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History Of The 50th Fighter Group |
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 Activated January 15, 1941 and stationed at Selfridge Field, Michigan. Initially, the group comprised the 10th, 11th and 12th Pursuit Squadrons but the 11th and 12th were transferred to other units in 1941 and 1942 respectively. In May of 1942 the unit was redesignated the 50th Fighter Group, and was assigned the 81st and 313th Fighter Squadrons, that same year.  Shortly before its redesignation the 50th PG, commanded by Col. T. Alan Bennett, moved to Key Field, Miss. where, as a part of the Fighter Command School, it tested aircraft equip- ment, conducted training in air defense operations, trained pilots and furnished cadres for night fighter units. The 50th was the first fighter group in the Air Corp to train night fighters, better known today as all weather fighters.  Beginning in 1943 the 50th, was stationed first at Orlando Air Base, Florida, then Alachua Army Air Field, Fla., and then back to Orlando, where in Nov. 1943, Colonel William D. Greenfield was assigned as commander.  While in Florida the 50th FG operated with the AAFSAT, (Army Air Corps School of Applied Tactics), Orlando, training pilots in fighter tactics under simulated combat conditions, using all the newest and best airplanes which were available then.  Orlando was the center of the Army Air Force's technology, all the latest combat information and tactics were funneled into this huge complex. The latest German and Japanese tactics were studied and then methods were introduced to thwart their impact.  Training aircraft included: the P-40 Curtis War Hawk, the P-47 Republic Thunderbolt and the P-51 North American Mustang. While assigned to AAFSAT, the 50th Fighter Group's three Squadrons were spread out over central Florida: the 10th FSq was stationed at Zephyr Hill Air Field on the west coast, the 81st was at Cross City and the 313th at Leesburg. The squadrons though, while at AAFSAT, would come together for training exercises; the 81st and 313th flying their new P-47 Thunderbolts and the 10th P-51 Mustangs. In the middle of March 1944, the 50th Fighter Group lefted sunny Florida by troop train for Camp Shanks, a 48 hour journey; the camp a barrack city, was located in Orangeburg, Rockland County, New York.  Camp Shanks, aka "Last Stop U.S.A.," was the final stateside stop and embarkation point for all groups going overseas to England.  After several days of intensive processing... lectures, record checks, physical exams, etc and a 'last fling' in New York City; base restrictions finally came on March 20th, and on the 22nd, the group boarded the British ship, the HMS Sterling Castle of the Union Castle Line via the Wechawken Ferry.  In the early morning of March 23, 1944, the Sterling Castle set sailed for England, and Lymington Advance Landing Ground, part of the largest wartime convoy, to ever cross the Atlantic. After fourteen days at sea, the Sterling Castle finally dropped anchor in Liverpool's harbor, on the afternoon of April 3rd.  Once all the cargo was off loaded, the group was allowed to disembark, and immediately boarded a train and started south for Lymington, arriving there on April 4th, 1944. Several weeks after arriving in Lymington, all three squadrons were equipped with their P-47 aircrafts, then the workhorse of western Europe. The 10th FS pilots, who had trained in P-51s back in the states, had to quickly retrain in the P-47s.  Lymington Advance Landing Ground (Station #551), was one of twelve temporary '90-day air field,' on the coast, that was built by the Royal Air Force No. 5004 Airfield Construction Squadron, the year before; and was located on the south east coast of Hampshire, near the New Forest, across from the Isle of Wight.  Like so many other air fields in Hampshire, Lymington was carved out of farm land, so that the fighter groups would be as close as possible to their intended targets in France.  But Lymington, unlike other 'farmland airfields,' was carved out of one of England's oldest estates ...Pylewell House! Actually, the airfield was situated between Pylewell House (the main run way ran right by the front door), Newtown House (another stately home) and Snook Farm.  The Pylewell House estate, was then owned by the late Mr. William Ingham Whitaker, the present Lord Teynham's uncle. Though, not given a choice by the government, Mr. Whitaker saw the airfield as part of his wartime duty; he even billeted the Group's senior officers in the House during their stay there.  Being situated on England southern coast would enable the anticipated high frequency of cross Channel sorties to be maintained. until the groups could be move to the continent. Lymington was used only by the 50th.   |
