357th Fighter Group

The 357th Fighter Group was a United States Army Air Forces combat unit organized during the Second World War. Constituted and activated on 1 December 1942, it trained in the United States before deploying to England in late 1943. The group initially operated P-39 Airacobra fighters, but its wartime identity became closely associated with the P-51 Mustang, the long-range fighter that enabled the Eighth Air Force to protect heavy bomber formations deep into German-controlled territory. The group comprised the 362d, 363d, and 364th Fighter Squadrons. During its training period it moved through Hamilton Field, Tonopah Army Airfield, Santa Rosa Army Air Field, Oroville and Marysville in California, and Casper Army Airfield in Wyoming. Training was demanding and dangerous. The group encountered difficult operating conditions at Tonopah, limited maintenance facilities, the handling characteristics of the P-39 at altitude, and a succession of fatal flying accidents. It later converted to the Mustang and prepared for overseas operations through large-formation exercises and simulated interception missions. The unit reached England in November 1943 and initially operated from RAF Raydon. A change in the allocation of Mustang groups moved it from the Ninth Air Force to the Eighth Air Force, and on 31 January 1944 it relocated to RAF Leiston in Suffolk. It flew its first combat mission on 11 February 1944. Its principal role was long-range escort for United States heavy bombers, although it also conducted fighter sweeps and attacks against German aircraft, airfields, railways, locomotives, and other ground targets. The group participated in the intensified air operations of Big Week, the campaign to reduce the Luftwaffe and German aircraft production, the preparation for and support of the Normandy invasion, and later operations across France, Belgium, and Germany. Members of the group became informally known as the “Yoxford Boys,” after Yoxford, the English village near RAF Leiston. Group tradition attributes the nickname to a German-language propaganda broadcast by Lord Haw-Haw, although the precise origin is described as a tradition rather than a definitively documented fact. The group also developed recognizable aircraft markings, including red-and-yellow nose identification features and distinctive camouflage practices. Its pilots included Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, who evaded capture after being forced down in France and reached Allied control through Spain. The 357th flew 313 combat missions between 11 February 1944 and 25 April 1945. United States Air Force credit records attribute 595.5 German aircraft destroyed in aerial combat and 106.5 destroyed on the ground, figures that placed the group first among P-51 groups in the Eighth Air Force and third among all American fighter groups operating in Europe. The wartime group moved to Fliegerhorst Neubiberg near Munich after the European war and was inactivated there on 20 August 1946. On the following day it was redesignated the 121st Fighter Group and allotted to the National Guard, creating a postwar Ohio Air National Guard lineage rather than continuing as the same wartime USAAF organization.

The 357th Fighter Group was constituted and activated on 1 December 1942 under the United States Army Air Forces. Its initial organization included the 362d, 363d, and 364th Fighter Squadrons. Personnel cadres were drawn in part from the 328th Fighter Group. The group began at Hamilton Field, California, and moved to Tonopah Army Airfield, Nevada, in March 1943. Conditions at Tonopah were austere, with temporary facilities and limited enclosed maintenance space. The group flew P-39 Airacobras while conducting intensive exercises in aerial combat, bombing, strafing, and escort techniques. The P-39's performance limitations at high altitude and a series of training accidents made the preparation period particularly difficult. Fatal accidents affected pilots and medical personnel, and the group subsequently received additional personnel while continuing its training at Santa Rosa Army Air Field and nearby Hayward, followed by Oroville and Marysville in California. In the autumn of 1943, its squadrons used Second Air Force bases in Idaho, Wyoming, and Nebraska for large-formation exercises against bomber formations. After a tactical inspection, the group was considered ready for overseas deployment. It surrendered its Airacobras, traveled to Camp Shanks in New York, crossed the Atlantic aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, and arrived in Scotland on 29 November 1943. The group initially moved to RAF Raydon and had only a small number of Mustangs available while it converted from the P-39. It had been intended for Ninth Air Force tactical support, but the strategic importance of the Mustang's range led to a reassignment to the Eighth Air Force. The group exchanged bases with the 358th Fighter Group and arrived at RAF Leiston on 31 January 1944. It was assigned to the 66th Fighter Wing and became the first P-51 Mustang group in the Eighth Air Force. Its first combat mission took place on 11 February 1944, escorting B-24 bombers attacking V-1 sites in the Pas de Calais. The group soon participated in the strategic air campaign against the Luftwaffe and German aircraft production. During Big Week it flew repeated missions and suffered combat losses while beginning to accumulate aerial victories. It also supported the wider effort to gain air superiority before the Normandy invasion by attacking German fighters and airfields, and by striking rail transportation and other targets. Its long-range Mustangs allowed it to escort bombers over Germany and return to bases in England. The group’s wartime markings evolved from olive-drab and gray camouflage to a mixture of painted and natural-metal finishes. Red-and-yellow nose markings identified its aircraft within the 66th Fighter Wing, while squadron codes and later tail markings helped distinguish individual units. The informal name “Yoxford Boys” connected the group with the village near its English base. The 357th continued operations through the final months of the European war. It flew 313 combat missions from 11 February 1944 through 25 April 1945. Official United States Air Force records credit it with 595.5 enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat and 106.5 destroyed on the ground. Following the German surrender, the group moved to Fliegerhorst Neubiberg in Germany. It was inactivated there on 20 August 1946 and redesignated the 121st Fighter Group the next day for allocation to the National Guard. The later Ohio Air National Guard organization is a direct descendant of the wartime unit, but the 357th Fighter Group itself did not continue as an active USAAF group after 1946.

