332nd Fighter Group
Encyclopedia
The 332d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force
unit, last assigned to the 332d Fighter Wing at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was deactivated on 1 July 1949.
Formally, the 99th Pursuit Squadron established on 19 March 1941 and activated on 22 March 1941 was the beginning of the 332d. The 99th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine eventually expanded into the 332d Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps
. In succession, the 99th Fighter Squadron was joined by the 100th Fighter Squadron
, 301st Fighter Squadron
and 302nd Fighter Squadron
.
The 332d Fighter Group was also known as being a sizable component of the famed Tuskegee Airmen
, the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During World War II the Tuskegee Airmen were subject to racial discrimination, both within and outside the army, and had to overcome it as part of their mission to serve their nation. They flew with distinction; the 332d Fighter Group, and most particularly the 99th Fighter Squadron, were particularly successful in their missions as bomber escorts
in Europe. The fighter units were joined in service later in the war by African Americans constituting the 477th Bombardment Group
.
After difficulty in establishing a core of African American pilots and ground crews and providing for training at Tuskegee Air Force Base in the United States, by April 1943, the 99th was cleared for combat in North Africa, where it would join the 33rd Fighter Group. The 99th's first combat assignment involved attacking enemy units on the strategic volcanic island of Pantelleria
in the Mediterranean Sea
, to clear the sea lanes for the Allied invasion of Sicily
in July 1943. The air assault on the island began on 30 May 1943. The assignment to a predominately ground attack role prevented the 99th from engaging in air-to-air combat.
The unit was later criticized for not shooting down enemy aircraft; Congressional hearings were held on this perceived failure, with the aim of disbanding the squadron. However, the hearings did not shut down the unit and the 99th moved on to Sicily where it received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its performance in combat. Shortly after a Washington hearing on the feasibility of continuing to use African American pilots, three new fighter squadrons graduated from training at Tuskegee: the 100th, 301st and 302nd. The units then embarked for Africa and were combined to form the all-black 332d Fighter Group.
The squadrons were moved to mainland Italy, where the 99th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the group on 1 May 1944, joined them on 6 June at Ramitelli Airfield, near Termoli
, on the Adriatic coast
. From Ramitelli, the 332d Fighter Group escorted Fifteenth Air Force
heavy strategic bombing raids into Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Germany.
Flying escort for heavy bombers, the 332d earned an impressive combat record. The Allies called these airmen "Red Tails" or "Red-Tail Angels," because of the distinctive crimson paint predominately applied on the tail section of the unit's aircraft.
The Tuskegee Airmen initially were equipped with Curtiss P-40
s, briefly with Bell P-39 Airacobras (March 1944), later with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts (June–July 1944), and finally with the aircraft with which they became most commonly identified, the North American P-51 Mustang (July 1944).
On 27 and 28 January 1944, Luftwaffe Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bombers raided Anzio
, where the Allies had conducted amphibious landings on 22 January. Attached to the 79th Fighter Group
, 11 of the 99th Fighter Squadron's pilots shot down enemy fighters. Captain Charles B. Hall claimed two shot down, bringing his aerial victory total to three. The eight fighter squadrons defending Anzio together claimed 32 German aircraft shot down, while the 99th claimed the highest score among them with 13. They began operations with Twelfth Air Force on 5 February. They used P-39s to escort convoys, protect harbors, and fly armed reconnaissance missions, converted to P-47s during April–May, and changed to P-51s in June.
They operated with the Fifteenth Air Force
from May 1944 to April 1945, being engaged primarily in protecting bombers that struck such objectives as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshaling yards in Italy
, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia
, Austria, Hungary
, Yugoslavia
, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece
. They also made successful strafing attacks on airdromes, railroads, highways, bridges, river traffic, troop concentrations, radar facilities, power stations, and other targets.
The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 24 March 1945 when the group escorted B-17s during a raid on the Daimler-Benz
tank factory at Berlin, fought the Messerschmitt Me 262
jet
interceptors that attacked the formation, and strafed transportation facilities while flying back to the base in Italy. During the action, its pilots were credited with destroying three Me 262s of the Luftwaffes all-jet Jagdgeschwader 7
in aerial combat that day, despite the American unit initially claiming 11 Me 262s on that particular mission. Upon examination of German records, JG 7 records, just four Me 262s were lost and all of the pilots survived. In return, the 463rd Bomb Group, one of the many B-17 groups the 332d were escorting, lost two bombers, and the 332d lost three P-51s during the mission.
The unit returned to the US in October 1945 and was deactivated on 19 October 1945. Flying escort for heavy bombers, the 332d earned an impressive combat record. Reportedly, the Luftwaffe awarded these airmen the nickname, "Schwarze Vogelmenschen," or "Black Birdmen." The Allies called these airmen "Redtails" or "Redtail Angels," because of the distinctive crimson paint applied on the vertical stabilizers of the unit's aircraft.
