56th Operations Group
Encyclopedia
The 56th Operations Group is a unit of the United States Air Force
, and the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing
.
The group is the direct descendant of the World War II
56th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces
. The 56th Fighter Group was credited by the Air Force Historical Research Agency with the destruction of 665.5 aircraft in air-to-air combat, the 56th Fighter Group had more air-to-air kills than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force
, was the top-scoring P-47 group during World War II, and recorded the second-highest number of air-to-air kills of any USAAF fighter group. The 56th also claimed 311 fighters destroyed on the ground.
In fiscal year 2006, the 56th Operations Group flew 37,000 sorties and 50,000 hours while graduating 484 F-16 students. With huge spaces in the western Arizona desert and clear weather skies for most of the year, Luke AFB and its ranges have been an important training asset for the United States Air Force for many years. This is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.
Aircraft assigned to the 56 OG are tail coded "LF", for "Luke Falcon"
fighter pilots. About 200 F-16s are assigned to the group's six operational squadrons, and daily launches can easily reach triple figures on a routine training day.
(Except where noted, this material is from the official USAF group history by Maurer Maurer.)
The 56th PG was assigned three fighter squadrons:
Staffed by a cadre drawn from other units at nearby Hunter AAB the 56th PG organized as a combat unit with a high turnover in personnel. On 26 May 1941, the group relocated to Morris AAF, Charlotte, North Carolina
, where it received 3 P-39's and 10 P-36's, and trained, participated in training maneuvers, served as an air defense organization, and functioned as an operational training unit (OTU). During maneuvers in October 1941 it received 10 new P-39s and performed well in an air defense role.
attack on Pearl Harbor
, the 56th FG moved to Wilmington AAB, North Carolina
for air defense duties, with its 61st FS based at Charleston AAB, South Carolina
. It received 24 newly-commissioned 2nd lieutenant pilots in December and set up a makeshift assessment school using five types of obsolete fighter aircraft, including P-35
s and P-43s.
In mid-January 1942 the 56th FG shifted to air defense of New York City, with its headquarters based at Bendix AAF, New Jersey
, and its squadrons assigned respectively to Bridgeport, Connecticut
; Bendix; and Farmingdale, New York
. In April 1942 it received a full complement of new P-40F Warhawks to replace its makeshift equipment.
In May 1942 it was redesignated the 56th Fighter Group and its component squadrons were redesignated as fighter squadrons. The 56th FG received its first operational P-47B's from nearby Republic Aviation in June, in which it began training for combat. One of its most notable pilots, Major Robert S. Johnson
, noted that during this "break-in" phase, in addition to numerous non-fatal training accidents 18 pilots of the 56th FG were killed and 41 aircraft destroyed in crashes, many as a result of the wholly inadequate airfield at nearby Stratford
, on Long Island Sound
. Group headquarters shifted to Bridgeport in July, joined by the 63rd FS in September, and the 62nd FS received its P-47s in July at Bradley Field
, Connecticut
.
Four fighter groups sent to England in the summer of 1942 as part of the Bolero
buildup had been transferred to the Twelfth Air Force to support the invasion of North Africa
, leaving the U.S. VIII Fighter Command with a single fighter group. To rebuild the fighter forces, the 56th FG was assigned for overseas duty in England. Major Hubert A. Zemke
, a pre-war Air Corps pilot with experience as a combat observer with the RAF and a P-40 instructor to the Soviet Air Force
, became group commander on 16 September 1942. The 56th FG was alerted for overseas deployment on Thanksgiving Day, ceased all air operations, and moved to Camp Kilmer
, New Jersey
, on 28 December.
The 56th Fighter Group sailed from New York on the RMS Queen Elizabeth
on 6 January 1943. Arriving at Gourock
, Scotland, on 11 January, the personnel of the 56th FG moved by train to their first station at RAF Kings Cliffe
in Cambridgeshire to await arrival of new P-47C's in late January. Shortly after its arrival in the UK, the 61st Fighter Squadron received a new pilot, Captain Francis S. Gabreski who had been seconded to No. 315 Squadron RAF
, a fighter squadron of Polish Air Force
pilots, to acquire combat experience. Bad weather prevented the group from flying its new aircraft until 10 February.
The 56th was one of three P-47 groups in England, and the only one to previously train on the Thunderbolt. The 4th Fighter Group at RAF Debden
had been created the preceding September by incorporating the veteran RAF Eagle squadron
s into the USAAF, and the newly-arrived 78th Fighter Group at RAF Goxhill
had previously flown P-38 Lightning
s. Consequently the 56th was the only group of the three to have confidence in their aircraft despite problems of compressibility in dives, and performance teething problems that included poor rate of climb, poor acceleration, numerous engine seizures to oil counterbalance seal failures, ignition system problems, radio interference, and lack of spare parts.
At the end of three months of breaking in new equipment, trouble-shooting performance problems with their new airplanes, and training in the British tactics and procedures adopted by the VIII Fighter Command, the group moved to a new base at RAF Horsham St. Faith on 6 April 1943, which had been a pre-war permanent RAF station. The 56th received ground support there from the attached 33d Service Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Douglas Pollard, and the 41st Service Squadron.
The P-47C and P-47D aircraft received by the 56th FG were finished in factory-applied olive drab (OD) with gray lower surfaces. Because the P-47 was the only radial engine
d allied fighter, the danger of other allied fighters mistaking it for the Fw 190 caused VIII Fighter Command to have 24 inches (609.6 mm) white cowl
bands painted on the noses of P-47s after March 1943. Other rapid identification measures used were white banding on both the tail fin and horizontal stabilizers, and the use of oversized USAAF roundel
s on the undersides of both wings.
The USAAF ended the factory-applied camouflage on all aircraft produced after 13 February 1944, and the first unpainted block 21 "razorback" canopy and block 25 "bubble-top" canopy models arrived in May. The first "silver" aircraft, 42-26044, was left uncamouflaged, given the name Silver Lady, and flown in combat by Capt. James Carter and Major Les Smith of the 61st FS. The first bubbletops, dubbed "Superbolts", were assigned to the group and squadron commanders until more became available.
The 56th applied field camouflage to most but not all of these replacement fighters. Most bubbletops were given an RAF-style "shadow-shading" (disruptive) pattern of "RAF green" (a shade similar to olive drab) overlaid on light sea gray (another RAF shade) on upper surfaces, while most razorbacks were field-painted in overall dark OD on upper and light gray on lower surfaces. Shadow shading, however, appeared in a variety of schemes and colors, adding to the distinction of the group's aircraft.
When P-47M's appeared in January 1945, each squadron adopted an individual camouflage scheme on upper surfaces while lower surfaces of the fighters were left unpainted. The 61st used a matte
black color that faded to a dark purple. The 62d continued the green-and-gray shadow-shading pattern, while the 63d went to a shadow-shading pattern of "deep Mediterranean blue" (indigo) applied over sky blue.
VIII Fighter Command assigned the 56th Fighter Group two-letter squadron identification codes to be painted on the fuselages of its fighters, and each squadron assigned its aircraft individual letter identifiers. (The letters chosen for the 56th had previously been assigned to the 1st Fighter Group before it went to the Twelfth Air Force.) In early February 1944 the 56th replaced its white cowl bands with a different color for each squadron. This innovation lasted until mid-March, when VIII Fighter Command adopted a color system for all Eighth Air Force fighter groups. The 56th painted its noses red and later applied the squadron colors to the tail rudders of its Thunderbolts, an innovation that VIII Fighter Command also borrowed. The 56th discontinued use of squadron colors when it changed to P-47M's.
On 23 April 1944, VIII Fighter Command changed its system of radio call sign
s to reduce confusion when the fighter groups, now numbering a hundred or more fighters in their inventories, deployed two groups on escort missions ("A group" and "B Group"). Station call signs (RAF Halesworth's was STURDY, and RAF Boxted's DOGDAY) were unchanged, but all previous call signs were discontinued. In 1945 provision was also made for a C Group on missions (usually only 8 to 12 fighters) and all fighters assigned to a C Group mission used the common call sign.
Like all Allied aircraft flying over the continent, the 56th applied alternating 18 inches (457.2 mm) black and white bands, known as "invasion stripes", to the rear fuselage and wings of its fighters just prior to D-Day
. It retained the lower wing stripes and lower portion of the rear fuselage until the end of 1944, when most invasion stripes were deleted.
SOURCES: the basic source is Freeman, but Little Friends website has identical data
P-47s of VIII Fighter Command performed three types of missions during 1943, all normally in group strength of 40–48 fighters, based on like operations used by the Royal Air Force
:
The 56th FG sent its four most experienced pilots to Debden in early April 1943 to gain experience before the group's first mission, which occurred 13 April 1943. Its first combat and casualties occurred 29 April, when Capt. John E. McClure and 1st Lt. Winston W. "Bill" Garth of the 62nd FS became POW's
. The 56th flew 24 missions and 900 sorties (almost entirely Rodeo fighter sweeps and Circus diversions) in April and May, losing a total of 3 aircraft to enemy action. Its first Ramrod
bomber escort mission occurred 13 May, to Saint-Omer
, France.
In June the group staged out of a forward base at RAF Manston
, Kent, to extend its range and registered its first victories over the Luftwaffe
, shooting down four fighters on sweeps along the coast of France and Belgium on the 12th and 13th. On 26 June, providing withdrawal support for a late afternoon bomber mission to Vélizy-Villacoublay
airfield, it fought a 20-minute battle with veteran Fw 190 pilots of III/JG 26 over Forges-les-Eaux
, France. The result was a major setback, with five Thunderbolts destroyed, four pilots killed, and only two German fighters shot down.
In July the 56th FG was moved from its comfortable quarters at Horsham St. Faith to a much-less improved installation at RAF Halesworth
, along the coast of Suffolk, both to be nearer to German-occupied territory and to allow Horsham St. Faith to be completed as a heavy bomber base. On 12 August it used partially-filled and unpressurized 200-gallon ferry tanks as jettisonable fuel tanks
for the first time in combat, escorting bombers headed for Bonn
, Germany. In its first four months of missions, the 56th Group shot down 9 aircraft and lost 10.
The 56th provided penetration support on 17 August 1943, for B-17s of the 4th Bomb Wing headed for Regensburg
in the morning, returned to base to re-arm and re-fuel, and flew withdrawal support for the 1st Bomb Wing returning from Schweinfurt
in the late afternoon. It scored its first major victory, penetrating fifteen miles (24 km) into Germany to break up frontal attacks on the bombers. The 56th used tactics it called "dive, fire, and recover", attacking German fighters from a higher altitude, taking advantage of its tremendous diving speed, then zooming back to gain altitude advantage. In a running twenty-minute battle across Belgium, the 56th claimed 17 German fighters shot down ( mainly of JG 3 and JG 26) for a loss of three P-47s and pilots. Three of those kills were made by Capt. Gerald W. Johnson of the 61st FS, who two days later (when the groups shot down 9 more) became the first ace
in the group and the second in the ETO
.
