52nd Fighter Group | American Air Museum in Britain

A P-51 Mustang (serial number 44-63494) of the 52nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force. Handwritten caption on reverse: '52nd FG, 5th FS (VF) Torretto AF Cerisnola Italy Base of 461 & 484 BG, 49th Wing 15 AF, Taken spring 1945.'

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A P-51 Mustang (serial number 42-106750) of the 52nd Fighter Group, 15th Air Force. Handwritten caption on reverse: '52nd FG, 5th FS (VF) Torretto AF Cerisnola Italy Base of 461 & 484 BG, 49th Wing 15 AF, Taken spring 1945.'

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P-51 Mustangs of the 322nd Fighter Group, 52nd Fighter Group and 31st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force in Italy. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'L to R 322 FG, 52 FG, 31 FG- Italy.'

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4th Fighter Squadron WW2 (Unofficial) ( leather patch)

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WW2, 5th Fighter Squadron "Spitten Kitten" bottom right , all others "latter" era 5th emblems (leather patches) See my Facebook page for info "WW2 Leather Sqd/Group Patches"

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2nd Fighter Squadron "American Beagle Squadron" "Cave Canem" (leather patch) see my facebook page for info "WW2 Leather Sqd/Group patches"

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Dale Anderson, Des Moines, Iowa, KIA with 52nd FG

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P-51D-5-NA #44-13298 "Marie" Code: QP-Q 52nd Fighter Group - 2nd Fighter Squadron - 15th AF

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LTC Norman L. McDonald Commanding Officer - 318th Fighter Squadron 325th Fighter Group

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Major James Gardner Curl 57th FG - 64th FS 52nd FG - 2nf FS KIA 19 March 1945 while he was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Fighter Squadron

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Two of the Squadrons of the 52nd Fighter Group flew Spitfires with RAF Fighter Command in August and early September 1942 from Northern Ireland. After these preparatory missions, the Group joined the Twelfth and then Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater, supporting successive army operations in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. The Group also escorted bombers flying strategic and interdictory missions over occupied central Europe.

US Air Force Combat Units of World War II Description

Constituted as 52nd Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated 52nd Fighter Group in May 1942. Trained with P-39 and P-40 aircraft, and participated in maneuvers. Moved to the British Isles, the air echelon arriving in Jul 1942 and the ground echelon in Aug. Received Spitfire aircraft and, as part of Eighth AF, flew missions from England to France during Aug and Sep. The pilots of the group flew Spitfires from Gibraltar to Algeria during the invasion of North Africa on 8 Nov 1942; the remainder of the group, moving by ship from England, arrived after the campaign for Algeria-French Morocco had ended.

Assigned first to Twelfth AF and later (after May 1944) to Fifteenth, the group served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war. Flew escort, patrol, strafing, and reconnaissance missions to help defeat Axis forces in Tunisia. Took part in the conquest of Sicily. Attacked railroads, highways, bridges, coastal shipping, and other targets to support Allied operations in Italy. Converted to P-51’s during Apr- May 1944 and afterwards engaged primarily in escorting bombers that attacked objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, and Yugoslavia. Received a DUC for a mission of 9 Jun 1944 when the group protected bombers that struck aircraft factories, communications centers, and supply lines in Germany. In addition to escorting bombers of Fifteenth AF, the group made strafing attacks on important targets in Italy, France, central Europe, and the Balkans. Received second DUC for a strafing raid in which the group destroyed a great number of fighter and transport planes on a landing ground in Rumania on 31 Aug 1944. Returned to the US in Aug 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

Structure

Part of

Encompassing

4th Fighter Squadron

Squadron
5th Fighter Squadron

Squadron
2nd Fighter Squadron

Squadron

Previously was

Not yet known

Became

Not yet known

Missions

VIII Bomber Command 2

19 August 1942
Bombers from 97th Bombardment Group are despatched to bomb the German airfield Drucat at Abbeville, France. This mission is flown to occupy the Luftwaffe and to try to prevent them from opposing the invasion of Dieppe, France by over 5,000 allied...
VIII Fighter Command

19 August 1942
31st Fighter Group despatches 123 Spitfires in support of the landings at Dieppe, France. 8 are lost. These are the first operations of VIII Fighter Command units under VIII Fighter Command control. ...
VIII Fighter Command

1 September 1942
1FG/71FS despatches 32-P-38s in a fighter sweep over the English Channel; 52FG despatches 12 Spitfires in a practice fighter sweep.
VIII Fighter Command

2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
VIII Fighter Command

2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
VIII Fighter Command

2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
VIII Fighter Command

10 September 1942
52FG despatches 11 Spitfires in a fighter sweep over enemy occupied areas along the coast of France.
VIII Fighter Command

2 October 1942
1FG despatches 31 P-38s to escort bombers attacking the aircraft factory at Meaulte, France, sustaining one loss. 1FG also despatches 34 Spitfires on a sweep over the English Channel; 52FG despatches 7 Spitfires on a sweep over the English Channel; 4FG...
VIII Fighter Command

6 October 1942
52FG despatches 18 Spitfires to patrol for enemy ships in the English Channel. This is the last mission for 52FG with the 8th AF before their transferred to North Africa.

