Little Friends II
Route 65 Across Europe
Text: Jan Zdiarský
The first operations of the US bomber forces in Europe in 1942 revealed the overlooked weakness of the strategic four-engine bombers when faced with the German Luftwaffe. Contrary to the assumptions of the leaders of the so-called "bombing mafia" in the US Army Air Force command, the reality showed the great vulnerability of the bombers, which, with the increasing deployment of aircraft and frequency of missions, soon manifested itself in the form of enormous losses.
The assumption that four-engine bombers formations would be the unchallenged masters of the skies over the continent, easily repelling attacks by enemy fighters and flying high above the range of German anti-aircraft guns, was soon proven wrong. The losses were so enormous that consideration was given to halting strategic bombing missions or incorporating the USAAF's VIII Bomber Command into the RAF command and focusing on night bombing.
This was at a time when the Americans were attacking targets in occupied France or just on the edge of the Reich itself. However, it was clear that the time would soon come when it would be necessary to penetrate much deeper into German territory. The only thing that could protect the bombers were their own fighter units. The problem was that neither the Americans nor the British had an aircraft that could fully handle such a role. The existing P-47 and P-38 were not sufficient in this regard. The development of a suitable aircraft was the task of the designers and engineers; the creation of an appropriate organizational structure fell to the strategists and commanders. Ambitious goals were to lead to the creation of the most powerful air force in the world. And this was achieved in less than two years from the moment when, on August 17, 1942, American bombers from the 8th AF undertook their first independent operation, an attack on the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yard in France.
(Note: for more information, we recommend the introductory text to the 11174 MIGHTY EIGHTH: 66th Fighter Wing kit, or the article Little Friends in Info Eduard magazine No. 161 - 7/2023.
Although the USAAF already had its own fighter units in the United Kingdom, but these needed to be logistically and functionally linked to the bomber units. In February 1944, the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF) were formed, and the 8th Air Force was reorganized on the basis of VIII Bomber Command, incorporating VIII Air Support Command and VIII Fighter Command in addition to Bomber Command itself. The latter structure consisted of three fighter wings, whose primary task was to protect the bombers. Initially, the VIII FC did not have as many aircraft and personnel as it needed. However, these were soon replenished, and by August 1944, the 8th AF had sixteen fighter groups at its disposal. These were incorporated into three fighter wings, namely the 65th Fighter Wing (FW), 66th FW, and 67th FW. With a few exceptions, the affiliation of specific fighter groups to a given wing remained stable. At the same time, these wings usually provided escort to Big Brothers of specific Bomber Divisions from the 8th AF (the 65th FW escorted Liberators from the 2nd BD, the 66th FW escorted B-17s from the 3rd BD, and the 67th FW escorted B-17s from the 1st BD).
65th Fighter Wing
The 65th Fighter Wing (65th FW) was established on March 25, 1943, as the 4th Air Defense Wing. Its headquarters moved to England in late spring 1943, where it was redesignated the 65th Fighter Wing a month later. Its primary tasks were to escort bombers of the 2nd Bomb Division (later the 2nd Air Division), but also to attack ground targets during preparations for the invasion in June 1944 and subsequently to provide direct support to ground forces or to attack transport targets and airfields deep inside the continent.
While the fighter groups of the 65th FW did not have as many top aces as other units, there were still some notable names emerged, including Col. Hubert A. Zemke, LtCol. Francis S. Gabreski, Col. Donald M. Blakeslee, Capt. Don S. Gentile, and LtCol. Claiborne H. Kinnard, Jr. Some the unit commanders were men whose successes were primarily associated with their service in units of the other two fighter wings of the VIII Fighter Command, including Col. John D. Landers and Col. John C. Meyer.
Col. Jesse Auton commanded the 65th FW for most of its time in Europe. In 1944, the 65th FW consisted of five fighter groups: the 4th, 56th, 355th, 361st and 479th). However, this composition was not entirely stable, with some groups being temporarily detached and others were added. Combat experience also led to the establishment of additional units to support the wing's activities, primarily the Scouting Force and the Emergency Rescue Squadron.
4th Fighter Group Debden Eagles
The group was formed on August 22, 1942. It was based on American volunteers with combat experience from serving in the RAF, where they formed the core of the Eagle Squadrons. Now under American command, they returned to combat in October 1942. With a few minor exceptions, the 4th FG was based at Debden, approximately 13 miles south of Cambridge, for the entire duration of its combat operations. Debden had previously been home to the aforementioned RAF Eagle Squadrons, specifically the 71st and 121st. One of the peculiarities of the 4th FG, compared to other groups of the VIII FC, was the use of British Spitfires in the first six months of its operation. The Spitfires were subsequently replaced by P-47s, and after another year, in April 1944, by P-51s.