When the Eighth Air Force resumed deep penetration bombing missions between 2 and 14 October, the 56th FG shot down 37 Germans while losing just one Thunderbolt. Its radius of action had been considerably augmented on 31 August by the installation of new belly drop tank shackles on its P-47s that permitted use of 75-gallon steel drop tanks. The Thunderbolts were also modified to pressurize the tanks above 20000 feet (6,096 m) by feeding vented air from the instrument vacuum pump into them, and became the norm for future operations, with range further extended periodically by the use of tanks of increasingly larger size. The use of wing tank pylons did not begin until May 1944 and because of its negative effect on maneuvering performance, was not preferred.
The addition of belly shackles also enabled the P-47 to carry bombs, and on a mission on 25 November both the 56th and 78th Fighter Groups bombed airfields in France, escorted by P-47s of the 353rd and 356th Groups. The 56th dropped from a horizontal attitude with mixed results, but the dive-bombing technique used by the 78th FG was particularly successful; the missions led to the subsequent development of the P-47 as a fighter-bomber, which became its primary role in the ETO.
Although bomber missions were cut back and contacts with German aircraft were sporadic for the remainder of the year, the 56th FG shot down 81 more Germans, including 23 on 26 November (for a single loss) and 17 on 11 December (2 lost). These actions was particularly effective in that the 56th destroyed large formations of Bf 110 "Zerstörers", twin-engined fighters that specialized in attacking bombers, without being drawn away by the more numerous single-engined fighter top cover. During its first seven months in combat the 56th FG shot down 167 aircraft (more than the 4th and 78th FGs combined), and lost 33 of is own to all causes. Ten of its pilots had becomes aces, and two (Capt. Walker M. Mahurin
and 1st Lt. Robert S. Johnson
) were double-aces (10 kills).
The longer range and agility of the P-51 Mustang
resulted in the decision in January 1944 to give the Eighth Air Force priority in the acquisition of the Mustang. New P-51 units of the Ninth would be exchanged for P-47 groups earmarked for the Eighth, and all VIII Fighter Command Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning
groups would eventually be re-equipped with the Mustang. The sole exception to this change was the 56th Fighter Group, which decided to retain its P-47s for the duration.
On 11 January the 56th flew its first double-group mission, protecting bombers flying to targets in central Germany. Dispatching 72 fighters, the force was divided into an "A Group" and a "B Group", both with three squadron formations, each squadron with 12 fighters. At the direction of Army Air Forces chief General Henry H. Arnold
, with the objective of destroying the Luftwaffe where it could be found, the Eighth Air Force released its fighters to strafe targets of opportunity while returning to base after completion of their primary escort mission. The 56th FG attacked Juvincourt-et-Damary
, France, on 11 February on its first ground attack against German airfields.
The 56th Fighter Group won a Distinguished Unit Citation for a series of missions flown between 20 February and 9 March 1944. The campaign opened with Operation Argument, better known as "the Big Week
", a sustained attempt to destroy the Luftwaffe in the air while attacking aircraft factories with strategic bombing. It was also the first use by P-47s of 150-gallon drop tanks, which boosted flight endurance time on the Thunderbolt from 1 hour 50 minutes on internal fuel to over three hours using an auxiliary tank. At the same time the 56th was assigned a bomber escort sector in the vicinity of Osnabrück
, and the combination resulted in the shooting down of 49 Luftwaffe fighters over four days. The last week of the campaign saw the first USAAF bomber attacks on Berlin, and the group destroyed 38 more fighters in the air. The 56th Fighter Group recorded its 350th kill on 16 March, having shot down 140 German aircraft in 12 missions.
The campaign also resulted in highly-publicized speculation of which among the emerging P-47 and P-51 aces would break the U.S. World War I
record of 26 destroyed by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
. Pilots of the 56th who became well-known figures included Hub Zemke, Bud Mahurin, Bob Johnson, Jerry Johnson, and Gabby Gabreski, with Bob Johnson being the first to break Rickenbacker's mark on 8 May (as a result of which he was immediately grounded from further combat). Mahurin and Jerry Johnson were both shot down on 27 March, with Johnson being captured. Although Mahurin successfully returned to Allied territory, his knowledge of the French Resistance
ended his combat tour.
On 15 April 1944, Operation Jackpot was initiated by VIII Fighter Command, a planned series of strafing attacks against specific German airfields. The hazardous nature of the airfield attacks can be demonstrated by comparing them to the mission of 13 April (which marked the first anniversary of the 56th FG in combat) just two days prior. Escorting bombers that day, VIII Fighter Command's 676 Lightnings, Mustangs, and Thunderbolts achieved 18 air-to-air kills against just 6 losses, while the airfield strafing mission had losses of 33 of the 616 fighters involved.
The Eighth Air Force needed Halesworth for a new B-24 Liberator
group, and sent the 56th to RAF Boxted
on 18 April, a base the 354th FG had just vacated, moving to southern England in preparation for the invasion of France. At the same time, a significant number of original 56th Group pilots reached the 200-hour limit that constituted completion of a fighter tour. At least 13 elected to continue with the 56th on a tour extension and were granted an immediate 30-day leave in the United States before continuing in combat. Although several second tour pilots were later killed, most survived to provide a sizable core of experienced leadership that enabled the 56th to maintain its position as the leading air-to-air combat fighter group.
The emergence of the P-51 as the long-range escort fighter of choice in the Eighth Air Force sharply reduced combat contacts for the P-47 groups, including the 56th. After splitting almost 550 victories with the P-47s in the Big Week-Berlin campaign, the five veteran groups of Mustangs totally dominated air-to-air combat in April, their 310 kills outscoring the Thunderbolts 6 to 1. Kills for the 56th FG dropped from 85 in March to just 18 in April. The situation was aggravated by the completion of tours of its veteran pilots, but was partially rectified by the recruitment of volunteer bomber pilots who had completed tours and by the invitation to six pilots of the Polish Air Force, serving with the RAF, to join Gabreski's 61st FS.
In a search for ways of increasing its air-to-air effectiveness, Col. Zemke devised a tactic later dubbed the "Zemke fan" to enhance the flexibility of escorts. Instead of flying close escort with the bombers, his concept called for the group to rendezvous at an easily-found landmark in its escort zone, from which it would break up into individual flights and fan out in a 180° arc, maintaining contact to respond to attacks on the bomber stream.
On 12 May, the "Zemke fan" was tried for the first time and proved successful in initiating contacts. Although the engagements resulted in 18 kills for the 56th FG, both of Zemke's wingmen were shot down by Luftwaffe ace Major Gunther Rall
of JG 11 (who was then shot down by 56th ace Joe Powers and his wingman) while Zemke's flight was still badly outnumbered. Zemke modified the tactic to fan out squadrons rather than flights. The tactic was later modified and adopted by other fighter groups.
The battle on 12 May was also notable in that 1st Lt. Robert J. Rankin, responding to Zemke's call for help, shot down five German fighters during the action, becoming the group's first "Ace in a day
". The feat was repeated on 7 July by Capt. Fred J. Christensen
, on 23 December by Col. David C. Schilling
, and on 14 January 1945, by Capt. Felix D. Williamson.
The modified tactics were put into effect on an escort mission the morning of 22 May, when the 61st FS attacked a large number of Fw 190s of JG 11 over Höperhöfen airfield near Rotenburg an der Wümme
and shot down 11 without loss. (meant here is Rotenburg-Wümme airfield. There were at least two losses, C.B. Nale,HV-J near Süderwalsede and R. Heineman, HV-N, near Westerwalsede) In a second mission that afternoon, the 56th was part of a 4-group Thunderbolt raid against a railroad bridge at Hasselt
, Belgium, dropping 500-pound bombs at varying altitudes and using level, glide-bombing, and dive-bombing tactics, trying to determine the most effective means of using the P-47 as a fighter-bomber.
On the evening of 5 June 1944, all the P-47s of the group had their fuselages and wings painted with distinctive "invasion stripes" (see Camouflage, unit markings, and radio call signs above). Beginning at 0400 on 6 June, the 56th FG flew 16 group missions in two days in support of the invasion of France at Normandy. 12 of the missions were as fighter-bombers interdicting German lines of communication, and the Thunderbolts were attacked by German fighters on 7 June while at low altitude, but retained air superiority by shooting down 12. Five P-47s were lost, all but one shot down by ground fire.
The invasion marked a change in mission priorities for the 56th FG. While the group continued to contribute to bomber escort missions, its primary tasks became ground attack, first in attacking roads and railways, then in supporting the advance of Allied armies after the breakout of 25 July
. Strafing attacks in July cost the 56th FG two veteran squadron commanders and aces: Capt. Joe Egan was killed on 19 July and the next day Lt. Col. Gabby Gabreski was forced to crashland in Germany and became a prisoner of war
. Gabreski had matched Johnson's 27 victories on 27 June, then exceeded it on 5 July to tie the USAAF Pacific Theater's top ace Major Richard Bong
for most victories in the USAAF at 28 (Bong went to score 40).
Command of the 56th Fighter Group passed to Lt. Col. David C. Schilling
on 12 August 1944, when Zemke accepted a transfer to command the novice 479th Fighter Group, whose commander had been shot down 10 August. Schilling had begun his second tour of operations at the end of July and had been group deputy commander since 19 August 1943. The ground attack missions of the 56th intensified as the group attacked Gelnhausen
airfield on 5 September, destroying 78 aircraft and damaging 19, but losing four.
On 17 September the group along with the other remaining P-47 groups of VIII Fighter Command flew ground attack missions protecting the Allied airborne landings
(Operation Market Garden
) in Holland. The next day the 56th dispatched 39 fighters to attack antiaircraft positions in support of a resupply mission for the U.S. airborne divisions by B-24 bombers, for which the group was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. Dueling flak sites near Oosterhout
, Netherlands, despite a 500-foot (150 m) cloud ceiling and severe haze, the 56th lost 16 aircraft: 5 shot down over German-held territory, 9 crash-landed in Allied territory on the continent, and two crashed in England. Three of the 16 pilots were killed and 3 captured.
The 56th FG carried out other missions in conjunction with Operation Market Garden until 23 September. On the 21 September, assigned a patrol sector between Deventer
and Lochem
to protect a resupply mission to Arnhem
, the group attacked and destroyed 15 of a group of 22 Fw 190 aircraft. However, the 56th had been late arriving in its patrol area and had encountered the German fighters after they had already attacked RAF Stirling
s of 38 Group, shooting down 15.
On 15 September, operational control of VIII Fighter Command's three fighter wings was placed directly under the headquarters of the bomb divisions, removing a layer of command, with a wing controlled by each division. After this date, the 56th Fighter Group's primary duty was protection of the B-24s of the 2nd Bomb Division based in East Anglia
. On 1 November 1944, the 56th FG had its first encounter with Me 262 jets, resulting in a kill shared with another group.
During the Battle of the Bulge
, the 56th FG engaged over 40 Luftwaffe fighters attempting to attack U.S. bombers supporting Allied ground forces on 23 December 1944. The 56th shot down 32 to become the first U.S. fighter group to be credited with more than 800 aircraft destroyed in both the air and starfing attacks, with group commander Schilling shooting down 5.