Stations

Station	Location	Date
Assigned 8th Air Force		July 1942
Based	Eglinton	13 July 1942 – 13 September 1942
Based	Goxhill	26 August 1942 – 21 October 1942
Assigned 12th Air Force		November 1942
Based	Tafaraoui	9 November 1942 – 14 November 1942
Based	La Senia	14 November 1942 – 20 January 1943
Based	Telerghma	20 January 1943 – 9 March 1943
Based	Youks-les-Bains	9 March 1943 – 18 April 1943
Based	La Sebala	21 May 1943 – 30 July 1943
Based	Madna	14 May 1944 – 21 April 1945
Assigned 15th Air Force		July 1944

Connections

People

John Aitken

Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 339th Fighter Group
First tour of operations in the Mediterranean flying Spitfires in the 2FS, 52FG, 15AF USAAF as a Lieutenant. Credited with two victories and one shared in 1943. For second tour, assigned to 503FS, 339FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with three aerial victories....
Richard Alexander

Military | Captain | Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in October 1940, and was awarded his pilot wings on September 15, 1941, joining the 133 Eagle Squadron in England. Alexander was credited with destroying 1 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, plus 1 probable, before...
Dale Anderson

Military | 52nd Fighter Group
Ernest Anderson

Military | 52nd Fighter Group
Harold Beedle

Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Pilot 4th FS, 52nd FG, 12AF USAAF. ...
Norman Bolle

Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Was sent to the 8th AAF for 2 months, then transferred to Algeria to the 12th AAF and then to the 15th AAF. Shot down March 22, 1943 while attacking German airdrome at Mezzouna Tunisia. Became prisoner of war held at Stalag Luft III in Sagan Germany.
Haden Bourg

Military | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Born on June 15, 1923 in Port Arthur, TX. After graduating high school he joined the United States Army Air Corps and served with the 2nd Squadron in the 52nd group. Surviving a POW camp later returned to live a long life with a large family until...
Clyde Cleveland

Military | Second Lieutenant | 52nd Fighter Group
Priesley Cooper

Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Assigned to 5FS, 52FG, 15AF USAAF. 22-Feb-45: Having escorted bombers to the Ulm area, killed while strafing ground targets near Dietingen, Germany. German eye witnesses reported the aircraft being hit by flak. Baling out at about 400 feet the...
Ottaway Cornwell

Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Pilot 4th FS, 52nd FG, 12AF USAAF, lost over France 27-1-44 Lt Ottaway B Cornwell KIA. MACR 2225. ...

Aircraft

AR404

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AR404 Mk Vb, Built at Westland. ...
P7965

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire P7965 Mk IIa, Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
P7686 'Tyrone'

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire P7686 Mk IIa, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
W3942

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire W3942 Mk Vb, Const # 2078 Built at High Post. ...
AB896

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB896 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
AB907

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB907 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
AB897

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB897 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
44-13287 Miss Ruth, Pendaja

P-51 Mustang
BM479

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BM479 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...
EN894

Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire EN894 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. ...

Citations

9 June 1944 For an escort mission where the group protected bombers that struck aircraft factories, communications centers, and supply lines in Germany.

31 August 1944 for a strafing raid in which the group destroyed a great number of fighter and transport planes on a landing ground in Rumania.

Date	Contributor	Update
08 January 2021 03:44:21	466thHistorian	Changes to stations
Sources
https://www.52fg.org/
Date	Contributor	Update
08 January 2021 03:41:42	466thHistorian	Changes to motto and stations
Sources
https://www.52fg.org/
Date	Contributor	Update
08 January 2021 03:40:46	466thHistorian	Changes to stations
Sources
https://www.52fg.org/
Date	Contributor	Update
08 January 2021 03:39:54	466thHistorian	Changes to stations
Sources
https://www.52fg.org/
Date	Contributor	Update
22 August 2019 10:04:07	Emily	Changes to motto, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, citations and air forces
Sources
Air Force Combat Units of WWII
Date	Contributor	Update
24 November 2016 00:25:29	466thHistorian	Changes to stations
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foggia_Airfield_Complex
Date	Contributor	Update
10 April 2015 06:43:08	EMBLEMHUNTER	Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources
my photo
Date	Contributor	Update
10 April 2015 06:41:27	EMBLEMHUNTER	Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources
my photo
Date	Contributor	Update
10 April 2015 06:40:24	EMBLEMHUNTER	Changes to mission associations and media associations
Sources
my photo
Date	Contributor	Update
19 March 2015 11:04:02	rossingtonj	Changes to type, air forces and mission associations
Sources
Airforce added.
Date	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:42:46	AAM	AAM ingest
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / 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).