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The 50th's Fighter Squadrons began tactical operations on May 1,1944, from Lymington, by making fighter sweeps and by conducting dive bombing missions, over occupied France. The 50th also provided B-17 escort duty. as part of the 84th Fighter Wing, 9th Tactical Air Command, Ninth Air Force. The 50th Fighter Group Squadrons' call letters were:  Throughout the Normandy invasion, June 6 and 7, the 50th Fighter Group, led by Colonel Greenfield, provided fighter cover for the first wave of landing forces on the beachheads.  On D-Day they maintained a continuous cross Channel shuttle service in support of the allied troops fighting their way off the beaches; combined they flew over 1,000 sorties. Their targets during this period included everything from block houses, gun implacements, supply dumps, trains, rail sidings, troop concentrations, radar stations and road transport.  Within hours of the invasion getting underway, a 9th Air Force Aviation Engineer Battalion had built a landing strip on Utah Beach, and by June 8 an emergency fighter strip had been laid. There were no fixed facilities at these sites, and for a time they were used only during daylight hours to refuel and rearm aircraft. At dusk the units flew back to England.  On June 25, 1944, the 50th Fighter Group moved to Advance Landing Ground A-10, at Carentan, France; they were the third flighter group to make the move from England to France. Their mission was to concentrate on ground-air-co-operation for close air support for the ground troops.  Attacking enemy troops concentrations, bridges, crossroads, vehicles, railways and marshalling yards during the remainder of the Normandy Campaign. While they were located in France, 9th Air Force fighter groups came under the control of Maj Gen E. R. 'Pete' Queseda, who commanded IX Tactical Air Command (TAC).  The 50th FG also played a major part by bombing targets, against extremely heavy German resistance, during the Battle of St. Lo, in July; when the American forces, commanded by Gen Omar Bradley, launched a massive attack to break out southward from the invasion bridge head into Normandy.  Note: When our ground troops were stopped at Saint-Lo , the 9th Air Force rendered invaluable aid by the new technique of carpet bombing. On July 25, 1944, a very extreme heavy concentration of bombs was dropped on a space 7,000 yards long and 250 yards wide between Periers and Saint-Lo. This concentration stunned the Germans and demoralized them for a short time - long enough, however, for our troops to move into the gap before they could recover. On the enemy the psychological effect of the 3,400 tons of bombs dropped that day was tremendous, and the 1st Army was able to continue its advance.  From August 13 to August 18, 1944, the Germans made their first large scale attempt to pull out from the pincers made by the 3rd Army's northward drive from Alencon to Argentan and the British 2nd Army's drive south towards Falaise. Constant attacks by our P-47 "Thunderbolts," however, forced them to retreat and to attempt a Seine crossing. Our aircraft were assigned (including the 50th FG), to stop this escape.  Streets running along the embankments of the Seine and the roads approaching the ferry slips were bombed and strafed. Great numbers of vehicles were destroyed and thousands of troops who had no way to escape were captured. An important factor in the success of this campaign was the destruction of the bridges which effectly sealed off the battle area from outside reinforcements, localizing the area, and led to the piecemeal destruction of the Germans.  Another campaign first was that, German ground troops began to surrender to 9th Air Force fliers. One unit of about 400 war weary Germans waved white flags at a fighter squadron which was lining up to strafe them. The squadron leader reported the location of the troops to Fighter Control and orbited above the German troops until US troops arrived to take charge of the prisoners. During its time over Normandy, the 50th Fighter Group lost approximately 30% KIA and another 30% wounded or MIA.  With the successful breakout, the 50th's P-47 fighter bombers now supported Patton's tanks and the subsequent drive across France. As our ground troops and tanks race forward, our fighters and P-47 fighter bombers, in the closest communication and under common direction, ranged ahead of them, destroying military targets and carrying out armed reconnaissance missions. Rotating squadrons of P-47s, (generally with the pilots carrying battle field maps strapped to their legs), were notified by radio (usually by another P-47 pilot ridiing in the command tank or vehicle), when our troop advances changed the bomb line. Staying in direct radio communication with our forces enabled them to knock out the enemy tanks and artillery standing in the way..  