The end of 1944 saw the 56th become the sole remaining group of P-47 Thunderbolts in the Eighth Air Force, as the 353rd FG converted to Mustangs on 2 October, the 356th FG on 20 November, and the 78th FG on 29 December. Beginning 3 January 1945, the 56th began receiving the P-47M, built to be the fastest Allied piston-driven fighter. Externally identical to the P-47D bubbletops, the P-47M had an up-powered R-2800-57C
engine and also incorporated all the range-extending characteristics previously developed for the P-47, particularly use of a 215-gallon belly drop tank.
The 61st Fighter Squadron received the first P-47M-1-REs and immediately began encountering engine problems. Multiple engine failures, including two crash-landings, resulted in the grounding of the Ms on 26 February. Technical problems were believed resolved with the identification of brittle ignition harnesses (as experienced in the P-47C two years before) and the final D-model left the group on 1 March. On 4 March operations resumed, but four crashes in five days, three of them fatal, again led to grounding of the aircraft on 16 March. A dozen P-51B Mustangs were brought to Boxted in case rapid conversion to the P-51 became necessary, but the new problem of engine failure and oil tank rupture was traced to salt-water corrosion in the shipment of new engines overseas. By 24 March every engine and ignition harness on all the Ms had been replaced and the entire group was equipped with the new model, eventually receiving all 130 production P-47Ms.
The advent of the German jet threat and the belief by Allied intelligence
that it used low grade (high flash point
) fuels
that resisted ignition by .50-caliber
strikes led to the development of new ammunition for American fighters. The experimental round, called the T48, used a concentrated incendiary
compound and had a muzzle velocity
of 3400 feet (1036 m) per second, which was 20% greater than existing ammunition. The 56th FG was chosen to test the new ammunition in February 1945 but the teething problems of the P-47M postponed the tests until the mechanical problems were resolved. In April the 56th began airfield strafing attacks using the T-48 round, culminating in an attack on Eggebek
airfield, in which the T48 was used extensively.
The success of the tests resulted in the standardization of the new round as the M23 incendiary, issued to all groups but too late to see combat.
Colonel Schilling's extended tour ended 27 January and command of the group passed to Lt. Col. Lucian A. Dade, who had been one of the group's original pilots as a second lieutenant and had served as squadron commander, operations officer, and deputy commander of the group. During his duty as operations officer, "Pete" Dade had been forbidden to fly combat missions by Zemke and was still on his first combat tour after two years in theater. This led to some distrust of his ability as an aggressive leader among the pilots, although as one historian noted, Zemke and Schilling were "hard acts to follow". Despite this Dade led 49 fighters to Eggebek on 13 April, locating 150 to 200 aircraft parked on the field and two nearby satellite strips.
Employing the 62nd FS at 15000 feet (4,572 m) as top cover, the 61st FS orbitted at 10000 feet (3,048 m) while the 63rd FS dove on the field, its first pass to suppress ground fire, and then completed 140 individual passes on the fields, claiming 44 destroyed. The 61st then attacked, making 94 passes and claiming 25 destroyed, followed by the 62nd, making 105 and claiming 26. One Thunderbolt (P-47M 44-21134 UN: P, Teacher's Pet, 1st Lt. William R. Hoffman, 63rd FS) was shot down and the pilot killed when his parachute
did not open in time. The totals for the day were 339 passes, 95 aircraft destroyed and another 95 damaged, and more than 78,000 rounds of ammunition expended. 2nd Lt. Randall Murphy of the 63rd FS, using T48 ammunition, was credited after a review of his gun camera film
with 10 planes destroyed, the high mark for the group.
On 16 April, during another strafing mission, the final P-47 of the 56th FG went down (P-47M 44-21230, LM: A, Capt. John W. Appel, 62nd FS) but its pilot successfully returned to Allied lines, and on 21 April the group flew its final combat mission. Freeman's statistical summary lists 447 group missions; 19,391 sorties; 64,302 hours of combat flight time; 128 P-47s shot down (85 by ground fire); 44 P-47s destroyed in ETO accidents; 18 pilots awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
(Col. Schilling twice); and 28 awards of the Silver Star
. Three of the original group pilots—Dade, deputy commander and subsequent group commander Lt. Col. Donald D. Renwick, and operations officer Major James R. Carter—were assigned to the group at the end of the war.
Capt. Walter V. Cook C, 62d Fighter Squadron, flying P-47C 41-6343 (LM-W Little Cookie), claimed the first aerial victory by a 56th pilot on 12 June 1943, over Blankenberghe, Belgium, downing an Fw 190. The group's final victory was an Me-262
of JG 7 shot down on 10 April 1945, by 2d Lt. Walter J. Sharbo, also of the 62d Fighter Squadron, in P-47M 44-21237 (LM-C Marion – North Dakota Kid), near Wittstock
, Germany.
The 56th Fighter Group had 677½ claims credited by the Eighth Air Force for German aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat. U.S. Air Force Historical Study No. 85 recognizes 674.5 aerial victories for the 56th. This total is the second highest among USAAF fighter groups in the ETO
(behind the 354th Group with 701), the highest among all Eighth Air Force groups, and the highest among all P-47 groups of the USAAF. Eighth Air Force also credited the 357th Fighter Group with 311 German aircraft destroyed on the ground, making an overall total of 976.5, which is second among all Eighth Air Force fighter groups.
Of the air-to-air totals, 4.5 were Me-262 jets. 2d Lt. Walter Groce of the 63d FS shared a credit on 1 November 1944, with a P-51 pilot of the 352d FG for one of the first Me 262 jets shot down. P-47Ms accounted for four: Maj. George Bostwick and 2d Lt. Edwin M. Crosthwait, 63d FS on 25 March 1945, over Parchim
; Capt. John Fahringer, 63rd FS, on 5 April; and Sharbo on 10 April. Two AR 234 jet bombers were claimed 14 March 1945, by the 62d FS, 1st Lt. Norman D. Gould shooting down one and the other shared by 1st Lt. Sandford N. Ball and 1st Lt. Warren S. Lear.
Among the various units of the 56th, the 61st Fighter Squadron had the most victories, 232 shot down by 68 pilots. The 62d Fighter Squadron was credited with 219.5 kills by 79 pilots, the 63d Fighter Squadron with 174.25 kills by 64 pilots, and group headquarters with 39.75 kills by 4 pilots.
s, the second-most of any ETO fighter group (the 354th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force
and the 357th Fighter Group
, flying P-51s, had 42).
SOURCE: USAF Historical Study 85. Nickname source Little Friends website and Freeman, 56th Fighter Group
¹Totals include one Me 262 jet shot down
SOURCE: Maurer Mauer
With the end of hostilities, the unit's aircraft went to depots in September 1945. The unit transferred stateside on 11 October 1945 on the Queen Mary
, arriving at New York, 16 October 1945 and was inactivated 18 October 1945 at Camp Kilmer
, New Jersey
.
The Group was reactivated on 1 May 1946 as a Strategic Air Command
fighter group, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
at Selfridge Army Air Base
, Michigan
, equipped with P-47 and P-51
fighters until the unit was reequipped with Lockheed
P-80s in 1947. The group trained to maintain proficiency as a mobile strike force; including bomber escort mission until transferred from Strategic Air Command to Continental Air Command
on 1 Dec 1948.
On 15 Aug 1947, the 56th Fighter Wing
was activated under the Hobson reorganization plan, and the 56th Fighter Group was assigned to the wing as a subordinate unit. The group added an air defense mission in the northeastern US in Apr 1949, and continued through Feb 1952 with its subsequent assignment to the Air Defense Command. It was redesignated 56th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 January 1950, then inactivated on 6 February 1952, as the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri-deputate system.
It replaced the 501st Air Defense Group
at O'Hare Air Reserve Station
, on 18 Aug 1955, assuming its air defense mission and operation of ADC base facilities at O'Hare.
Moving without personnel or equipment to K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
on 1 Oct 1959 when ADC shut down flight operations at O'Hare, the group absorbed the resources of the 473d Fighter Group
until the group was discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Feb 1961. Its 62 FIS remained a separate active duty squadron flying McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
s until 1969.
During the Vietnam War
, the 56th Air Commando (later Special Operations) Wing
carried out unconventional warfare missions in the Laos
theater of operations. While still inactive the group was redesignated 56th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985.
The 56th was subsequently reactivated at Luke Air Force Base
, Arizona
, on 1 April 1994, where it replaced on paper the deactivating 58th Operations Group. It has provided F-16 training operations since and also conducted F-15E Strike Eagle
combat crew training for a period between April 1994 and March 1995.
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...
, and the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
.
The group is the direct descendant of the 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...
56th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces
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....
. The 56th Fighter Group was credited by the Air Force Historical Research Agency with the destruction of 665.5 aircraft in air-to-air combat, the 56th Fighter Group had more air-to-air kills than any other fighter group in the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, was the top-scoring P-47 group during World War II, and recorded the second-highest number of air-to-air kills of any USAAF fighter group. The 56th also claimed 311 fighters destroyed on the ground.
Overview
The 56th Operations Group is the 2d largest Operations Group in the United States Air Force with 13 separate reporting organizations (second only to the 55th Operations Group in Offutt AFB, NE).In fiscal year 2006, the 56th Operations Group flew 37,000 sorties and 50,000 hours while graduating 484 F-16 students. With huge spaces in the western Arizona desert and clear weather skies for most of the year, Luke AFB and its ranges have been an important training asset for the United States Air Force for many years. This is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.
Aircraft assigned to the 56 OG are tail coded "LF", for "Luke Falcon"
Mission
The mission of the 56 OG is to train F-16 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
fighter pilots. About 200 F-16s are assigned to the group's six operational squadrons, and daily launches can easily reach triple figures on a routine training day.
Components
- 21st Fighter Squadron21st Fighter SquadronThe 21st Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training for the pilots of Republic of China .-Mission:...
, ("The Gamblers", Tailband: White & Red), operate the Block 20 F-16A/B for the Taiwanese Air Force, under a three year pilot training programme called 'Peace Fenghuang'. This is the only squadron at Luke to operate the original F-16 variant, which are unusual in being 93 fiscal year serial new build Block 20 aircraft. Prior to reforming at Luke in 1997, the 21st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron operated F-4E Phantom IIs at George AFB, California until 1993 when the base was inactivated.
- 62d Fighter Squadron62d Fighter SquadronThe 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
, ("Spikes", Tailband: White & Blue), operate a mix of F-16Cs and F-16Ds from Blocks 42C and 42D conducting F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots. The squadron formerly flew both D and then E model F-4 Phantom IIss at MacDill as part of the 56th TFW until October 1980. Conversion to the F-16A/B began around the same time, as did the re-designation of the unit as the 56th Tactical Training Wing. Relocation to Luke took place in 1994.
- 308th Fighter Squadron308th Fighter SquadronThe 308th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.-Mission:The 308th FS , fly Block 42 F-16C/Ds, wearing the dark green and white checkerboard fin band onducting F-16 Fighting Falcon crew training for active duty USAF pilots.-World War II:Initially...