The unit was activated again in 1947 at Lockbourne Air Force Base as operational component of 332d Fighter Wing, with Col. Davis in command. The group was finally inactivated in 1949 as part of the Air Force plan to achieve racial integration. Its operational squadrons were assigned directly to wing as part of Air Force Tri-Deputate unit reorganization.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit, last assigned to the 332d Fighter Wing at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was deactivated on 1 July 1949.
Formally, the 99th Pursuit Squadron established on 19 March 1941 and activated on 22 March 1941 was the beginning of the 332d. The 99th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine eventually expanded into the 332d Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. In succession, the 99th Fighter Squadron was joined by the 100th Fighter Squadron
100th Fighter Squadron
The 100th Fighter Squadron currently flies the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the Alabama Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 187th Fighter Wing...
, 301st Fighter Squadron
301st Fighter Squadron
The 301st Fighter Squadron is part of the 44th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It operates the F-22A Raptor conducting advanced fighter training as a reserve corollary unit to the 49th Fighter Wing.-World War II:...
and 302nd Fighter Squadron
302d Fighter Squadron
The 302nd Fighter Squadron is part of the 477th Fighter Group at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. It operates the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor conducting an air superiority mission.-Mission:...
.
The 332d Fighter Group was also known as being a sizable component of the famed Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
, the first African American military aviators in the United States armed forces. During World War II the Tuskegee Airmen were subject to racial discrimination, both within and outside the army, and had to overcome it as part of their mission to serve their nation. They flew with distinction; the 332d Fighter Group, and most particularly the 99th Fighter Squadron, were particularly successful in their missions as bomber escorts
Escort fighter
The escort fighter was a World War II concept for a fighter aircraft designed to escort bombers to and from their targets.The perfect escort fighter had long range, a lengthy combat loiter time to protect the bombers, and enough internal fuel to return home...
in Europe. The fighter units were joined in service later in the war by African Americans constituting the 477th Bombardment Group
477th Fighter Group
The 477th Fighter Group is the Air Force Reserve Command's first F-22A Raptor unit. The unit is assigned to Tenth Air Force and is based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.-Overview:...
.
Operational history
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, to clear the sea lanes for the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in July 1943. The air assault on the island began on 30 May 1943. The assignment to a predominately ground attack role prevented the 99th from engaging in air-to-air combat.
The unit was later criticized for not shooting down enemy aircraft; Congressional hearings were held on this perceived failure, with the aim of disbanding the squadron. However, the hearings did not shut down the unit and the 99th moved on to Sicily where it received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its performance in combat. Shortly after a Washington hearing on the feasibility of continuing to use African American pilots, three new fighter squadrons graduated from training at Tuskegee: the 100th, 301st and 302nd. The units then embarked for Africa and were combined to form the all-black 332d Fighter Group.
The squadrons were moved to mainland Italy, where the 99th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the group on 1 May 1944, joined them on 6 June at Ramitelli Airfield, near Termoli
Termoli
Termoli is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 32,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a local resort town known for its beaches and old fortifications...
, on the Adriatic coast
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. From Ramitelli, the 332d Fighter Group escorted Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
heavy strategic bombing raids into Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Germany.
Flying escort for heavy bombers, the 332d earned an impressive combat record. The Allies called these airmen "Red Tails" or "Red-Tail Angels," because of the distinctive crimson paint predominately applied on the tail section of the unit's aircraft.
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
s, briefly with Bell P-39 Airacobras (March 1944), later with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts (June–July 1944), and finally with the aircraft with which they became most commonly identified, the North American P-51 Mustang (July 1944).
On 27 and 28 January 1944, Luftwaffe Focke Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bombers raided Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
, where the Allies had conducted amphibious landings on 22 January. Attached to the 79th Fighter Group
79th Fighter Group
The 79th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Defense Command 30th Air Division, being assigned to Youngstown Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 March 1960.-World War II:...
, 11 of the 99th Fighter Squadron's pilots shot down enemy fighters. Captain Charles B. Hall claimed two shot down, bringing his aerial victory total to three. The eight fighter squadrons defending Anzio together claimed 32 German aircraft shot down, while the 99th claimed the highest score among them with 13. They began operations with Twelfth Air Force on 5 February. They used P-39s to escort convoys, protect harbors, and fly armed reconnaissance missions, converted to P-47s during April–May, and changed to P-51s in June.
They operated with the Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
from May 1944 to April 1945, being engaged primarily in protecting bombers that struck such objectives as oil refineries, factories, airfields, and marshaling yards in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. They also made successful strafing attacks on airdromes, railroads, highways, bridges, river traffic, troop concentrations, radar facilities, power stations, and other targets.
