367th Fighter Group

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History

The 367th Fighter Group served with the Ninth Air Force and took part in the D-Day invasion, the advance across France, the Battle of the Bulge and the invasion of Germany.

The group was activated in the United States on 15 July 1943. It trained with the P-39 Airacobra but soon after moving to Britain. In March-April 1944 it converted to the P-38 Lightning.

The 367th was one of the last two fighter groups to become operational in the Ninth Air Force before D-Day, making its combat debut on 9 May alongside the 406th.

In the period before D-Day the group hit transport links and airfields and provided bomber escorts across northern France and the Low Countries.

From D-Day to 8 June the group covered the shipping routes across the Channel. For the rest of June it hit a mix of targets, including power stations, anti-aircraft defences, convoys and troop concentrations inland from the beachhead,

In July the group moved to the Continent, and from then until the end of the war it spent most of its time acting in support of the Allied armies. During the breakout at St Lo it ranged further afield, attacking the French rail network to stop reinforcements reaching the front.

On 6 July an attack by the 367th and 474th Groups helped knock out a German strong point in the path of the troops preparing for the breakout out from Normandy.

On 25 August the 367th and 474th Groups, using information provided by the 'Y' service (listening in on Luftwaffe radio transmissions), hit airfields around St. Quentin and Laon. Later on the same day the 365th, 367th and 370th Groups, using the same source of information, hit airfields around Cognac and Dijon, destroying 33 aircraft on the ground. The group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its efforts on the day.

In the autumn of 1944 the group supported the attack on the Siegfried Line.

On 23 December the 365th, 367th and 368th Groups were transferred from IX TAC, which had come under the operational command of the British 2nd Tactical Air Force for the duration of the crisis caused by the Battle of the Bulge, to the XIX TAC, which was still providing air support to General Bradley's Army Group (VIII Corps and Patton's Third Army).

On 26 December the 354th and 367th flew armed reconnaissance missions over Saarbrucken, Merzig, Trier and St-Vith, disrupting German efforts to move troops and supplies towards Bastogne. It also escorted C-47s carrying supplies to Bastogne.

In February 1945 the group converted to the P-47 Thunderbolt.

On 19 March 1945 the group attacked the HQ of the German Commander-in-Chief, West, at Ziegenburg. It was awarded a second Distinguished Unit Citation for this range.

Also in March the group supported the crossing of the Rhine. It then took part in the advance into Germany, and its last combat mission came on the final day of fighting.

The group returned to the US in July-August 1945 and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

Books

Pending

Aircraft

1943-April 1944: Bell P-39 Airacobra
April 1944-February 1945: Lockheed P-38 Lightning
February-November 1945: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Timeline

26 May 1943 Constituted as 367th Fighter Group
15 July 1943 Activated
March-April 1944 To Britain and Ninth Air Force
May 1944 Combat Debut
July-August 1945 To United States
7 November 1945 Inactivated

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Maj Tuevo A Ahola: 17 Jul 1943
Lt Col John R Alison: 11 Aug 1943
Maj Tuevo A Ahola: 22 Oct 1943
Maj Morris C Crossen: 25 Nov 1943
Col Charles M Young: 22 Jan 1944
Col Edwin S Chickering: 9 Nov 1944-unkn.

Main Bases

Hamilton Field, Calif: 15 Jul 1943
Santa Rosa AAFld, Calif: 11 Oct 1943
Oakland Mun Aprt, Calif: 10 Dec 1943-8 Mar 1944
Stony Cross, England: 5 Apr 1944
Ibsley, England: 6 Jul 1944
Beuzeville, France: 22 Jul 1944
Criqueville, France: 14 Aug 1944
Peray, France: 4 Sep 1944
Clastres, France: 8 Sep 1944
Juvincourt, France: 28 Oct 1944
St-Dizier, France: 1 Feb 1945
Conflans, France: 14 Mar 1945
Frankfurt/Eschborn, Germany: 10 Apr-Jul 1945
Seymour Johnson Field, NC: Sep- Nov 1945

Component Units

392nd: 1943-1945
393rd: 1943-1945
394th: 1943-1945

Assigned To

1943-1944: San Francisco Fighter Wing; IV Fighter Command; Fourth Air Force
April-15 April 1944: 100th Fighter Wing; IX Fighter Command; Ninth Air Force
23 December 1944-8 May 1945: 100th Fighter Wing; XIX Tactical Air Command; Ninth Air Force

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (4 May 2016), 367th Fighter Group, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/367th_Fighter_Group.html

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