, ("Emerald Knights", Tailband: Green & White (checkerboard)), fly Block 42 F-16C/Ds, wearing the dark green and white checkerboard fin band onducting F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots. Formerly assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead AFB, Florida, the squadron operated F-4Es between 1972 and 1982, then F-4Ds until conversion to F-16A/Bs in 1986. Wing tailcode was 'ZF' until December 1986, when changed to 'HS'. Homestead was closed as a front line operational base following extensive damage inflicted by Hurricane AndrewHurricane AndrewHurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in August 1992. The 308th FS, along with sister squadron the 309th, joined the numerically consecutive 310th FS with the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke in 1994 with the 'LF' tail code after two years with the 347th Fighter Wing at Moody AFB, Georgia.
- 309th Fighter Squadron309th Fighter SquadronThe 309th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
, ("Wild Ducks", Tailband: Blue & White), flies F-16C and F-16D aircraft drawn from production Blocks 25 and 42 conducting F-16 crew training for active duty USAF pilots. Prior to that aircraft operated were F-16A/Bs, preceded by E and D model F-4s whilst assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead AFB, Florida.
- 310th Fighter Squadron310th Fighter SquadronThe 310th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training....
, ("Top Hats", Tailband: Green & Yellow), fly Block 42 F-16C and D models conducting training in night operations, forward Air Control-Airborne in the F-16, and MANTIRN (Medium Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) training. The squadron was previously assigned to the Luke based 58th Tactical Training Wing. The 310th operated F-4Ds with 'LA' tailcodes until conversion to the F-16A/B between 1982 and 1984. Conversion to F-16C/D models commenced in 1989, and the Wing was re-designated as the 56th Fighter Wing in 1994.
- 425th Fighter Squadron425th Fighter SquadronThe 425th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training....
, ("Black Widows", Tailband: Red & Black), wear a red/black fin band and are unique in USAF assigned combat aircraft as they also wear the Lions head insignia of the Singapore Air Force in place of the USAF 'star and bar'. Singapore received its first eight F-16A/B models in 1998, those being Block 15 aircraft with the strengthened airframes of the Block 30 variant. These 'Peace Carvin' aircraft remained at Luke initially for pilot work up training, and were joined by nine leased F-16As formerly operated by the USAF 'Thunderbirds'. In July 1994 the Singapore government announced 'Peace Carvin II', which saw the purchase of eighteen Block 52 F-16C/Ds (eight F-16Cs and 10 F-16Ds). Nine of these machines now form the 425th FS at Luke AFB for training.
- 56th Operations Support Squadron, a non-flying squadron, the 56 OSS controls all airfield activities at Luke.
- 56th Training Squadron, also a non-flying squadron, the 56 TS provides academic, simulator and live-mission ground training in a large variety of F-16 related missions
History
- For additional history and lineage, see 56th Fighter Wing56th Fighter WingThe 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
Origins
Activated on the 15 January 1941 at Savannah AAB, Ga. Expansion of the Group began after the move to Charlotte AAB, NC in May 1941 when they were equipped with a small number of P-39 and P-40 aircraft. Intensive training at Charleston MAP, SC in Dec 1941 and from Jan to Jun 1942 at airfields in New York, at area headquarters at Mitchel field, NY. Here they flew on air defence patrols. Selected to train with the new P-47B they received the first aircraft in June 1942. The group then moved to Bridgeport MAP, Conn on 7 July 1942 and continued testing and training with early P-47s. Alerted for overseas duty in December 1942 they sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on the 6 January 1943 and arrived in Gourock on the 11 January 1943.The 56th PG was assigned three fighter squadrons:
- 61st Pursuit Squadron61st Fighter SquadronThe 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona...
- 62d Pursuit Squadron62d Fighter SquadronThe 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
- 63d Pursuit Squadron63d Fighter SquadronThe 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona...
Staffed by a cadre drawn from other units at nearby Hunter AAB the 56th PG organized as a combat unit with a high turnover in personnel. On 26 May 1941, the group relocated to Morris AAF, Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
, where it received 3 P-39's and 10 P-36's, and trained, participated in training maneuvers, served as an air defense organization, and functioned as an operational training unit (OTU). During maneuvers in October 1941 it received 10 new P-39s and performed well in an air defense role.
World War II
On 10 December 1941, in the immediate aftermath of the JapaneseEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, the 56th FG moved to Wilmington AAB, North Carolina
Wilmington International Airport
-Other operations:As of August 2011, Wilmington International Airport has 134 aircraft that are based at the Airport. There are 100 single engine aircraft, 27 multi-engine aircraft, 7 jet engine aircraft, and 3 helicopters...
for air defense duties, with its 61st FS based at Charleston AAB, South Carolina
Charleston Air Force Base
Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command...
. It received 24 newly-commissioned 2nd lieutenant pilots in December and set up a makeshift assessment school using five types of obsolete fighter aircraft, including P-35
Seversky P-35
The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
s and P-43s.
In mid-January 1942 the 56th FG shifted to air defense of New York City, with its headquarters based at Bendix AAF, New Jersey
Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport is a general aviation relief airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
, and its squadrons assigned respectively to Bridgeport, Connecticut
Sikorsky Memorial Airport
Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport , formerly known as Bridgeport Municipal Airport, is a public airport located in Stratford, three miles southeast of the central business district of Bridgeport, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States...
; Bendix; and Farmingdale, New York
Republic Airport
Republic Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The airport is on Long Island, one mile east of the central business district of Farmingdale....
. In April 1942 it received a full complement of new P-40F Warhawks to replace its makeshift equipment.
In May 1942 it was redesignated the 56th Fighter Group and its component squadrons were redesignated as fighter squadrons. The 56th FG received its first operational P-47B's from nearby Republic Aviation in June, in which it began training for combat. One of its most notable pilots, Major Robert S. Johnson
Robert S. Johnson
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Samuel Johnson was a USAAF fighter pilot during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt....
, noted that during this "break-in" phase, in addition to numerous non-fatal training accidents 18 pilots of the 56th FG were killed and 41 aircraft destroyed in crashes, many as a result of the wholly inadequate airfield at nearby Stratford
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, on Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Group headquarters shifted to Bridgeport in July, joined by the 63rd FS in September, and the 62nd FS received its P-47s in July at Bradley Field
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Four fighter groups sent to England in the summer of 1942 as part of the Bolero
Operation Bolero
Operation Bolero was the commonly used reference for the code name of the United States military troop buildup in Great Britain during World War II in preparation for the initial cross-channel invasion plan known as Operation Roundup...
buildup had been transferred to the Twelfth Air Force to support the invasion of North Africa
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, leaving the U.S. VIII Fighter Command with a single fighter group. To rebuild the fighter forces, the 56th FG was assigned for overseas duty in England. Major Hubert A. Zemke
Hubert Zemke
Colonel Hubert A. "Hub" Zemke was a career officer in the United States Air Force, a fighter pilot in World War II, and a leading USAAF ace...
, a pre-war Air Corps pilot with experience as a combat observer with the RAF and a P-40 instructor to the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
, became group commander on 16 September 1942. The 56th FG was alerted for overseas deployment on Thanksgiving Day, ceased all air operations, and moved to Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp 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 Jersey
New Jersey
New 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...
, on 28 December.
The 56th Fighter Group sailed from New York on the RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by the Cunard Line. Plying with her running mate Queen Mary as a luxury liner between Southampton, UK and New York City, USA via Cherbourg, France, she was also contracted for over twenty years to carry the Royal Mail as the second half of the two...
on 6 January 1943. Arriving at Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
, Scotland, on 11 January, the personnel of the 56th FG moved by train to their first station at RAF Kings Cliffe
RAF Kings Cliffe
RAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located near Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 12 miles west of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943.-USAAF...
in Cambridgeshire to await arrival of new P-47C's in late January. Shortly after its arrival in the UK, the 61st Fighter Squadron received a new pilot, Captain Francis S. Gabreski who had been seconded to No. 315 Squadron RAF
No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron
No 315 Polish Fighter Squadron was a Polish fighter squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1941. It was one of several Polish fighter squadrons fighting alongside the Royal Air Force during the World War II...
, a fighter squadron of Polish Air Force
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
pilots, to acquire combat experience. Bad weather prevented the group from flying its new aircraft until 10 February.
The 56th was one of three P-47 groups in England, and the only one to previously train on the Thunderbolt. The 4th Fighter Group at RAF Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
had been created the preceding September by incorporating the veteran RAF Eagle squadron
Eagle squadron
The Eagle Squadrons were 3 fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States...
s into the USAAF, and the newly-arrived 78th Fighter Group at RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill
RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force station in England. It is located just to the east of the village of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire....
had previously flown P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s. Consequently the 56th was the only group of the three to have confidence in their aircraft despite problems of compressibility in dives, and performance teething problems that included poor rate of climb, poor acceleration, numerous engine seizures to oil counterbalance seal failures, ignition system problems, radio interference, and lack of spare parts.
At the end of three months of breaking in new equipment, trouble-shooting performance problems with their new airplanes, and training in the British tactics and procedures adopted by the VIII Fighter Command, the group moved to a new base at RAF Horsham St. Faith on 6 April 1943, which had been a pre-war permanent RAF station. The 56th received ground support there from the attached 33d Service Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Douglas Pollard, and the 41st Service Squadron.
Camouflage, unit markings, and radio call signs
The three component squadrons, the 61st, 62d, and 63d Fighter Squadrons, flew P-47C (blocks 2 and 5) from February 1943 to April 1943, P-47D (blocks 1 through 30) from June 1943 to March 1945, and P-47Ms from January 1945 to 10 October 1945. All 130 P-47M models served with the 56th FG before it redeployed from UK.The P-47C and P-47D aircraft received by the 56th FG were finished in factory-applied olive drab (OD) with gray lower surfaces. Because the P-47 was the only radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
d allied fighter, the danger of other allied fighters mistaking it for the Fw 190 caused VIII Fighter Command to have 24 inches (609.6 mm) white cowl
NACA cowling
The NACA cowling is a type of aerodynamic fairing used to streamline radial engines for use on airplanes and developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1927...
bands painted on the noses of P-47s after March 1943. Other rapid identification measures used were white banding on both the tail fin and horizontal stabilizers, and the use of oversized USAAF roundel
Roundel
A roundel in heraldry is a disc; the term is also commonly used to refer to a type of national insignia used on military aircraft, generally circular in shape and usually comprising concentric rings of different colours.-Heraldry:...
s on the undersides of both wings.
The USAAF ended the factory-applied camouflage on all aircraft produced after 13 February 1944, and the first unpainted block 21 "razorback" canopy and block 25 "bubble-top" canopy models arrived in May. The first "silver" aircraft, 42-26044, was left uncamouflaged, given the name Silver Lady, and flown in combat by Capt. James Carter and Major Les Smith of the 61st FS. The first bubbletops, dubbed "Superbolts", were assigned to the group and squadron commanders until more became available.
