318th Fighter Group: Difference between revisions
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=== Operational History === |
=== Operational History === |
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Veterans of the War with Japan, the 318th Fighter Group was in the 7th Fighter Command, known as the Pineapple Air Force. The 7th Fighter Command was the first American Fighters to engage the enemy and the last to engage the enemy during World War II. |
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Constituted as 318th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 2 Feb 1942. Redesignated 318th Fighter Group in May 1942. Activated in Hawaii on 15 Oct 1942. Assigned to Seventh AF. Trained and flew patrols, using P-39, P-40, and P-47 aircraft. |
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The 7th Fighter Command was composed, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, of the 15th Fighter Group and the 18th Fighter Group. The 19th, 44th, 72nd, and 73rd Fighter Squadrons that later served in the 318th were in those two groups. |
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Moved to the Marianas in Jun 1944. Supported ground forces on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam; attacked enemy airfields; flew protective patrols over US bases; and, using some P-38's acquired in Nov 1944, flew missions to the Volcano and Truk Islands to escort bombers and to attack Japanese bases. Moved to the Ryukyu Islands in Apr 1945. Used P-47's to bomb and strafe airfields, railroad bridges, and industrial plants in Japan, escort bombers to China, and provide air defense for US bases in the Ryukyus. |
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During the attack on Oahu, described by Franklin D. Roosevelt as "The day of infamy," many of the flyable P40s and P36s that were assigned to the defense of the Hawaiian Islands were easy targets, lined up along the runways of the Army Air Corps fields, and were destroyed on the ground. Several P40 pilots were killed as they entered the cockpit, as they taxied or were in the process of taking off. A very few got air home and although greatly outnumbered they bravely fought the attacking force. |
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The 318th was activated in October 1942 when the 72nd and 44th Fighter Squadrons were transferred from the 15th and 18th Groups. The 73rd and 333rd Fighter Squadrons were transferred in November 1942 and January 1943. In March of 1943 the 44th was transferred out of the group and was replaced by the 19th Fighter Squadron. The group was equipped with P-4OKs, P-4ONs, and A-24s, but in June of 1943 the P-39Qs began to arrive at Bellows Field and the 72nd Fighter Squadron traded their P-40s for the Flying Cannon, the Bell Airacobra. |
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In December 1943 the 72nd Fighter Squadron in their P-39s were catapulted from the deck of the jeep aircraft carrier Nassau and landed at Makin atoll on the little island of Butaritari. At the completion of the Gilberts/Marshalls Campaign the 72nd F. S. was transferred to the newly activated 21st Fighter Group to prepare for the job of escorting the B29s over Japan. |
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During 1944 the 318th was equipped with P38s and during the Marianas campaign, working closely with Marine ground forces, pioneered close infantry support and employed the first use of napalm. On Saipan they had the dubious distinction along with the 21st Fighter Group on Iwo Jima of being the only Army Air Force units to engage in ground combat. The squadrons of the 318th Fighter Group were attacked by Japanese ground forces in June 1944 on Aslito Airfield, Saipan, sustaining modest casualties. However, in the Seventh's heaviest losses since December 7, 1941, the 21st Fighter Group was besieged in their tent camp on Iwo Jima before dawn on March 26, 1945. Pilots and ground personnel took a crash course in infantry tactics and finally destroyed the superior enemy force but suffered 15 dead and 50 wounded. |
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Army fighter planes flew off of aircraft carriers no less than seven times in the Pacific. P-36s to Hawaii in February 1941, the 73rd F.S. to Midway in P-40s in June 1942, the 45th F. S. to Canton and 72nd F. S. to Makin in P-39s in December 1943, the 19th, 73rd and 333rd F.S. to Saipan in P-47s in June 1944. The Makin and Saipan operations were catapult shots. |
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Most notably, the Seventh's airmen pioneered Very Long Range fighter operations across the Pacific with missions of historic length and duration: Kauai to Midway, Midway to Kaneohe and Makin to Jaluit and Maloelap. By late 1944 Lockheed P-38s of the 318th were routinely flying missions to Truk and Iwo Jima from Saipan - 1,500 mile 8 hour trips. And by 1945, with new aircraft, VLR sorties were the rule rather than the exception for the Seventh's fighters. |
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In April 1945 the 15th and 21st Fighter Groups began flying 1300 mile escorts and sweeps from Iwo Jima to Honshu in the P51 Mustang. In May 1945 the 318th Group advanced to le Shima where they reached out to Japanese targets in Kyushu and China. On August 13, 1945 the 318th flew from le Shirna to Tokyo - 1680 statute miles, 8 1/2 hours of non-stop flight. |
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Assigned to Eighth AF in Aug 1945, shortly after V-J Day. Moved to the US, Dec 1945-Jan 1946. Inactivated on 12 Jan 1946. |
Assigned to Eighth AF in Aug 1945, shortly after V-J Day. Moved to the US, Dec 1945-Jan 1946. Inactivated on 12 Jan 1946. |
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Revision as of 20:58, 15 October 2007
| 318th Fighter Group | |
|---|---|
 318th Fighter Group Insignia (Modern) | |
| Active | 1942 - 1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Role | Fighter |
| Part of | Twentieth Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II |
The 318th Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.
