Niven Kendall Cranfill
MilitaryUSAAF Photo
An Ace, Lt. Col. Niven K. Cranfill of Temple, TX, served with HQ and the 368th, 369th, and 370th Fighter Squadrons, from April 1943 through 22 April 1945, flying 133 combat missions in two tours of duty with the 359th Fighter Group.
19 March 1945 mission: Capt. Wetmore leads an escort to the Halle area. Just east of Leipzig, Maj. Cranfill jumps three Me-262s, then notices ten more heading for the bombers. He directs his first attack against a 262 which is chasing a P-51 and he scores a few hits, driving the jet off. He then latches onto a second Me-262 and fires several bursts at it. The jet slips into a dive and explodes on the ground. With his kill, Cranfill becomes Ace number twelve for the Group. While on the initial bounce, Lt. Clifton Enoch, Cranfill's wingman, apparently fails to pull out of his dive and crashes with his plane.
Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 369, 359FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to HQ Sqn, 359FG, 8AF USAAF.
Transferred to 368, 359FG, 8AF USAAF.
Completed 2 tours of duty.
Had 5 air kills and became an ace, Aug. 1944-April 1945, formerly HQ, 133 missions P-51D; according to unit history, Oct. 1943-Aug. 1944, to 368th FS from 369th FS, 370th FS and HQ, 133 total missions, 500+ hours, P-47D 42-74645, P-51B 42-106848 'Deviless 2nd, P-51D 44-13390 'Deviless 3rd'.
Awards: SS (OLC), DFC (OLC), AM (12OLC), LOM, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medal.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Headquarters
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 368th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-829832
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Deviless 2nd
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 369th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Deviless
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 369th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Swami
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 369th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Deviless 3rd Big Noise From Winnetka
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 369th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 369th Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Bell County, TX, USA | 23 July 1920 | Son of Lesley Willard and Mary Thelma [Kendall] Cranfill. |
Enlisted |
San Antonio, TX 78234, USA | 26 April 1941 | Fort Sam Houston, Texas |
Other Promotion |
Wretham, Thetford IP24, UK | 19 May 1943 | Promoted to Captain. |
Other E/A Damaged |
Lingen, Germany | 30 January 1944 | Me109 damaged Lingen 30-Jan-44. P-47 42-74645. |
Other Promotion |
Wretham, Thetford IP24, UK | 1 March 1944 | Promoted to Major. |
Based |
East Wretham | 22 July 1944 - 12 August 1944 | Transferred to HQ Sqn, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other E/A probable [1/2] |
Brunswick, Germany | 5 August 1944 | Me109 shared probable Brunswick 5-Aug-44 P-51D 42-106848. |
Based |
East Wretham | 12 August 1944 - 27 August 1944 | Transferred to 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other E/A Destoyed |
37574 Einbeck, Germany | 16 August 1944 | Me109 destroyed Einbeck 16-Aug-44. P-51D 44-13301. |
Other End Tour of Duty (ETD) (1) |
27 August 1944 | Ended 1st Tour of Duty (ETD). | |
Based |
East Wretham | 10 November 1944 - 22 April 1945 | Re-joined 368FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other E/A Destoyed [3] |
Merseburg, Germany | 27 November 1944 | 2 x Me109, 1 x Fw190 destroyed Merseburg 27-Nov-44. P-51D 44-15100. |
Other E/A Destroyed |
Leipzig, Germany | 19 March 1945 | Me262 destroyed Leipzig 19-Mar-45. P-51D 44-15717. |
Other E/A Damaged |
Leipzig, Germany | 19 March 1945 | Me262 damaged Leipzig 19-Mar-45. P-51D 44-15717. |
Other Promotion |
Wretham, Thetford IP24, UK | 26 March 1945 | Promoted to Lt Colonel. |
Other End Tour of Duty (ETD) (2) |
22 April 1945 | Ended 2nd Tour of Duty (ETD). | |
Died |
San Antonio, TX, USA | 7 August 2002 | |
Buried |
Bellwood Memorial Park Temple Bell County, TX | 11 August 2002 | Bellwood Memorial Park Temple Bell County, Texas |
Based |
East Wretham | Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. | |
Based |
East Wretham | 22 July 1944 | Transferred to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Temple, TX, USA |
Revisions
Transferred biography by Janet Fogg, 359th Fighter Group Historian from media record
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- 350th Unit History, 359th FG Unit History;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Cranfill&Submit=Sear…
https://www.fold3.com/page/84766438-niven-cranfill/facts
https://www.fold3.com/record/628903622-niven-cranfill-1920
https://www.fold3.com/page/628903622-niven-cranfill-1920/facts
https://www.fold3.com/record/60245721-niven-k-cranfill
http://www.cieldegloire.fr/014_cranfill_n_k.php
http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=45150
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/359-cranfill-…
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/359-cranfill-…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48847696/niven-k-cranfill