The 56th applied field camouflage to most but not all of these replacement fighters. Most bubbletops were given an RAF-style "shadow-shading" (disruptive) pattern of "RAF green" (a shade similar to olive drab) overlaid on light sea gray (another RAF shade) on upper surfaces, while most razorbacks were field-painted in overall dark OD on upper and light gray on lower surfaces. Shadow shading, however, appeared in a variety of schemes and colors, adding to the distinction of the group's aircraft.
When P-47M's appeared in January 1945, each squadron adopted an individual camouflage scheme on upper surfaces while lower surfaces of the fighters were left unpainted. The 61st used a matte
Matte
Matte may refer to:In film:* Matte , filmmaking and video production technology* Matte painting, a process of creating sets used in film and video* Matte box, a camera accessory for controlling lens glare...
black color that faded to a dark purple. The 62d continued the green-and-gray shadow-shading pattern, while the 63d went to a shadow-shading pattern of "deep Mediterranean blue" (indigo) applied over sky blue.
VIII Fighter Command assigned the 56th Fighter Group two-letter squadron identification codes to be painted on the fuselages of its fighters, and each squadron assigned its aircraft individual letter identifiers. (The letters chosen for the 56th had previously been assigned to the 1st Fighter Group before it went to the Twelfth Air Force.) In early February 1944 the 56th replaced its white cowl bands with a different color for each squadron. This innovation lasted until mid-March, when VIII Fighter Command adopted a color system for all Eighth Air Force fighter groups. The 56th painted its noses red and later applied the squadron colors to the tail rudders of its Thunderbolts, an innovation that VIII Fighter Command also borrowed. The 56th discontinued use of squadron colors when it changed to P-47M's.
On 23 April 1944, VIII Fighter Command changed its system of radio call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
s to reduce confusion when the fighter groups, now numbering a hundred or more fighters in their inventories, deployed two groups on escort missions ("A group" and "B Group"). Station call signs (RAF Halesworth's was STURDY, and RAF Boxted's DOGDAY) were unchanged, but all previous call signs were discontinued. In 1945 provision was also made for a C Group on missions (usually only 8 to 12 fighters) and all fighters assigned to a C Group mission used the common call sign.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Operations Identification Data
61st Fighter Sqdn 62d Fighter Sqdn 63d Fighter Sqdn Squadron Code HV LM UN Squadron color red yellow light blue Radio call signs 61st FS 62d FS 63d FS Group prior to 23 April 1944, A Group KEYWORTH WOODFIRE POSTGATE YARDSTICK B Group HALSTED GROUNDHOG NORTHGROVE ASHLAND after 23 April 1944, A Group Whippet Platform Daily Fairbank B Group Household Icejug Yorker Subway C Group -- -- -- Pantile
- Operations Identification Data
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-
-
Like all Allied aircraft flying over the continent, the 56th applied alternating 18 inches (457.2 mm) black and white bands, known as "invasion stripes", to the rear fuselage and wings of its fighters just prior to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. It retained the lower wing stripes and lower portion of the rear fuselage until the end of 1944, when most invasion stripes were deleted.
SOURCES: the basic source is Freeman, but Little Friends website has identical data
1943
P-47s of VIII Fighter Command performed three types of missions during 1943, all normally in group strength of 40–48 fighters, based on like operations used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
:
- Circus – a heavy escort of a small group of bombers as a diversionary tactic to draw German fighter reaction away from the main strike,
- Rodeo – large-scale fighter sweeps through areas of German fighter reaction, to provoke an engagement, and
- Ramrod – bomber support (escort) of heavy bomber strikes, either during penetration or withdrawal of the bomber force.
The 56th FG sent its four most experienced pilots to Debden in early April 1943 to gain experience before the group's first mission, which occurred 13 April 1943. Its first combat and casualties occurred 29 April, when Capt. John E. McClure and 1st Lt. Winston W. "Bill" Garth of the 62nd FS became POW's
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. The 56th flew 24 missions and 900 sorties (almost entirely Rodeo fighter sweeps and Circus diversions) in April and May, losing a total of 3 aircraft to enemy action. Its first Ramrod
Ramrod (disambiguation)
Ramrod may refer to:*Ramrod, a device used with early firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant -Management:* Ramrod, a ranch or cattle drive trail foreman, usually the first or second person in charge....
bomber escort mission occurred 13 May, to Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
, France.
In June the group staged out of a forward base at RAF Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
, Kent, to extend its range and registered its first victories over the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, shooting down four fighters on sweeps along the coast of France and Belgium on the 12th and 13th. On 26 June, providing withdrawal support for a late afternoon bomber mission to Vélizy-Villacoublay
Vélizy-Villacoublay
Vélizy-Villacoublay is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center and east of Versailles...
airfield, it fought a 20-minute battle with veteran Fw 190 pilots of III/JG 26 over Forges-les-Eaux
Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime is a French department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre...
, France. The result was a major setback, with five Thunderbolts destroyed, four pilots killed, and only two German fighters shot down.
In July the 56th FG was moved from its comfortable quarters at Horsham St. Faith to a much-less improved installation at RAF Halesworth
RAF Halesworth
RAF Halesworth is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is west of Southwold in Suffolk.-USAAF use:Halesworth was built in 1942–1943 and was intended for use as a bomber station. It was built as a bomber station, with a 6,000 ft. main runway and two secondary runways of...
, along the coast of Suffolk, both to be nearer to German-occupied territory and to allow Horsham St. Faith to be completed as a heavy bomber base. On 12 August it used partially-filled and unpressurized 200-gallon ferry tanks as jettisonable fuel tanks
Drop tank
In aeronautics, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable...
for the first time in combat, escorting bombers headed for Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany. In its first four months of missions, the 56th Group shot down 9 aircraft and lost 10.
The 56th provided penetration support on 17 August 1943, for B-17s of the 4th Bomb Wing headed for Regensburg
Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission
The Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission was an air combat battle in World War II. A strategic bombing attack flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces on August 17, 1943, it was conceived as an ambitious plan to cripple the German aircraft industry...
in the morning, returned to base to re-arm and re-fuel, and flew withdrawal support for the 1st Bomb Wing returning from Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission
The Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission was an air combat battle in World War II. A strategic bombing attack flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces on August 17, 1943, it was conceived as an ambitious plan to cripple the German aircraft industry...
in the late afternoon. It scored its first major victory, penetrating fifteen miles (24 km) into Germany to break up frontal attacks on the bombers. The 56th used tactics it called "dive, fire, and recover", attacking German fighters from a higher altitude, taking advantage of its tremendous diving speed, then zooming back to gain altitude advantage. In a running twenty-minute battle across Belgium, the 56th claimed 17 German fighters shot down ( mainly of JG 3 and JG 26) for a loss of three P-47s and pilots. Three of those kills were made by Capt. Gerald W. Johnson of the 61st FS, who two days later (when the groups shot down 9 more) became the first ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
in the group and the second in the ETO
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
.
When the Eighth Air Force resumed deep penetration bombing missions between 2 and 14 October, the 56th FG shot down 37 Germans while losing just one Thunderbolt. Its radius of action had been considerably augmented on 31 August by the installation of new belly drop tank shackles on its P-47s that permitted use of 75-gallon steel drop tanks. The Thunderbolts were also modified to pressurize the tanks above 20000 feet (6,096 m) by feeding vented air from the instrument vacuum pump into them, and became the norm for future operations, with range further extended periodically by the use of tanks of increasingly larger size. The use of wing tank pylons did not begin until May 1944 and because of its negative effect on maneuvering performance, was not preferred.
The addition of belly shackles also enabled the P-47 to carry bombs, and on a mission on 25 November both the 56th and 78th Fighter Groups bombed airfields in France, escorted by P-47s of the 353rd and 356th Groups. The 56th dropped from a horizontal attitude with mixed results, but the dive-bombing technique used by the 78th FG was particularly successful; the missions led to the subsequent development of the P-47 as a fighter-bomber, which became its primary role in the ETO.
Although bomber missions were cut back and contacts with German aircraft were sporadic for the remainder of the year, the 56th FG shot down 81 more Germans, including 23 on 26 November (for a single loss) and 17 on 11 December (2 lost). These actions was particularly effective in that the 56th destroyed large formations of Bf 110 "Zerstörers", twin-engined fighters that specialized in attacking bombers, without being drawn away by the more numerous single-engined fighter top cover. During its first seven months in combat the 56th FG shot down 167 aircraft (more than the 4th and 78th FGs combined), and lost 33 of is own to all causes. Ten of its pilots had becomes aces, and two (Capt. Walker M. Mahurin
Bud Mahurin
Colonel Walker Melville "Bud" Mahurin was a retired officer of the United States Air Force . During World War II, while serving in the United States Army Air Forces , he was a noted flying ace....
and 1st Lt. Robert S. Johnson
Robert S. Johnson
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Samuel Johnson was a USAAF fighter pilot during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt....
) were double-aces (10 kills).
1944 up to D-Day
The longer range and agility of the P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
resulted in the decision in January 1944 to give the Eighth Air Force priority in the acquisition of the Mustang. New P-51 units of the Ninth would be exchanged for P-47 groups earmarked for the Eighth, and all VIII Fighter Command Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
groups would eventually be re-equipped with the Mustang. The sole exception to this change was the 56th Fighter Group, which decided to retain its P-47s for the duration.
On 11 January the 56th flew its first double-group mission, protecting bombers flying to targets in central Germany. Dispatching 72 fighters, the force was divided into an "A Group" and a "B Group", both with three squadron formations, each squadron with 12 fighters. At the direction of Army Air Forces chief General Henry H. Arnold
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold was an American general officer holding the grades of General of the Army and later General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps , Commanding General of the U.S...
, with the objective of destroying the Luftwaffe where it could be found, the Eighth Air Force released its fighters to strafe targets of opportunity while returning to base after completion of their primary escort mission. The 56th FG attacked Juvincourt-et-Damary
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
, France, on 11 February on its first ground attack against German airfields.
The 56th Fighter Group won a Distinguished Unit Citation for a series of missions flown between 20 February and 9 March 1944. The campaign opened with Operation Argument, better known as "the Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
", a sustained attempt to destroy the Luftwaffe in the air while attacking aircraft factories with strategic bombing. It was also the first use by P-47s of 150-gallon drop tanks, which boosted flight endurance time on the Thunderbolt from 1 hour 50 minutes on internal fuel to over three hours using an auxiliary tank. At the same time the 56th was assigned a bomber escort sector in the vicinity of Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, and the combination resulted in the shooting down of 49 Luftwaffe fighters over four days. The last week of the campaign saw the first USAAF bomber attacks on Berlin, and the group destroyed 38 more fighters in the air. The 56th Fighter Group recorded its 350th kill on 16 March, having shot down 140 German aircraft in 12 missions.
The campaign also resulted in highly-publicized speculation of which among the emerging P-47 and P-51 aces would break the U.S. World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
record of 26 destroyed by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
. Pilots of the 56th who became well-known figures included Hub Zemke, Bud Mahurin, Bob Johnson, Jerry Johnson, and Gabby Gabreski, with Bob Johnson being the first to break Rickenbacker's mark on 8 May (as a result of which he was immediately grounded from further combat). Mahurin and Jerry Johnson were both shot down on 27 March, with Johnson being captured. Although Mahurin successfully returned to Allied territory, his knowledge of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
ended his combat tour.
