictures of the P-61 Black Widow, night fighter of the 9th AF, in flight over France. Use of these twin tailed twin motored high performance night fighters in the European Theatre of Operations was recently revealed after they had proved themselves in combat. They are being used for night patrols by the 9th AF defence command, commanded by Brig Gen Ned Schramm. - P-61A's 42-5536 'Husslin' Hussey', 42-5564 'Jukin' Judy' and 42-5573 'Lovely Lady' of 422nd Night Fighter Squadron, 9AF.

    First pictures of the P-61 Black Widow, night fighter of the 9th AF, in flight over France. Use of these twin tailed twin motored high performance night fighters in the European Theatre of Operations was recently revealed after they had proved themselves in combat. They are being used for night patrols by the 9th AF defence command, commanded by Brig Gen Ned Schramm. - P-61A's 42-5536 'Husslin' Hussey', 42-5564 'Jukin' Judy' and 42-5573 'Lovely Lady' of 422nd Night Fighter Squadron, 9AF.

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  • "Three powerful new Northrup P-61 Black Widow night fighters of the 9th Air force roar over the French countryside. Operating under 9th Air Defence Command, it is their mission to defend U.S. Military installations in Liberated territory from enemy intruders." - L-R 42-5536 "Husslin' Hussey", 42-5564 "Jukin' Judy", 42-5573 "Lovely Lady" 422NFS, 9AF.

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US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted 422nd Night Fighter Squadron on 14 July 1943. Activated on 1 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 30 September 1945

Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Not yet known
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Charmy Down 7 March 1944 – 6 May 1944
Assigned to 9th Air Force 7 March 1944
Assigned to IX Tactical Air Command 12 March 1944
Based Scorton 6 May 1944 – 28 June 1944
Based Hurn 28 June 1944 – 6 July 1944
Based Ford 6 July 1944 – 25 July 1944
Based Maupertus 25 July 1944 – 28 August 1944
Based Chateaudun 28 August 1944 – 16 September 1944
Based Florennes / Juzaine 16 September 1944 – 6 April 1945

Connections

People

  • Eugene Axtell

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
    Five aerial victories as the pilot of a P-61 "Black Widow". DFC & 2 OLCs, AM & 9 OLCs.

  • Herman Ernst

    Military | First Lieutenant | Night Fighter Pilot

  • Edward Kopsel

    Military | Flight Officer | Radar Observer

  • Joseph Moe

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Aircraft Crew Chief

  • Paul Smith

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
    Smith, along with his Radio Operator, Robert E Tierney became the first US Night fighter aces of the Second World War on 26 December 1944.

  • Alvin Strong

    Military | Sergeant
    Strong worked for Kiel Grocers in Montana before enlisting in the USAAF in 1942. After his service he operated Burton's Candy from 1951

  • Robert Tierney

    Military | First Lieutenant | Radio Operator
    Tierney, along with his Pilot, Paul A Smith became the first US night fighter aces of the Second World War on 26 December 1944.

Aircraft

  • 42-5565 'Double Trouble'

    P-61 Black Widow
    Usually crewed by 2nd Lt Robert G Bolinder and R/O Flt Off Robert F Graham.

  • 42-5568 Battle Ax

    P-61 Black Widow

  • 42-5564 'Jukin' Judy'

    P-61 Black Widow
    Assigned to 422NFS, 9AF USAAF. Written of after forced landing 26-Dec-44. ...

  • 42-5573 'Lovely Lady'

    P-61 Black Widow
    Assigned to 422NFS, 9AF USAAF. Credited 3 x kills. Hit several times by flak on mission to Rhine river, with intercom knocked out and A/C afire R/O 1Lt John U Morris baled out. Pilot 1Lt Eugene D Axtell was unaware that R/O had exited and returned...

  • 42-5536 ''Husslin' Hussey''

    P-61 Black Widow
    Assigned to 422NFS, 9AF USAAF.

  • 42-5544 Lady Gen

    P-61 Black Widow
    Assigned to 422NFS, IX Air Support Command, 9AF USAAF. w/o in landing accident at Kassel, Germany Jun 5, 1945. Condemned salvage no battle damage Jun 5, 1945

  • 42-5547 Borrowed Time

    P-61 Black Widow

Citations

None

Air Force
9th
Type
Not yet known
Type category
Not yet known
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
13 April 2022 08:27:26 Emily Changes to us air force combat units of world war ii description and stations
Sources

422nd Night Fighter Squadron : A History , Charles McEwen, 1982, Combat Squadrons of the Air Force
Date Contributor Update
01 February 2017 15:55:29 general ira snapsorter Changes to stations
Sources

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
Date Contributor Update
09 April 2015 02:24:37 EMBLEMHUNTER Changes to media associations
Sources

my art
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:49 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

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)

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