History
Operational Units
- 19th Fighter Squadron 1943-1946
- 44th Fighter Squadron 1942-1943
- 72nd Fighter Squadron 1942-1944
- 73rd Fighter Squadron 1942-1946
- 333rd Fighter Squadron 1943-1946
Aircraft Flown
Stations Assigned
- Hickam Field, TH 15 Oct 1942
- Bellows Field, TH 9 Feb 1943
- Saipan Jun 1944
- Ie Shima c. 30 Apr 1945
- Okinawa Nov-Dec 1945
Operational History
Veterans of the War with Japan, the 318th Fighter Group was in the 7th Fighter Command, known as the Pineapple Air Force. The 7th Fighter Command was the first American Fighters to engage the enemy and the last to engage the enemy during World War II.
The 7th Fighter Command was composed, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, of the 15th Fighter Group and the 18th Fighter Group. The 19th, 44th, 72nd, and 73rd Fighter Squadrons that later served in the 318th were in those two groups.
During the attack on Oahu, described by Franklin D. Roosevelt as "The day of infamy," many of the flyable P40s and P36s that were assigned to the defense of the Hawaiian Islands were easy targets, lined up along the runways of the Army Air Corps fields, and were destroyed on the ground. Several P40 pilots were killed as they entered the cockpit, as they taxied or were in the process of taking off. A very few got air home and although greatly outnumbered they bravely fought the attacking force.
The 318th was activated in October 1942 when the 72nd and 44th Fighter Squadrons were transferred from the 15th and 18th Groups. The 73rd and 333rd Fighter Squadrons were transferred in November 1942 and January 1943. In March of 1943 the 44th was transferred out of the group and was replaced by the 19th Fighter Squadron. The group was equipped with P-4OKs, P-4ONs, and A-24s, but in June of 1943 the P-39Qs began to arrive at Bellows Field and the 72nd Fighter Squadron traded their P-40s for the Flying Cannon, the Bell Airacobra.
In December 1943 the 72nd Fighter Squadron in their P-39s were catapulted from the deck of the jeep aircraft carrier Nassau and landed at Makin atoll on the little island of Butaritari. At the completion of the Gilberts/Marshalls Campaign the 72nd F. S. was transferred to the newly activated 21st Fighter Group to prepare for the job of escorting the B29s over Japan.
During 1944 the 318th was equipped with P38s and during the Marianas campaign, working closely with Marine ground forces, pioneered close infantry support and employed the first use of napalm. On Saipan they had the dubious distinction along with the 21st Fighter Group on Iwo Jima of being the only Army Air Force units to engage in ground combat. The squadrons of the 318th Fighter Group were attacked by Japanese ground forces in June 1944 on Aslito Airfield, Saipan, sustaining modest casualties. However, in the Seventh's heaviest losses since December 7, 1941, the 21st Fighter Group was besieged in their tent camp on Iwo Jima before dawn on March 26, 1945. Pilots and ground personnel took a crash course in infantry tactics and finally destroyed the superior enemy force but suffered 15 dead and 50 wounded.
Army fighter planes flew off of aircraft carriers no less than seven times in the Pacific. P-36s to Hawaii in February 1941, the 73rd F.S. to Midway in P-40s in June 1942, the 45th F. S. to Canton and 72nd F. S. to Makin in P-39s in December 1943, the 19th, 73rd and 333rd F.S. to Saipan in P-47s in June 1944. The Makin and Saipan operations were catapult shots.
Most notably, the Seventh's airmen pioneered Very Long Range fighter operations across the Pacific with missions of historic length and duration: Kauai to Midway, Midway to Kaneohe and Makin to Jaluit and Maloelap. By late 1944 Lockheed P-38s of the 318th were routinely flying missions to Truk and Iwo Jima from Saipan - 1,500 mile 8 hour trips. And by 1945, with new aircraft, VLR sorties were the rule rather than the exception for the Seventh's fighters.
In April 1945 the 15th and 21st Fighter Groups began flying 1300 mile escorts and sweeps from Iwo Jima to Honshu in the P51 Mustang. In May 1945 the 318th Group advanced to le Shima where they reached out to Japanese targets in Kyushu and China. On August 13, 1945 the 318th flew from le Shirna to Tokyo - 1680 statute miles, 8 1/2 hours of non-stop flight.
Assigned to Eighth AF in Aug 1945, shortly after V-J Day. Moved to the US, Dec 1945-Jan 1946. Inactivated on 12 Jan 1946.
See Also
References
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.