On 15 April 1944, Operation Jackpot was initiated by VIII Fighter Command, a planned series of strafing attacks against specific German airfields. The hazardous nature of the airfield attacks can be demonstrated by comparing them to the mission of 13 April (which marked the first anniversary of the 56th FG in combat) just two days prior. Escorting bombers that day, VIII Fighter Command's 676 Lightnings, Mustangs, and Thunderbolts achieved 18 air-to-air kills against just 6 losses, while the airfield strafing mission had losses of 33 of the 616 fighters involved.
The Eighth Air Force needed Halesworth for a new B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
group, and sent the 56th to RAF Boxted
RAF Boxted
RAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
on 18 April, a base the 354th FG had just vacated, moving to southern England in preparation for the invasion of France. At the same time, a significant number of original 56th Group pilots reached the 200-hour limit that constituted completion of a fighter tour. At least 13 elected to continue with the 56th on a tour extension and were granted an immediate 30-day leave in the United States before continuing in combat. Although several second tour pilots were later killed, most survived to provide a sizable core of experienced leadership that enabled the 56th to maintain its position as the leading air-to-air combat fighter group.
The emergence of the P-51 as the long-range escort fighter of choice in the Eighth Air Force sharply reduced combat contacts for the P-47 groups, including the 56th. After splitting almost 550 victories with the P-47s in the Big Week-Berlin campaign, the five veteran groups of Mustangs totally dominated air-to-air combat in April, their 310 kills outscoring the Thunderbolts 6 to 1. Kills for the 56th FG dropped from 85 in March to just 18 in April. The situation was aggravated by the completion of tours of its veteran pilots, but was partially rectified by the recruitment of volunteer bomber pilots who had completed tours and by the invitation to six pilots of the Polish Air Force, serving with the RAF, to join Gabreski's 61st FS.
In a search for ways of increasing its air-to-air effectiveness, Col. Zemke devised a tactic later dubbed the "Zemke fan" to enhance the flexibility of escorts. Instead of flying close escort with the bombers, his concept called for the group to rendezvous at an easily-found landmark in its escort zone, from which it would break up into individual flights and fan out in a 180° arc, maintaining contact to respond to attacks on the bomber stream.
On 12 May, the "Zemke fan" was tried for the first time and proved successful in initiating contacts. Although the engagements resulted in 18 kills for the 56th FG, both of Zemke's wingmen were shot down by Luftwaffe ace Major Gunther Rall
Günther Rall
Lieutenant-General Günther Rall was the third most successful fighter ace in history. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He achieved a total of 275 victories during World War II: 272 on the Eastern Front,...
of JG 11 (who was then shot down by 56th ace Joe Powers and his wingman) while Zemke's flight was still badly outnumbered. Zemke modified the tactic to fan out squadrons rather than flights. The tactic was later modified and adopted by other fighter groups.
The battle on 12 May was also notable in that 1st Lt. Robert J. Rankin, responding to Zemke's call for help, shot down five German fighters during the action, becoming the group's first "Ace in a day
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
". The feat was repeated on 7 July by Capt. Fred J. Christensen
Fred J. Christensen
Fred Joseph Christensen Jr. was a fighter pilot and ace with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. A member of the 56th Fighter Group in England, Christensen scored 21.5 aerial victories...
, on 23 December by Col. David C. Schilling
David C. Schilling
David Carl Schilling was a U.S. Air Force officer, fighter ace, and leading advocate of long-range jet fighter operations. Kansas' Schilling Air Force Base was named in his memory.-Biography:...
, and on 14 January 1945, by Capt. Felix D. Williamson.
The modified tactics were put into effect on an escort mission the morning of 22 May, when the 61st FS attacked a large number of Fw 190s of JG 11 over Höperhöfen airfield near Rotenburg an der Wümme
Rotenburg an der Wümme
Rotenburg an der Wümme is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Rotenburg.-Geography:...
and shot down 11 without loss. (meant here is Rotenburg-Wümme airfield. There were at least two losses, C.B. Nale,HV-J near Süderwalsede and R. Heineman, HV-N, near Westerwalsede) In a second mission that afternoon, the 56th was part of a 4-group Thunderbolt raid against a railroad bridge at Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
, Belgium, dropping 500-pound bombs at varying altitudes and using level, glide-bombing, and dive-bombing tactics, trying to determine the most effective means of using the P-47 as a fighter-bomber.
Summer and autumn 1944
On the evening of 5 June 1944, all the P-47s of the group had their fuselages and wings painted with distinctive "invasion stripes" (see Camouflage, unit markings, and radio call signs above). Beginning at 0400 on 6 June, the 56th FG flew 16 group missions in two days in support of the invasion of France at Normandy. 12 of the missions were as fighter-bombers interdicting German lines of communication, and the Thunderbolts were attacked by German fighters on 7 June while at low altitude, but retained air superiority by shooting down 12. Five P-47s were lost, all but one shot down by ground fire.
The invasion marked a change in mission priorities for the 56th FG. While the group continued to contribute to bomber escort missions, its primary tasks became ground attack, first in attacking roads and railways, then in supporting the advance of Allied armies after the breakout of 25 July
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
. Strafing attacks in July cost the 56th FG two veteran squadron commanders and aces: Capt. Joe Egan was killed on 19 July and the next day Lt. Col. Gabby Gabreski was forced to crashland in Germany and became a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Gabreski had matched Johnson's 27 victories on 27 June, then exceeded it on 5 July to tie the USAAF Pacific Theater's top ace Major Richard Bong
Richard Bong
Richard Ira "Dick" Bong is the United States' highest-scoring air ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II. He was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces and a recipient of the Medal of Honor...
for most victories in the USAAF at 28 (Bong went to score 40).
Command of the 56th Fighter Group passed to Lt. Col. David C. Schilling
David C. Schilling
David Carl Schilling was a U.S. Air Force officer, fighter ace, and leading advocate of long-range jet fighter operations. Kansas' Schilling Air Force Base was named in his memory.-Biography:...
on 12 August 1944, when Zemke accepted a transfer to command the novice 479th Fighter Group, whose commander had been shot down 10 August. Schilling had begun his second tour of operations at the end of July and had been group deputy commander since 19 August 1943. The ground attack missions of the 56th intensified as the group attacked Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen is a town and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig...
airfield on 5 September, destroying 78 aircraft and damaging 19, but losing four.
On 17 September the group along with the other remaining P-47 groups of VIII Fighter Command flew ground attack missions protecting the Allied airborne landings
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
(Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
) in Holland. The next day the 56th dispatched 39 fighters to attack antiaircraft positions in support of a resupply mission for the U.S. airborne divisions by B-24 bombers, for which the group was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. Dueling flak sites near Oosterhout
Oosterhout
Oosterhout is a municipality and a city in the South of the Netherlands. At June, 2008, the city population was 54,015.-History:Oosterhout is mentioned for the first time in 1277, although archaeological excavations showed the existence of human settlements in the area in prehistoric times. The...
, Netherlands, despite a 500-foot (150 m) cloud ceiling and severe haze, the 56th lost 16 aircraft: 5 shot down over German-held territory, 9 crash-landed in Allied territory on the continent, and two crashed in England. Three of the 16 pilots were killed and 3 captured.
The 56th FG carried out other missions in conjunction with Operation Market Garden until 23 September. On the 21 September, assigned a patrol sector between Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
and Lochem
Lochem
Lochem is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. it is also the hebrew word for soldier or warrior. On 1 January 2005, the municipality merged with the municipality of Gorssel.- Population centres :Small hamlets are printed in italics....
to protect a resupply mission to Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, the group attacked and destroyed 15 of a group of 22 Fw 190 aircraft. However, the 56th had been late arriving in its patrol area and had encountered the German fighters after they had already attacked RAF Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
s of 38 Group, shooting down 15.
On 15 September, operational control of VIII Fighter Command's three fighter wings was placed directly under the headquarters of the bomb divisions, removing a layer of command, with a wing controlled by each division. After this date, the 56th Fighter Group's primary duty was protection of the B-24s of the 2nd Bomb Division based in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. On 1 November 1944, the 56th FG had its first encounter with Me 262 jets, resulting in a kill shared with another group.
During the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, the 56th FG engaged over 40 Luftwaffe fighters attempting to attack U.S. bombers supporting Allied ground forces on 23 December 1944. The 56th shot down 32 to become the first U.S. fighter group to be credited with more than 800 aircraft destroyed in both the air and starfing attacks, with group commander Schilling shooting down 5.
Final operations
The end of 1944 saw the 56th become the sole remaining group of P-47 Thunderbolts in the Eighth Air Force, as the 353rd FG converted to Mustangs on 2 October, the 356th FG on 20 November, and the 78th FG on 29 December. Beginning 3 January 1945, the 56th began receiving the P-47M, built to be the fastest Allied piston-driven fighter. Externally identical to the P-47D bubbletops, the P-47M had an up-powered R-2800-57C
Pratt & Whitney R-2800
The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is a two-row, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial aircraft engine with a displacement of 2,804 in³ , and is part of the long-lived Wasp family....
engine and also incorporated all the range-extending characteristics previously developed for the P-47, particularly use of a 215-gallon belly drop tank.
The 61st Fighter Squadron received the first P-47M-1-REs and immediately began encountering engine problems. Multiple engine failures, including two crash-landings, resulted in the grounding of the Ms on 26 February. Technical problems were believed resolved with the identification of brittle ignition harnesses (as experienced in the P-47C two years before) and the final D-model left the group on 1 March. On 4 March operations resumed, but four crashes in five days, three of them fatal, again led to grounding of the aircraft on 16 March. A dozen P-51B Mustangs were brought to Boxted in case rapid conversion to the P-51 became necessary, but the new problem of engine failure and oil tank rupture was traced to salt-water corrosion in the shipment of new engines overseas. By 24 March every engine and ignition harness on all the Ms had been replaced and the entire group was equipped with the new model, eventually receiving all 130 production P-47Ms.
The advent of the German jet threat and the belief by Allied intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
that it used low grade (high flash point
Flash point
The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. Measuring a flash point requires an ignition source...
) fuels
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
that resisted ignition by .50-caliber
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
strikes led to the development of new ammunition for American fighters. The experimental round, called the T48, used a concentrated incendiary
Incendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
compound and had a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 3400 feet (1036 m) per second, which was 20% greater than existing ammunition. The 56th FG was chosen to test the new ammunition in February 1945 but the teething problems of the P-47M postponed the tests until the mechanical problems were resolved. In April the 56th began airfield strafing attacks using the T-48 round, culminating in an attack on Eggebek
Eggebek
Eggebek is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 17 km northwest of Schleswig, and 18 km south of Flensburg....
airfield, in which the T48 was used extensively.
The success of the tests resulted in the standardization of the new round as the M23 incendiary, issued to all groups but too late to see combat.