Tactical units of the Ninth Air Force weren't known for staying in one spot to long, they knew what was meant by "maximum mobility" and the 50th was no exception.  November 14, 1944, the 50th FG was formally transferred to the new First Tactical Air Force (Provisional), commanded by US Major General Robert H. Webster, flying in direct support of the US Sixth Army, with Brig. General Paul Gorador heading the 1st French Air Corps. The 1st TACAF was something of an ad hoc force created 'in the field' and organised loosely on American lines, but lacking a standard chain of command.  There simply wasn't any time to go about things 'by the book,' for the front was otherwise in danger of being denuded of air support at a critical time. By transferring in US fighter and the bomber groups, and declaring the Free French manned units operational, 1st TACAF did much to prevent the Germans from exploiting a weak Allied Southern front. With the formation of the 1st TACAF, French and American flyers began fighting under the same command for the first time.  Assigned to the 1st TACAF were four P-47 fighter groups, one nightfighter and three reconnaissance units, plus one provisional reconnaissance fighter group, as well as five French P-47 units. Additional groups would be added later, as the number of missions increased! With numerous ex-Free French air force personnel already stationed in England, the forward based 1st TACAF combat units received their supplies from the UK courtesy of the US Air Technical Service Command and flown over by French crews in C-47s.  From Toul-Ochey (Nancy) the 50th helped stem the German offensive in the Saar-Hardt area in January, 1945; was a part of the offensive that reduced the Colmar bridgehead in January and February; and supported the drive that breached the Siegfried Line and allowed movement of Allied forces into southern Germany in March and April, 1945. |
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The appalling winter of 1944-1945 that had swept across the continent was the worst weather in a decade and made flying conditions difficult... everyone was just waiting for a break! Including General Patton, who as the story goes, even ordered his chaplain to come up with 'a weather pray;' have it printed and distributed to his troops, so that all could say it at the same time! Fact or fiction? It's a fact, and the weather did break long enough, so the Jugs could fly their missions.  The 50th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for support of the Seventh Army during the assault on the Siegfried Line. In spite of hazardous enemy opposition and difficult weather conditions, the group annihilated enemy defenses and isolated the battle area by destroying bridges, rail yards, supply depots, communications and ammunition dumps.  The allies were advancing into Germany and on April 20, 1945, the 50th was transferred to Giebelstadt, Germany. Just five days after the move the 50th Fighter Group was involved in a mission that earned the group its second Distinguished Unit Citation. The mission was a German Luftwaffe airfield, just southeast of Munchen, a short distance from their new 'base.' Airfields were a tough target for P-47 pilots; the Germans were still very proud of their aircrafts and protected them with all the anti air- craft weapons that they could crowd around their strips and this field was no exception! Early on the morning of April 25th, the 50th Thunderbolts flew into the enemy airfield, where it made up to five runs, under heavy intense enemy anti-aircraft fire. The Group destroyed an astounding total of ninety-eight planes and fifty-seven more damaged. Their success spelled the most successful strafing mission by any Ninth Air Force group during the war! That was the last World War II operation for the 50th Fighter Group. May 21,1945, it moved to Mannheim, Germany and stayed there until it returned to the United States in August on board the Queen Mary.  The 50th Fighter Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations and six Battle Honors for its participation during the air war over Central Europe. And a citation from the Belgian Army's 'Orders of the Day!' Two of its pilots made 'Ace" and a third had the honor of claiming the last Me 262 (jet) to fall to a Ninth Air Force pilot. The 50th was stationed at LaJanta Army Air Field, Colorado until its inactivation, November 7,1945. The 50th Fighter Group was allotted to the Reserves, June 1, 1949 and base at Otis AFB, Mass. The 50th Fighter Group was redesignated the 50th Fighter Interceptor Group in March, 1950. |
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