The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 24 March 1945 when the group escorted B-17s during a raid on the Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
tank factory at Berlin, fought the Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
interceptors that attacked the formation, and strafed transportation facilities while flying back to the base in Italy. During the action, its pilots were credited with destroying three Me 262s of the Luftwaffes all-jet Jagdgeschwader 7
Jagdgeschwader 7
Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II and the first operational jet fighter wing in the world.It was created late in 1944 and served until the end of the war in May 1945, and it operated the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter exclusively.JG 7 was formed under the...
in aerial combat that day, despite the American unit initially claiming 11 Me 262s on that particular mission. Upon examination of German records, JG 7 records, just four Me 262s were lost and all of the pilots survived. In return, the 463rd Bomb Group, one of the many B-17 groups the 332d were escorting, lost two bombers, and the 332d lost three P-51s during the mission.
The unit returned to the US in October 1945 and was deactivated on 19 October 1945. Flying escort for heavy bombers, the 332d earned an impressive combat record. Reportedly, the Luftwaffe awarded these airmen the nickname, "Schwarze Vogelmenschen," or "Black Birdmen." The Allies called these airmen "Redtails" or "Redtail Angels," because of the distinctive crimson paint applied on the vertical stabilizers of the unit's aircraft.
The unit was activated again in 1947 at Lockbourne Air Force Base as operational component of 332d Fighter Wing, with Col. Davis in command. The group was finally inactivated in 1949 as part of the Air Force plan to achieve racial integration. Its operational squadrons were assigned directly to wing as part of Air Force Tri-Deputate unit reorganization.
Components
- 302nd Fighter Squadron: 13 October 1942 – 6 March 1945
- 100th Fighter Squadron: 13 October 1942 – 19 October 1945; 1 June 1947–1 July 1949
- 301st Fighter Squadron: 13 October 1942 – 19 October 1945; 1 June 1947–1 July 1949
- 99th Fighter Squadron: 1 May 1944 – 22 June 1945; 1 June 1947–1 July 1949
- Seconded to 86th Fighter Group, 11–30 June 1944
Assignments
- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 13 October 1942 - First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
, 29 March 1943 - XII Fighter Command, 3 February 1944
- 306th Fighter Wing306th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 306th Fighter Wing was a World War II United States Army Air Force organization assigned to Fifteenth Air Force as an intermediate-level command and control organization...
, 28 May 1944 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
(for inactivation), 17–19 October 1945 - 332d Fighter Wing, 1 July 1947 – 26 August 1948; 26 August 1948–1 July 1949
Stations
- Tuskegee AirfieldTuskegee Airmen National Historic SiteTuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, commemorates the contributions of African American airmen in World War II. Moton Field was the site of primary flight training for the pioneering pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. It was constructed in 1941 as a new...
, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 13 October 1942 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 29 March 1943 - Oscoda Army Air Field, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 12 April 1943 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 9 July – 22 December 1943 - Montecorvino AirfieldSalerno Costa d'Amalfi AirportThe Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport, located in the municipality of Pontecagnano Faiano and close to Bellizzi, is an airport in southern Italy, near to Salerno, the Amalfi Coast and the Cilento area. It is commonly known also as Salerno-Pontecagnano Airport.-History:The airport was founded in 1926...
, Italy, 3 February 1944 - Capodichino AirfieldNaples International AirportNaples Airport is the airport serving Naples, Italy. It is located north-northeast of the city in the Capodichino district of Naples. The airport has two terminal buildings: Terminal 1 is for departing travellers and Terminal 2, located away from the airfield, is used for charter operations...
, Italy, 15 April 1944 - Ramitelli Airfield, Italy, 28 May 1944
- Cattolica AirfieldCattolica AirfieldCattolica Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which was located in the vicinity of Cattolica ; about 230 km north-northeast of Rome...
, Italy, c. 4 May 1945 - Lucera Airfield, Italy, c. 18 July–September 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 17–19 October 1945 - Lockbourne Army Air Base (later AFB), OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 1 July 1947 – 1 July 1949.
Aircraft operated
- Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1944
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1942–1944
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945
See also
- Executive Order 9981Executive Order 9981Executive Order 9981 is an executive order issued on July 26, 1948 by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. It expanded on Executive Order 8802 by establishing equality of treatment and opportunity in the Armed Services for people of all races, religions, or national origins."In 1947, Randolph, along...
- List of African American Medal of Honor recipients
- Military history of African AmericansMilitary history of African AmericansThe military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United States to the present day...
- Red Ball ExpressRed Ball ExpressThe Red Ball Express was an enormous truck convoy system created by Allied forces to supply their forward-area combat units moving through Europe following the breakout from the D-Day beaches in Normandy. The term "Red Ball" was a railroad phrase referring to express shipping...
- The Port Chicago 50