6th Fighter Wing
Wing
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Group
Two of the Squadrons of the 52nd Fighter Group flew Spitfires with RAF Fighter Command in August and early September 1942 from northern Ireland. After these preparatory missions, the Group joined the Twelfth and then Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater, supporting successive army operations in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. The Group also escorted bombers flying strategic and interdictory missions over occupied central Europe.
Constituted as 52nd Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated 52nd Fighter Group in May 1942. Trained with P-39 and P-40 aircraft, and participated in maneuvers. Moved to the British Isles, the air echelon arriving in Jul 1942 and the ground echelon in Aug. Received Spitfire aircraft and, as part of Eighth AF, flew missions from England to France during Aug and Sep. The pilots of the group flew Spitfires from Gibraltar to Algeria during the invasion of North Africa on 8 Nov 1942; the remainder of the group, moving by ship from England, arrived after the campaign for Algeria-French Morocco had ended.
Assigned first to Twelfth AF and later (after May 1944) to Fifteenth, the group served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war. Flew escort, patrol, strafing, and reconnaissance missions to help defeat Axis forces in Tunisia. Took part in the conquest of Sicily. Attacked railroads, highways, bridges, coastal shipping, and other targets to support Allied operations in Italy. Converted to P-51’s during Apr- May 1944 and afterwards engaged primarily in escorting bombers that attacked objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, and Yugoslavia. Received a DUC for a mission of 9 Jun 1944 when the group protected bombers that struck aircraft factories, communications centers, and supply lines in Germany. In addition to escorting bombers of Fifteenth AF, the group made strafing attacks on important targets in Italy, France, central Europe, and the Balkans. Received second DUC for a strafing raid in which the group destroyed a great number of fighter and transport planes on a landing ground in Rumania on 31 Aug 1944. Returned to the US in Aug 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
19 August 1942
Bombers from 97th Bombardment Group are despatched to bomb the German airfield Drucat at Abbeville, France. This mission is flown to occupy the Luftwaffe and to try to prevent them from opposing the invasion of Dieppe, France by over 5,000 allied...
19 August 1942
31st Fighter Group despatches 123 Spitfires in support of the landings at Dieppe, France. 8 are lost. These are the first operations of VIII Fighter Command units under VIII Fighter Command control.
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1 September 1942
1FG/71FS despatches 32-P-38s in a fighter sweep over the English Channel; 52FG despatches 12 Spitfires in a practice fighter sweep.
2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
2 September 1942
31FG and 52FG despatch Spitfires in patrols and sweeps along the French coast; off St. Catherines Point, UK; and over the English Channel between Manston, UK and Calais, France
10 September 1942
52FG despatches 11 Spitfires in a fighter sweep over enemy occupied areas along the coast of France.
2 October 1942
1FG despatches 31 P-38s to escort bombers attacking the aircraft factory at Meaulte, France, sustaining one loss. 1FG also despatches 34 Spitfires on a sweep over the English Channel; 52FG despatches 7 Spitfires on a sweep over the English Channel; 4FG...
6 October 1942
52FG despatches 18 Spitfires to patrol for enemy ships in the English Channel. This is the last mission for 52FG with the 8th AF before their transferred to North Africa.
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Eglinton | 13 July 1942 – 13 September 1942 |
Based | Goxhill | 26 August 1942 – 21 October 1942 |
Based | Tafaraoui | 9 November 1942 – 14 November 1942 |
Based | La Senia Airfield | 14 November 1942 – 20 January 1943 |
Based | Telerghma | 20 January 1943 – 9 March 1943 |
Based | Youks-les-Bains | 9 March 1943 – 18 April 1943 |
Based | La Sebala Airfield | 21 May 1943 – 30 July 1943 |
Based | Madna | 14 May 1944 – 21 April 1945 |
Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 339th Fighter Group
First tour of operations in the Mediterranean flying Spitfires in the 2FS, 52FG, 15AF USAAF as a Lieutenant. Credited with two victories and one shared in 1943. For second tour, assigned to 503FS, 339FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with three aerial victories....
Military | Captain | Pilot | 4th Fighter Group
He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in October 1940, and was awarded his pilot wings on September 15, 1941, joining the 133 Eagle Squadron in England. Alexander was credited with destroying 1 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, plus 1 probable, before...
Military | 52nd Fighter Group
Military | 52nd Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Pilot 4th FS, 52nd FG, 12AF USAAF.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Was sent to the 8th AAF for 2 months, then transferred to Algeria to the 12th AAF and then to the 15th AAF. Shot down March 22, 1943 while attacking German airdrome at Mezzouna Tunisia. Became prisoner of war held at Stalag Luft III in Sagan Germany.
Military | Second Lieutenant | 52nd Fighter Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Pilot 4th FS, 52nd FG, 12AF USAAF, lost over France 27-1-44 Lt Ottaway B Cornwell KIA. MACR 2225.
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Military | Major | fighter pilot-1055 single engine/squadron commander | 52nd Fighter Group
CO 66th FS 57th FG and 2nd FS 52nd FG
Awarded British DSO by Air Marshal Sir William Sholto Douglas
KIA March 18, 1945 MACR 13066
Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 52nd Fighter Group
Joined RCAF, service pilot training in US, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training at OTU, assigned to 121S, transferred to 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AR404 Mk Vb, Built at Westland.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire P7965 Mk IIa, Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire P7686 Mk IIa, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire W3942 Mk Vb, Const # 2078 Built at High Post.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB896 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB907 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire AB897 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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P-51 Mustang
Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire BM479 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire EN894 Mk Vb, Built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.
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9 June 1944 For an escort mission where the group protected bombers that struck aircraft factories, communications centers, and supply lines in Germany.
31 August 1944 for a strafing raid in which the group destroyed a great number of fighter and transport planes on a landing ground in Rumania.
Date | Contributor | Update |
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08 January 2021 03:44:21 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 January 2021 03:41:42 | 466thHistorian | Changes to motto and stations |
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08 January 2021 03:40:46 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 January 2021 03:39:54 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
22 August 2019 10:04:07 | Emily | Changes to motto, insignia, us air force combat units of world war ii description, citations and air forces |
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Air Force Combat Units of WWII |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
24 November 2016 00:25:29 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 April 2015 06:43:08 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 April 2015 06:41:27 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
10 April 2015 06:40:24 | EMBLEMHUNTER | Changes to mission associations and media associations |
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my photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
19 March 2015 11:04:02 | rossingtonj | Changes to type, air forces and mission associations |
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Airforce added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). |