General Orders 1946 - Fort Benning

oners. The heroic achievemcnt of the 247th Eflginew Cmnbat Battalim, which
rnabled the 30th Infantry Division awl thc 2d Armored Imisioo to drive to the
Roer River line, was in keeping with the flnest traditions of the combat engineers
and the armed forces. (Gcncral Ordcrs 642, Headquarters Seventh Army, Western
Military District, 9 November 1Q45, as approved by the Commanding Omeral,
Unlted States Army Forces, European Theater (Blain).)
16. The 348th Ftghter Ovovp is cited for outstanding performance of duty in
action in thc Philippine Islands on 24 December 1944. On that day, four P47
squadrons of the group were afisigned to provide ixotcction for twenty-two B-24
aircraft making n raid on Clark P'ield, Jxmn, iheu one of the principal Japancse
stronfiholds in the Philippine Islands. Taking off from an airstrip ou the island
of Leyte, the airplanas of the .3/r8th Fighter Group rendcmonsed over Masbate
With the bombers, which w?re flying from Palau. 'Cwo of the 1'47 pilots, dis~
patched on a preraid reconnaissance, reached the target area 25 minutes ahead
of the main StriXing force n.ithont being delccted. Finding the air filled with
Jaiianese airplanes at altitudes of from 10,m to 10,000 feet, the^ unhesitatingly
dived into the nearest enemy formation and, in the ensuing battle, destroyed
3 enemy aircraft and damaged another. Thcn, before the remaining Jnpsnese
collld close in on them, thasc pilots radioed full information to the main American
force on the number and disposition of the enemy formalions, tile weather, and
possible targets. .is the Amcrican bomhcrs approached Clark Field under a
cover of P4i aircraft at 20,000 feet, enemy figirlers began to attack. SN~, a
Series of flghts bctween elements and flights of P47's against 2-airplane flights
and single aircraft of the enemy rag#?d xt altitudes of 2,000 to 20,000 feet for
10 to 16 lnlies on either flank of the Iiherators' approach. Despite increasing
antiaircraft fire, two of the Thunderbolt sauadrons urovided close orotection for
the bombers, eng;i,sing the enemy fighter aircraft only wiien they broke through
the cowr to attack the bombere. In a 45-minute battle, the P-4i uilots destroyed
32 hostile aircraft arid probably 2 othcrs, or more than half of the airborne
Japanese fighters, and thereby enabled the American bomb squadrons to destroy
grounded aircraft, large hangars, extensive supply dump, and repir instailations
without suffering a single casualty. Of the Thunderbolts which participated
in this perfectly coordinated strike, four were lost, with me pilot crashlanding
safely. Credit for the outstanding success of this mission mwt be
given not only to the pilots of the gruup bnt also to the maintenance, operations,
and intelliger~cr personnel who readied the airplanes and airmen for the flight.
la helping to deal a smashing blow at the center of Japanese air power in the
Philippines nnd thereby pave the way for the inrosian of 1,ozon some u7eeks
Inter, the personnel of the 348tl~ Fighter Group brought great hmor on themselves
and tile United States Army Xir Forces. (General Orders 2186, Headquarters
Far East Air Forces, 10 Kovember 1945, as approved by the Commander in
Chief, United States Army Forces, Pacific.)
17. The 4036 Troop Corricr. Group is cited for outstanding performance of duty
In action in the Philippine Islands from 17 April to 30 June 1M5. When Eighth
Arms units, after landing on the island of Mindwnno, quickly overreached their
supply lines, and prolonged rains rendered ground routes impassable, it became
necessam that air transoort he used to resunnlv .. . ammunition, rations. and medical.
engineering, signal, and fuel supplies to the rapidly advancing tpoops. Assigned
on sudden notice to take oart in the Mindnnao oucrations, the 403d TTOOU Uarrier
Group, then engaged in transport activity (over an area ranging from Australia
to the Wilipl>ines, had to set up a temporary ndvancc base to meet Eighth Army
requirements. TO a~eon~plish their vitally important task, C47 crews of the 40%
AGO 29898