General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

Orders 45, Headquarters 77th Infantry Division, 28 January 1946, as apnruved
the enemy. On 30 ~ugust 1943, the 1st Figl~lw ~rollp was assigned the vital
mission as escort to two medium bombardment groups which were attacking the
important Jlarslmlling Tarda at Aversa, Italy. Crossing tile Italian coast, their
formation of 44 aircraft was intercepted by ap~roximately 76 highly aggressive
nnd persistent enemy tighter aircraft. Alone nnd unaided, the 1st Fighter Croup
gallantly engaged thin foxmidable hostile forcc, be;~Lirig off ware after vavr of
enemy air~lanes attrmgting to pierce the fighter dcfruses to :rttack and break
up lhe bomber formation. Despite lhe ouern4x?lming SupcdorirS in nurm!iers of
enems fizllters, demonstratinc the greatest skill in escort duty, with superior
ing 3 enemy figilter aircraft, while our awn lorses lot,?lcd 13 missing. Through
their highly efieclirr fighter corn., tile Iromber forrnution nas enabled to corngiete
a bigldy succcssLol liomhiug mu unmolested, inflictiny gmvc dnmexe to vital
installations, and return to hnpe without iarx of a singie bomber. By the superior
technical sirill and dewtion lo duty exhibited by tlle ground personnel, wlluse
tireless rfiorts made Illis vital missim possib!e, together n-ith [he coiispicuous
conragc, fortitude, rjnd aggressive combat spirit of tile pilots, the fst Whter
Group n13I1L'ld (.he lliglle~t lrodiiions of the military ~rrricc, thereby icdt!ciing
great credit on themselres and the arnieii forces of the United Slates. (General
Orders 21101, 1I~adqu:~rlers Fifteenth Air Force, 27 August 1'3-14)
4. The 8th Photogtaphic Recrmnnissance riqaadvol~ is cilra for outstanding
perfo~mi>r:ce of duLy in action in the Philippire Islands from 19 November to
6 l i j 1 Dnring t1li.y period, the 81h Photoyrnplrio Iler'o,aiaissanee
Sq~~0d1.012 n~:%tlr a innlor rrjntribntion to ;he succrss of the Lcyte cnmgaiyn by
prwiding nil Smcc unit3 wit11 necessary ~;imtogrwyllir eorei age Lor bolll eurrellt
under IT~:c'., the i~riilrmed aircraft of the squadron, harrrsscd by antiaircraft fire
and subjecled to ae!'iol intercegtion on inany of their fliglltr, ravered tlll.get8
rtinging Lrom the islands of the Vi;l,~yiin group to cwntral L~izon and, in atldilion,
:ieconipiished lorn ohiignc yhol.o:r:?phic missions over awns of concenti'ated ground
action on 1,:'yre. From 10 Novembt?r to i5 Deczmbcl', piiots of the squadron made
a total of 120 sorties, and of thc 49 minsims nccurrriliixiietl between :I3 Koovember
and 15 Drcenlher, 40 were suci-essiul. During the period 27 Novcmbrr to 5
Dwe~iltlel', tllc numh