1st Air Division
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
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Group
The 359th Fighter Group flew 346 missions from East Wretham between December 1943 and April 1945. In the main these missions were escorting bombers flying over occupied Europe. The Group, soon after converting from Thunderbolts to Mustangs, were awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for defending heavy bombers against enemy fighters in a mission over Merseberg, Germany on 11 September 1944.
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Wing
Wing
Group
Squadron
Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 11 September 1944.
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
13 December 1943
This is the first combat mission for 359th Fighter Group. A force of 36 P-47s is despatched to fly a fighter sweep in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. No German aircarft are encountered and there are no losses or claims.
20 December 1943
This mission is a combined force of 491 fighter aircraft despatched to escort bombers attacking at Bremen, Germany. NOTE: Fighter claims of 16-3-6 on enemy aircraft were not allocated in source data, so they have been bundled with P-47 statistics. The...
21 December 1943
A force of 208 P-47s from: 78FG; 356FG; 358FG; and 359FG is despatched to provide escort to B-26 bombers of 9th Air Force attacking in the Pas-de-Calaise area. 1 aircraft with battle damage makes a crash landing at Manston, UK on return. The aircraft...
22 December 1943
This fighter mission is composed of three elements despatched to provide escort to bombers attacking as Osnabruck and Munster Germany. It is composed of three elements. The first element is a forcr of 40 P-38s from 55FG. 2 aircraft Failed to Return ...
24 December 1943
This fighter mission is despatched to provide escort to bombers that are attacking V-Weapon sites near the Pase-de-Calaise, France. The operation has three elements. The first element is a force of 40 P-38s from 55FG. There are no losses or claims.
...
30 December 1943
A force of 583 fighter aircraft are despatched to provide escort to bombers attacking at Ludwigshafen, Germany. The force is composed of three elements. The first element is a force of 79 P-38s from 20FG and 55FG. There are no losses or claims in this...
31 December 1943
This is the last fighter operation of 1943. It is composed of three elements despatched to escort bomber formations attacking German airfield in France. The first element is a forc of 74 P-38s from 20FG and 55FG. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR)1POW...
5 January 1944
This is a VIII Fighter Command operation of the despatch of fighter elements to escort bombers attacking targets in Germany and France. The operation consists of four elements. The first element is a despatch of 70 P-38s from 20FG and 55FG. These are...
7 January 1944
A combined fighter force of 571 aircraft are despatched to provide escort for the bombers attacking at Ludwigshaven, Germany. Three elements of fighters are despatched.
...
11 January 1944
This is a large fighter operation composed of a total of 592 aircraft. This operation is divided into two fighter elements with a combined force of 221 aircraft (P-47s and P-51s) providing escort for the Oshersleben - Halberstat B-17 bomber formations...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | East Wretham | 19 October 1943 – 2 November 1945 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Flew over 60 x combat missions for 270 hours, from April 1944 through November 1944. Ended Tour Duty (ETD).
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF, and earning two aerial victories, Lt. Boyd N. Adkins Jr. of Stiltner, WV, flew 69 combat missions with the 368th FS, 359th FG, from September 1944 through April 1945. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort Fredrickshafen; crashed near Abbeville on 18-Mar-44 in P-47D 42-75136 after being hit on starboard wing [3ft hole] by flak. Baled out....
Military | Flight Officer | Fighter Pilot | 356th Fighter Group
Assigned to 495FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 361FS, 356FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 3rd Gunnery & Tow Target Flight. Transferred to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: AM (OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) ramrod to Lisieux, section bounced 25 Fw190's, during melee strayed behind formation and was picked off by Fw190,
...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. 92 missions, 325 hours. Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bomber escort mission to Merseburg, dropped out of formation with engine difficulties, abandoned P-51D 44-14444 when oil pressure hit zero, A/C crashed near Harleshausen 22-Nov-44. Prisoner of...
Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Kassel, left formation as ailerons were freezing, reduced his altitude accompanied by wingman. Overflying a crashed B-17 the pair made ready to destroy it by dropping fuel tanks and...
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Completed (End) Tour Duty (ETD).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
Assigned to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Killed in flying accident carrying out mock strafing attack during gunnery practice in P-51C 42-103793, flew into tree, ripping off a wing and crashed. Killed in Flying Accident (KIFA). Polebrook. 2-Mar-45.
...
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) ramrod Mulhouse, Germany hit by flak in coolant system baled out Sarrebourg, France pilot Capt Charles C Ettlesen Evaded (EVD) 25-May-44 MACR 5114.
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
Shot down 17 July 1944 by Fw 190A-8 flown by Ofhr Gunther Bersau of the 1st Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1. The pilot 2Lt Tom Cannon evaded capture. MACR 7164.
P-51 Mustang
Received a DUC for operations over Germany on 11 September 1944 when the group protected a formation of heavy bombers against large numbers of enemy fighters
Date | Contributor | Update |
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24 June 2015 19:33:50 | Lucy May | Changes to mission associations and stations |
Sources | ||
Added dates to the 'based' event - from information in the unit history field. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:14:38 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Type added. |
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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) |