• 1946

  Inactivation and National Guard lineage

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The wartime group was inactivated in Germany on 20 August and redesignated the 121st Fighter Group on 21 August for allocation to the National Guard.

• 1945

  End of combat operations

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group’s recorded combat-mission period ended on 25 April after 313 missions in the European theater.

• 1944

  Move to RAF Leiston

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group transferred to RAF Leiston on 31 January after reassignment from the Ninth Air Force to the Eighth Air Force.

• 1944

  First combat mission

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 357th flew its first combat mission on 11 February, escorting B-24 bombers attacking V-1 sites in northern France.

• 1943

  Domestic training and conversion

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group trained at several western and central United States airfields, initially using P-39 Airacobras and later preparing for overseas Mustang operations.

• 1943

  Arrival in England

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After crossing the Atlantic aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, the group arrived in Scotland on 29 November and moved to RAF Raydon.

• 1942

  Constitution and activation

  [1]357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 357th Fighter Group was constituted and activated on 1 December under the United States Army Air Forces, with the 362d, 363d, and 364th Fighter Squadrons assigned to it.

A wartime military aviation unit specializing in long-range fighter escort and offensive counter-air operations in the European theater.

• Training and fighter aircraft · 1942

  Bell P-39 Airacobra

  The P-39 Airacobra was the group’s principal aircraft during its domestic training period in 1942 and 1943. The unit used inherited aircraft for aerial-combat, bombing, strafing, and escort exercises. Although useful at lower altitudes, the type was less suitable for high-altitude work, contributing to the group’s eventual transition to the Mustang for European operations.

• Long-range fighter aircraft · 1943

  North American P-51 Mustang

  The P-51B, P-51C, P-51D, and P-51K formed the core of the 357th Fighter Group’s combat identity. Its range enabled sustained escort of Eighth Air Force heavy bombers over Germany, while its speed and armament supported fighter sweeps and attacks against aircraft on the ground. The group operated both camouflage-finished and natural-metal Mustangs with distinctive unit markings.

• 1944Big Week

  Germany and occupied Europe

  The group participated in the concentrated Eighth Air Force attacks against the Luftwaffe and German aircraft industry in February 1944. It flew repeated escort missions, began recording substantial aerial victories, and experienced combat losses during the intensified operations.

  Outcome. The operations contributed to the broader Allied effort to weaken German fighter forces and aircraft production.

  Source
• 1944Normandy invasion preparation and support

  France and the English Channel region

  The 357th conducted bomber escort, fighter sweeps, and attacks on German airfields, railways, locomotives, and other targets in support of the Allied invasion of Normandy. Its Mustangs also carried invasion stripes for operations around D-Day.

  Outcome. The group helped establish air superiority and disrupt German movement around the Normandy battlefield.

  Source
• 1944Strategic bomber escort campaign

  Germany and occupied Europe

  Across 1944 and into 1945, the group escorted Eighth Air Force heavy bombers on deep-penetration missions and engaged German fighters. It also conducted offensive counter-air and ground-attack operations when assigned.

  Outcome. The campaign produced the group’s principal wartime combat record and contributed to its high ranking among Mustang and European-theater fighter groups.

  Source

• 1944

  Reassignment to the Eighth Air ForceStrategy

  Background

  The 357th had initially been allocated to the Ninth Air Force for tactical support, but the growing priority given to long-range Mustang escort led to a change in assignment.

  Action taken

  The group was transferred to the Eighth Air Force and moved from RAF Raydon to RAF Leiston, becoming the first P-51 Mustang group in the Eighth Air Force.

  Aftermath

  The reassignment placed the group in the strategic bomber-escort campaign over Germany, the role for which it became best known.

  Source

1. 1357th Fighter Groupen.wikipedia.org