373d Fighter Group
Encyclopedia
The 373d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with First Air Force
stationed at Mitchel Field , New York. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
During World War II
the group was assigned to Ninth Air Force
in Western Europe. It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 20 March 1945, that greatly facilitated the crossing of the Rhine River by Allied ground forces: without losing any planes, the group repeatedly dived through barrages of antiaircraft fire to bomb vital airfields east of the river; also attacked rail lines and highways leading to the Rhine, hitting rolling stock, motor transports, and other objectives.
The 373d was redesignated as the 146th Fighter Group, and allotted to the California Air National Guard
on 24 May 1946.
Trained for combat with P-47's. Also performed air defense mission over New York while training.
Moved to England, March–April 1944. Assigned to Ninth Air Force. Flew first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Normandy, on 8 May 1944, and then took part in preinvasion activities by escorting B-26's to attack airdromes, bridges, and railroads in France. Patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots, and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month.
Moved to the Continent in July 1944; struck railroads, hangars, boxcars, warehouses, and other objectives to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front at St Lo, where the Allies broke through on 25 July 1944. Bombed such targets as troops, gun emplacements, and armored vehicles to aid ground troops in the Falaise-Argentan area in August 1944.
During the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944— January 1945, concentrated on the destruction of bridges, marshalling yards, and highways. Flew armed reconnaissance missions to support ground operations in the Rhine Valley in March 1945, hitting airfields, motor transports, and other objectives.
Received a DUC for a mission, 20 March 1945, that greatly facilitated the crossing of the Rhine by Allied ground forces: without losing any planes, the group repeatedly dived through barrages of antiaircraft fire to bomb vital airfields east of the river; also attacked rail lines and highways leading to the Rhine, hitting rolling stock, motor transports, and other objectives. Continued tactical air operations until 4 May 1945.
Returned to the US, July— August 1945. Inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Please note that the emblemfor this unit shown at top of page is for the "Post War" Air National Guard unit, the WW-2 era emblem was a shield with a checkered upper right portion and a bar dividing the shield from top left to lower right and a solid color in the lower left portion.
The Group emblem was an "Unofficial" type but was carried on some P-47's of the unit, also the Squadrons had "Unofficial" emblems as well.
First Air Force
The 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....
stationed at Mitchel Field , New York. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the group was assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
in Western Europe. It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 20 March 1945, that greatly facilitated the crossing of the Rhine River by Allied ground forces: without losing any planes, the group repeatedly dived through barrages of antiaircraft fire to bomb vital airfields east of the river; also attacked rail lines and highways leading to the Rhine, hitting rolling stock, motor transports, and other objectives.
The 373d was redesignated as the 146th Fighter Group, and allotted to the California Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
on 24 May 1946.
Lineage
- Constituted as 373d Fighter Group on 25 May 1943
- Activated on 15 August 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
Assignments
- I Fighter CommandI Fighter CommandThe I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
, 15 August 1943 – 15 March 1944
- Attached to: New York Fighter WingNew York Fighter WingThe New York Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Fighter Command, stationed at Mitchel Field, New York It was inactivated on 10 April 1944....
, 23 October 1943 – 15 March 1944- 303d Fighter Wing303d Fighter Wing (World War II)The 303d Fighter Wing was a United States Army Air Forces unit of World War II. It performed air support operations in Europe using Republic P-47 Thunderbolts until V-E Day and then occupation duty in Germany....
- 303d Fighter Wing
- Attached to: XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 4 April 1944- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 4 August 1945 - 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....
, 20 August – 7 November 1945
- Second Air Force
Stations
- Westover Field, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 15 August 1943 - Norfolk Airport, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 23 October 1943 - Richmond Army Air Base, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 15 February – 15 March 1944 - RAF WoodchurchRAF Woodchurchthumb|410th Fighter Squadron Republic P-47D-28-RA Thunderbolt42-28473RAF Station Woodchurch is a former World War II airfield in Kent, England...
(AAF-419), England, 4 April – 4 July 1944 - Tour-en-Bessin AirfieldTour-en-Bessin AirfieldTour-en-Bessin Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, located near the commune of Tour-en-Bessin in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France. It lies to the southeast of Tour-en-Bessin....
(A-13), France, 19 July 1944 - Saint James AirfieldSaint James AirfieldSaint James Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-James in the Brittany region of northern France....
(A-29), France, 19 August 1944 - Reims/Champagne Airfield (A-62), France, 19 September 1944
- Le Culot Airfield (A-89), BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, 22 October 1944 - Venlo Airfield (Y-55), NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, 11 March 1945 - Lippstadt AirfieldLippstadt AirfieldLippstadt Airfield is a former military airfield located in Germany, located in the southeast part of Lippstadt ; approximately 222 miles west-southwest of Berlin....
(Y-98), Germany, 20 April 1945 - AAF Station Illesheim, Germany, 20 May–July 1945
- Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, 4 August 1945 - Seymour Johnson Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 20 August 1945 - Mitchel Field, New York, 28 September – 7 November 1945
Components
- 410th Fighter Squadron, 15 August 1943 – 7 November 1945
- 411th Fighter Squadron, 15 August 1943 – 7 November 1945
- 412th Fighter Squadron, 15 August 1943 – 7 November 1945
Operations
Moved to England, March–April 1944. Assigned to Ninth Air Force. Flew first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Normandy, on 8 May 1944, and then took part in preinvasion activities by escorting B-26's to attack airdromes, bridges, and railroads in France. Patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots, and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month.
Moved to the Continent in July 1944; struck railroads, hangars, boxcars, warehouses, and other objectives to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front at St Lo, where the Allies broke through on 25 July 1944. Bombed such targets as troops, gun emplacements, and armored vehicles to aid ground troops in the Falaise-Argentan area in August 1944.
During the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944— January 1945, concentrated on the destruction of bridges, marshalling yards, and highways. Flew armed reconnaissance missions to support ground operations in the Rhine Valley in March 1945, hitting airfields, motor transports, and other objectives.
Received a DUC for a mission, 20 March 1945, that greatly facilitated the crossing of the Rhine by Allied ground forces: without losing any planes, the group repeatedly dived through barrages of antiaircraft fire to bomb vital airfields east of the river; also attacked rail lines and highways leading to the Rhine, hitting rolling stock, motor transports, and other objectives. Continued tactical air operations until 4 May 1945.
Returned to the US, July— August 1945. Inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Please note that the emblemfor this unit shown at top of page is for the "Post War" Air National Guard unit, the WW-2 era emblem was a shield with a checkered upper right portion and a bar dividing the shield from top left to lower right and a solid color in the lower left portion.
The Group emblem was an "Unofficial" type but was carried on some P-47's of the unit, also the Squadrons had "Unofficial" emblems as well.