Colonel Schilling's extended tour ended 27 January and command of the group passed to Lt. Col. Lucian A. Dade, who had been one of the group's original pilots as a second lieutenant and had served as squadron commander, operations officer, and deputy commander of the group. During his duty as operations officer, "Pete" Dade had been forbidden to fly combat missions by Zemke and was still on his first combat tour after two years in theater. This led to some distrust of his ability as an aggressive leader among the pilots, although as one historian noted, Zemke and Schilling were "hard acts to follow". Despite this Dade led 49 fighters to Eggebek on 13 April, locating 150 to 200 aircraft parked on the field and two nearby satellite strips.
Employing the 62nd FS at 15000 feet (4,572 m) as top cover, the 61st FS orbitted at 10000 feet (3,048 m) while the 63rd FS dove on the field, its first pass to suppress ground fire, and then completed 140 individual passes on the fields, claiming 44 destroyed. The 61st then attacked, making 94 passes and claiming 25 destroyed, followed by the 62nd, making 105 and claiming 26. One Thunderbolt (P-47M 44-21134 UN: P, Teacher's Pet, 1st Lt. William R. Hoffman, 63rd FS) was shot down and the pilot killed when his parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
did not open in time. The totals for the day were 339 passes, 95 aircraft destroyed and another 95 damaged, and more than 78,000 rounds of ammunition expended. 2nd Lt. Randall Murphy of the 63rd FS, using T48 ammunition, was credited after a review of his gun camera film
Film stock
Film stock is photographic film on which filmmaking of motion pictures are shot and reproduced. The equivalent in television production is video tape.-1889–1899:...
with 10 planes destroyed, the high mark for the group.
On 16 April, during another strafing mission, the final P-47 of the 56th FG went down (P-47M 44-21230, LM: A, Capt. John W. Appel, 62nd FS) but its pilot successfully returned to Allied lines, and on 21 April the group flew its final combat mission. Freeman's statistical summary lists 447 group missions; 19,391 sorties; 64,302 hours of combat flight time; 128 P-47s shot down (85 by ground fire); 44 P-47s destroyed in ETO accidents; 18 pilots awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
(Col. Schilling twice); and 28 awards of the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
. Three of the original group pilots—Dade, deputy commander and subsequent group commander Lt. Col. Donald D. Renwick, and operations officer Major James R. Carter—were assigned to the group at the end of the war.
Aerial victory claims
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...
of JG 7 shot down on 10 April 1945, by 2d Lt. Walter J. Sharbo, also of the 62d Fighter Squadron, in P-47M 44-21237 (LM-C Marion – North Dakota Kid), near Wittstock
Wittstock
Wittstock is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in north-western Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Dosse, 20 km east of Pritzwalk, and 95 km northwest of Berlin. It was the location of the 1636 Battle of Wittstock between Sweden and an alliance of the Holy Roman...
, Germany.
The 56th Fighter Group had 677½ claims credited by the Eighth Air Force for German aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat. U.S. Air Force Historical Study No. 85 recognizes 674.5 aerial victories for the 56th. This total is the second highest among USAAF fighter groups in the ETO
ETO
ETO may refer to:* Early termination option in a contract* Earned time off* Earth to orbit* Efforts to Outcomes Software* Electronics Technology Office * Electro-Technical Officer* Emitter Turn-Off thyristor* Engineering, Technology, Operations...
(behind the 354th Group with 701), the highest among all Eighth Air Force groups, and the highest among all P-47 groups of the USAAF. Eighth Air Force also credited the 357th Fighter Group with 311 German aircraft destroyed on the ground, making an overall total of 976.5, which is second among all Eighth Air Force fighter groups.
Of the air-to-air totals, 4.5 were Me-262 jets. 2d Lt. Walter Groce of the 63d FS shared a credit on 1 November 1944, with a P-51 pilot of the 352d FG for one of the first Me 262 jets shot down. P-47Ms accounted for four: Maj. George Bostwick and 2d Lt. Edwin M. Crosthwait, 63d FS on 25 March 1945, over Parchim
Parchim
Parchim is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of Moltke, to whom a monument was erected in 1876. Founded about 1210, one branch of the family of the duke of Mecklenburg residence in Parchim during part of the 14th...
; Capt. John Fahringer, 63rd FS, on 5 April; and Sharbo on 10 April. Two AR 234 jet bombers were claimed 14 March 1945, by the 62d FS, 1st Lt. Norman D. Gould shooting down one and the other shared by 1st Lt. Sandford N. Ball and 1st Lt. Warren S. Lear.
Among the various units of the 56th, the 61st Fighter Squadron had the most victories, 232 shot down by 68 pilots. The 62d Fighter Squadron was credited with 219.5 kills by 79 pilots, the 63d Fighter Squadron with 174.25 kills by 64 pilots, and group headquarters with 39.75 kills by 4 pilots.
-
-
- Aerial victories by unit and period
Unit Jun–Dec 1943 Jan–Jun 1944 Jul–Dec 1944 Jan–Apr 1945 Unit Total 61st FS 60 141 29 2 232 62d FS 43 ½ 87 69 20 219 ½ 63d FS 48 56 ¾ 50½ 19 174 ¼ Grp HQ 15 ½ 15 ¼ 9 0 39 ¾ Period Tot 167 300 157 ½ 41 665 ½
- Aerial victories by unit and period
-
Aces of the 56th Fighter Group
Counting only air-to-air victory claims registered while with the group (therefore discounting air-to-ground claims), the 56th had 39 pilots become aceFlying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
s, the second-most of any ETO fighter group (the 354th Fighter Group of the 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....
and the 357th Fighter Group
357th Fighter Group
The 357th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. The 357th operated P-51 Mustang aircraft as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force and its members were known unofficially as "The Yoxford Boys" after a village near their base...
, flying P-51s, had 42).
| Pilot | Sqdrn | Credits | Casualty Status | Personal Aircraft |
| Lt. Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski Gabby Gabreski Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski was the top American fighter ace in Europe during World War II, a jet fighter ace in Korea, and a career officer in the United States Air Force with more than 26 years service.Although best known for his credited destruction of 34½ aircraft in aerial combat and... |
61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
28 | POW 20 July 1944 | |
| Major Robert S. Johnson Robert S. Johnson Lieutenant Colonel Robert Samuel Johnson was a USAAF fighter pilot during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.... |
61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... , 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
27 | All Hell, Lucky, Double Lucky, Penrod & Sam | |
| Col. David C. Schilling David C. Schilling David Carl Schilling was a U.S. Air Force officer, fighter ace, and leading advocate of long-range jet fighter operations. Kansas' Schilling Air Force Base was named in his memory.-Biography:... |
Grp | 22.5 | Whack | |
| Capt. Fred J. Christensen Jr. | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
21.5 | "Boche Buster"-Rozzie Geth, Miss Fire-Rozzie Geth II | |
| Major Walker M. "Bud" Mahurin Bud Mahurin Colonel Walker Melville "Bud" Mahurin was a retired officer of the United States Air Force . During World War II, while serving in the United States Army Air Forces , he was a noted flying ace.... |
63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
19.75 | Evaded 27 March 1944 | "Spirit of Atlantic City, N.J." |
| Major Gerald W. "Jerry" Johnson | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... , 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
16.5 | POW 27 March 1944 | In the Mood – "Jackson County, Michigan, Fighter" |
| Col. Hubert A. "Hub" Zemke Hubert Zemke Colonel Hubert A. "Hub" Zemke was a career officer in the United States Air Force, a fighter pilot in World War II, and a leading USAAF ace... |
Grp | 15.25 | POW | Happy Warrior – "Oregon's Britannia" |
| Capt. Joseph H. Powers Jr. | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... , 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
14.5 | Powers' Girl | |
| Capt. Felix D. "Willie" Williamson | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
13 | Willie | |
| Major Leroy A. Schreiber | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... , 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
12 | KIA Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... 15 April 1944 |
|
| Major James C. Stewart | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
11.5 | ||
| Major Paul A. Conger | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... , 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
11.5 | Hollywood High Hatter – "Redondo Beach, California" | |
| Capt. Michael J. Quirk | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
11 | POW 9 September 1944 | |
| 1st Lt. Robert J. "Shorty" Rankin | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
10 | ||
| Sqd. Ldr. Boleslaw M. Gladych Boleslaw Gladych Bolesław Michal Gładych was a Polish fighter pilot, a flying ace of the World War II. He was born in Warsaw.-Polish Air Force:... |
61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
10 | Pengie and four successors | |
| 1st Lt. Stanley D. "Fats" Morrill | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
9 | Died flying accident 29 March 1944 | Fats-Btfsplk, Debt Collector |
| Major Michael J. Jackson | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
8 | Teddy | |
| Major George E. Bostwick | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... , 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
8¹ | Ugly Duckling | |
| 1st Lt. Glen D. Schiltz Jr. | 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
8 | Pam | |
| Capt. Robert A. Lamb | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
7 | Jackie | |
| Major Leslie C. Smith | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
7 | Silver Lady | |
| 1st Lt. Frank W. Klibbe | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
7 | Little Chief-Anderson, Indiana | |
| 2nd Lt. Billy G. Edens | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
7 | POW 9 September 1944 | |
| 1st Lt. John H. "Lucky" Truluck, Jr. | 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
7 | Lady Jane | |
| Capt. Mark L. Moseley | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
6.5 | Sylvia | |
| Major James R. Carter | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
6 | Silver Lady | |
| 1st Lt. Robert J. Keen | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
6 | Ice Cold Kattie | |
| Capt. Walter V. Cook | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
6 | Little Cookie | |
| Capt. Cameron M. Hart | 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
6 | ||
| 1st Lt. George F. Hall | 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
6 | ||
| 1st Lt. Frank E. McCauley | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5.5 | Rat Racer | |
| Major Donovan F. "Dieppe" Smith | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5.5 | Ole Cock, Ole Cock II | |
| Lt. Norman D. Gould | 62 | 5.5 | ||
| Capt. Joseph H. Bennett | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5.5 | Ann II, Lucky | |
| F.O. Evan O. McMinn | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5 | Killed in action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... 6 June 1944 |
|
| 2nd Lt. Steven N. Gerick | 61 61st Fighter Squadron The 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5 | ||
| 2nd Lt. Joe W. Icard | 62 62d Fighter Squadron The 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:... |
5 | Killed in action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... 8 March 1944 |
|
| Major Harold E. "Bunny" Comstock Harold E. Comstock Harold Elwood “Bunny” Comstock was a World War II fighter ace in the 56th Fighter Group and a career fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. After a test flight of the P-47 Thunderbolt on 13 November 1942, Republic Aviation issued a press release on 1 December 1942, claiming that he and... |
63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5 | Happy Warrior | |
| Capt. Joseph L. Egan, Jr. | 63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5 | Killed in action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... 19 July 1944 |
Holy Joe |
| Capt. John W. Vogt, Jr. John W. Vogt, Jr. General John William Vogt, Jr. was commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, and commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.-Biography:... |
63 63d Fighter Squadron The 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona... |
5 | Lucky Little Devil |
SOURCE: USAF Historical Study 85. Nickname source Little Friends website and Freeman, 56th Fighter Group
¹Totals include one Me 262 jet shot down
Bases, commanders, and casualties
| 56th FG losses | |
|---|---|
| 128 | P-47's lost in combat |
| 44 | P-47's lost in accidents |
| 10 | P-47's written off for battle damage |
| 84 | killed in action Killed in action Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to... or missing in action Missing in action Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively... |
| 30 | killed in accidents |
| 34 | captured Prisoner of war A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... |
| 27 | Wounded in action Wounded in action Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight.... |
| SOURCES: | |
| Freeman, 56th Fighter Group p. 118 | |
| Little Friends |
-
- 56th FG commanders
Group Commanders Date of command Lt. Col. Davis D. Graves December 1941 Col. John C. Crosthwaite 1 June 1942 Col. Hubert A. Zemke 16 September 1942 Col. Robert B. Landry 30 October 1943 Col. Hubert A. Zemke 19 January 1944 Col. David C. Schilling 12 August 1944 Lt. Col.Lucian A. Dade, Jr. 27 January 1945 Lt. Col. Donald D. Renwick August 1945 (vacant, then inactivated) 10 October 1945
- 56th FG commanders
SOURCE: Maurer Mauer
Air Defense Command
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
, arriving at New York, 16 October 1945 and was inactivated 18 October 1945 at Camp Kilmer
Camp Kilmer
Camp 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 Jersey
New Jersey
New 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...
