Air Force Combat Units of WWII

AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS-GROUPS 35 1COMMANDERS. Col Howard Moore, 8 ammunition dumps, power stations, andJul-c. Nov 1943.CAMPAIGNS. Antisubmarine, EAMETheater; Air Offensive, Europe.DECORATIQNS. None.INSIGNE. None.radar sites while on escort or fighterbombermissions as the Allies drove acrossFrance during the summer and fall of1944; flew area patrols to support thebreakthrough at St Lo in Jul and the airborneattack on Holland in Sep. Receiveda DUC for the destruction of numerous479th FIGHTER GROUPaircraft on airfields in France on 18 Augand 5 Sep and during a aerial battle nearMunster on 26 Sep. Continued escort andfighter-bomber activities from Oct to mid-Dec 1944, converting to P-51’s during thisperiod. Participated in the Battle of theBulge (Dec 1944-Jan 1945) by escortingbombers to and from targets in the battlearea and by strafing transportation targetswhile on escort duty. Flew escort missionsfrom Feb to Apr 1945, but also providedarea patrols to support the airborne attackacross the Rhine in Mar. ReturnedConstituted as 479th Fighter Group on12 Oct 1943 and activated on 15 Oct.to the US in Nov 1945. Znactivated on IEquipped with P-38’~: Trained for com-Dec 1945.bat and served as an air defense organiza- Redesignated 479th Fighter-Bombertion. Moved to England, Apr-May 1944, Group. Activated on I Dec 1952. Asandassigned to Eighth AF. From May signed to Tactical Air Command.1944 to Apr 1945, escorted heavy bombersduring operations against targets on theContinent, strafed targets of opportunity,Equipped successively with F-51, F-86,and F-IOO aircraft. Redesignated 479thFighter-Day Group in Feb 1954.and flew fighter-bomber, counter-air, and SQUADRONS. 434th.’ 1943-1945; I952-.area-patrol missions. Engaged primarily 435th: 1943-1945; I952-. 436th: 1943-in escort activities and fighter sweeps until 1945; 1952-.the Normandy invasion in June 1944. Pa- STATIONS. Grand Central Air Terminal,trolled the beachhead during the invasion. Calif, 15 Oct 1943; Lomita Flight Strip,Strafed and dive-bombed troops, bridges, Calif, c. 6 Feb 1944; Santa Maria AAFld,locomotives, railway cars, barges, vehicles,Calif, c. 8-c. 12 Apr 1944; Wattisham,airfields, gun emplacements, flak towers,England, c. 15 May 1944-c. 23 Nov 1945;