.
The Group was reactivated on 1 May 1946 as a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
fighter group, being assigned to 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....
at Selfridge Army Air Base
Selfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan 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"....
, equipped with P-47 and P-51
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters until the unit was reequipped with Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
P-80s in 1947. The group trained to maintain proficiency as a mobile strike force; including bomber escort mission until transferred from Strategic Air Command to Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
on 1 Dec 1948.
On 15 Aug 1947, the 56th Fighter Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
was activated under the Hobson reorganization plan, and the 56th Fighter Group was assigned to the wing as a subordinate unit. The group added an air defense mission in the northeastern US in Apr 1949, and continued through Feb 1952 with its subsequent assignment to the Air Defense Command. It was redesignated 56th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 January 1950, then inactivated on 6 February 1952, as the Air Force reorganized its wings into the tri-deputate system.
It replaced the 501st Air Defense Group
501st Air Defense Group
The 501st Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4706th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois...
at O'Hare Air Reserve Station
O'Hare Air Reserve Station
O'Hare Air Reserve Station is a former United States Air Force base, located at O'Hare International Airport. It was located west-northwest of Chicago, Illinois...
, on 18 Aug 1955, assuming its air defense mission and operation of ADC base facilities at O'Hare.
Moving without personnel or equipment to K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan 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"....
on 1 Oct 1959 when ADC shut down flight operations at O'Hare, the group absorbed the resources of the 473d Fighter Group
473d Fighter Group
The 473d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division, stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan. It was inactivated on 30 September 1959....
until the group was discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Feb 1961. Its 62 FIS remained a separate active duty squadron flying McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
s until 1969.
During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the 56th Air Commando (later Special Operations) Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
carried out unconventional warfare missions in the Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
theater of operations. While still inactive the group was redesignated 56th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985.
56th Operations Group
The group was reactivated in on 1 Nov 1991 as the 56th Operations Group and assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at MacDill AFB, Florida. The 56th OG was the operational component of the wing under the new "Objective Wing" concept adapted by the Air Force, and was bestowed the history and honors of the 56th Fighter Group. It conducted F-16 transition training at MacDill until mid-1993, phasing down its operations until inactivated 4 January 1994 with the phaseout of figher operations at MacDill.The 56th was subsequently reactivated at Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, on 1 April 1994, where it replaced on paper the deactivating 58th Operations Group. It has provided F-16 training operations since and also conducted F-15E Strike Eagle
F-15E Strike Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
combat crew training for a period between April 1994 and March 1995.
Lineage
- Established as 56th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940
- Activated on 15 Jan 1941
- Redesignated 56th Fighter Group on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945
- Activated on 1 May 1946
- Redesignated 56th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 Jan 1950
- Inactivated on 6 Feb 1952
- Redesignated 56th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 20 Jun 1955
- Activated on 18 Aug 1955
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Feb 1961
- Redesignated 56th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985
- Redesignated 56th Operations Group on 28 Oct 1991
- Activated on 1 Nov 1991
- Inactivated on 4 Jan 1994
- Activated on 1 Apr 1994.
Assignments
- Southeast Air District (later, Third Air Force), 15 Jan 1941
- Attached to 17th Bombardment Wing [Light], 15 Jan – 16 May 1941
- Attached to III Interceptor Command, c. 17 Jun – 1 Oct 1941
- III Interceptor Command, 2 Oct 1941
- I Interceptor (later, I Fighter) Command, 15 Jan 1942
- New York Air Defense Wing, 11 Aug 1942
- VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 12 Jan 1943 - 4th Air Defense Wing, 30 Jun 1943
- 65th Fighter Wing, 7 Aug 1943
- Attached to: 2d Bombardment (later Air) Division. 15 Sep 1944 – 10 Oct 1945
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe 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....
, 1 May 1946
- Attached to 65 Combat Fighter Wing, Very Long Range, Provisional, Jan-14 Aug 1947
- 56 Fighter (later, 56 Fighter-Interceptor) Wing56th Fighter WingThe 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
, 15 Aug 1947 – 6 Feb 1952 - 4706th Air Defense Wing4706th Air Defense WingThe 4706th Air Defense Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division, being stationed at Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan...
, 18 Aug 1955 - 37th Air Division, 8 Feb 1956
- 30th Air Division, 1 Apr 1959
- Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense SectorSault Sainte Marie Air Defense SectorThe Sault Sainte Marie Air Defense Sector is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division, being stationed at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan.- History :...
, 1 Apr 1960 – 1 Feb 1961
- 56 Fighter (later, 56 Fighter-Interceptor) Wing
- Attached to 30th Air Division, 1 Apr – 14 Jun 1960
- 56th Fighter Wing56th Fighter WingThe 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
, 1 Nov 1991 – 4 Jan 1994; 1 Apr 1994 – present
- 56th Fighter Wing
Components
- 21st Fighter Squadron21st Fighter SquadronThe 21st Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training for the pilots of Republic of China .-Mission:...
: 8 Aug 1996 – present - 61st Pursuit (later, 61st Fighter, 61st Fighter-Interceptor; 61st Fighter) Squadron61st Fighter SquadronThe 61st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona...
: 15 Jan 1941 – 18 Oct 1945; 1 May 1946-6 Feb 1952; 1 Nov 1991 – 12 Aug 1993; 1 Apr 1994-27 August 2010. - 62d Pursuit (later, 62d Fighter; 62d Fighter-Interceptor; 62d Fighter) Squadron62d Fighter SquadronThe 62d Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
: 15 Jan 1941 – 18 Oct 1945; 1 May 1946-6 Feb 1952 (detached c. 28 Dec 1946-c. 10 Apr 1947 and c. 28 Jul 1950 – 6 Feb 1952); 18 Aug 1955-1 Feb 1961 (detached 1 Aug – 30 Sep 1959); 1 Nov 1991 – 14 May 1993; 1 Apr 1994 – present - 63d Pursuit (later, 63d Fighter; 63d Fighter-Interceptor; 63d Fighter) Squadron63d Fighter SquadronThe 63d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona...
: 15 Jan 1941 – 18 Oct 1945; 1 May 1946-6 Feb 1952; 18 Aug 1955 – 8 Jan 1958; 1 Nov 1991-25 Feb 1993; 1 Apr 1994 – 22 May 2009. - 72d Fighter Squadron: 1 Nov 1991 – 19 Jun 1992
- 136th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 21 Jul 1951 – 6 Feb 1952
- 172d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached 1 May 1951 – 6 Feb 1952
- 308th Fighter Squadron308th Fighter SquadronThe 308th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.-Mission:The 308th FS , fly Block 42 F-16C/Ds, wearing the dark green and white checkerboard fin band onducting F-16 Fighting Falcon crew training for active duty USAF pilots.-World War II:Initially...
: 1 Apr 1994 – present - 309th Fighter Squadron309th Fighter SquadronThe 309th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
: 1 Apr 1994 – present - 310th Fighter Squadron310th Fighter SquadronThe 310th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training....
: 1 Apr 1994 – present - 311th Fighter Squadron311th Fighter SquadronThe 311th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, being stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It was inactivated on 26 September 1995...
: 1 Jan – 26 September 1995. - 425th Fighter Squadron425th Fighter SquadronThe 425th Fighter Squadron is part of the 56th Operations Group at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting advanced fighter training....
: 1 Apr 1994 – present - 461st Fighter Squadron: 1 Apr – 5 Aug 1994
- 550th Fighter Squadron: 1 Apr 1994 – 31 Mar 1995.
Stations
- Savannah Army AirbaseHunter Army AirfieldHunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 15 Jan 1941 - Charlotte Army Airbase, 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...
, 26 May 1941 - Charleston Army Airfield, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, c. 10 Dec 1941 - Teaneck ArmoryTeaneck ArmoryTeaneck Armory at 1799 Teaneack Road is an armory and arena located on a site in Teaneck, New Jersey. A facility of the New Jersey National Guard, it is home to the Soccer Coliseum.-History:...
, 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 Jan 1942 - Bridgeport Army Airfield, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, 6 Jul–Dec 1942 - RAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings CliffeRAF Kings Cliffe is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located near Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, 12 miles west of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Originally the airfield was grass-surfaced but hard-surfaced runways and a perimeter track were laid down early in 1943.-USAAF...
(USAAF Station 367), England, 12 Jan 1943 - RAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St FaithRAF Horsham St Faith was a Royal Air Force station near Norwich, Norfolk, England from 1939 to 1963. It was then developed as Norwich International Airport.-RAF Bomber Command use:...
(USAAF Station 123), England, 5 Apr 1943 - RAF HalesworthRAF HalesworthRAF Halesworth is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is west of Southwold in Suffolk.-USAAF use:Halesworth was built in 1942–1943 and was intended for use as a bomber station. It was built as a bomber station, with a 6,000 ft. main runway and two secondary runways of...
(USAAF Station 365), England, 9 Jul 1943
- RAF BoxtedRAF BoxtedRAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
(USAAF Station 150), England, 19 Apr 1944 - RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
(USAAF Station 165), England, c. 15 Sep – 11 Oct 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...
, 16–18 Oct 1945 - Selfridge Field (later AFB), 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"....
, 1 Mar 1946 – 6 Feb 1952 - O'Hare International Airport, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 18 Aug 1955 - K. I. Sawyer AFB, 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"....
, 1 Oct 1959 – 1 Feb 1961 - MacDill AFB, Florida, 1 Nov 1991 – 4 Jan 1994
- Luke AFB, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 1 Apr 1994 – present
Honors and campaigns
 Distinguished Unit Citation
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World War II:
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External links
- Painting of 56th FG P-47 Little Chief
- Halesworth Museum
- Luke Falcons website of current 56th FW units
- 56th Fighter Group in World War II website