During the 4th FG's operation, its pilots were credited with destroying more than 1,000 enemy aircraft, making it the most successful fighter group in the entire 8th AF in terms of the number of aircraft destroyed in the air and on the ground.
The white stripe across the engine cowling – the identification mark of the 4th FG's Thunderbolts – was also applied to the unit's first Mustangs. It was later replaced by red paint. Initially, this was also sprayed in the form of a stripe across the nose, but later it was extended in an arc across the lower part of the engine cowling to the leading edge of the wing. The propeller spinner was also red, and sometimes the red section on the engine was complemented by a small red and white checkerboard pattern. However, the checkerboard pattern was not a rule; although it appeared on several aircraft, it was more of an individual decoration.
In accordance with the 8th AF directive of October 1944, color differentiation of the vertical tail surfaces in squadron colors began to be introduced at the end of the year as an additional means of identification. The 334th FS was assigned red, the 335th FS white, and the 336th FS blue.
56th FG Zemke's Wolfpack
The 56th FG was established as the 56th Pursuit Group even before the US entered the war, on November 20, 1940, making it the oldest part of the 65th FW. A little more than six months before its transfer to the European theater of war at the turn of 1942/43, it replaced the original P-39 and P-40 with the P-47. With these, it entered combat in April 1943 and very quickly gained a great reputation. We mentioned that the previous unit, the 4th FG, was the most successful unit of the 8th AF in terms of the total number of enemy aircraft destroyed – both in the air and on the ground. However, if we were to apply such statistics only to aerial victories, the 56th FG would take the lead. This fact is all the more remarkable given that all these victories were achieved exclusively with the P-47. Despite its many qualities, the P-47 did not have the characteristics that would make it the best American fighter aircraft on the battlefield. It was therefore not the aircraft that won air superiority for the Allies over continental Europe. That aircraft was, of course, the P-51 Mustang.
The 56th FG moved between several bases in England (Kings Cliffe, Horsham St Faith, Halesworth) before settling permanently in Boxted in April 1944.
The distinguishing feature of the 56th FG's Thunderbolts was the red color of the front part of the engine cowling, which replaced the original white color. With its red nose, the unit matched the color scheme of the 4th FG's Mustangs from the same fighter wing. In this case, however, given the characteristics of both aircraft types, there was no danger of misidentification.
The color scheme of the rudders from the end of 1944 also affected the 56th FG. Its 61st FS received red, the 62nd FS yellow, and the 63rd FS received blue rudders.
78th FG The Duxford Eagles
The Duxford Eagles are an integral part of the sister 66th FW. Their involvement in the 65th FW for less than two weeks in August 1943 was only a brief episode in this famous fighter group’s story.
355th FG Steeple Morden Strafers
The unit was formed on November 12, 1942, and spent the following months training intensively with P-47 aircraft. In July 1943, the unit moved to England, and became part of the 8th AF. Two months later, in September 1943, the unit joined the fighting, initially flying P-47s which were replaced by Mustangs in April 1944. During the invasion on June 6, 1944, it was one of the fighter units of the VIII FC that provided direct air support to the invasion forces. Otherwise, the main daily routine of the pilots of this unit, as with other groups of the 65th FW with P-51 aircraft, was escorting and sweeping in support of 2nd BD Liberators missions, and, of course, the subsequent free hunting for ground targets.
Throughout its time in Europe, the unit was based at Steeple Morden near Royston, southwest of Cambridge. This does not include the bases in Germany during the occupation duty after the war ended.
The identification colors of the aircraft of this fighter group deviated to a certain extent from the standards maintained by the 65th FW and the entire VIII FC.
The engine cowlings of the 355th FG's Thunderbolts (as with some others) had a white front section, and the unit retained this marking even after switching to the P-51. During the six months from April to October 1944, a white ring on the nose and a white engine cowling were standard for this unit. However, following the introduction of the 8th AF directive on color differentiation of individual squadrons within fighter groups in October 1944, the 355th FG applied these colors unusually not only to the rudders of its aircraft but also to the place of the original white stripe on the nose. The only white color remaining as an identification mark of the 355th FG was the white propeller spinners, and even that was not always adhered.
The colored stripes on the nose and the rudder were arranged according to the following scheme: red for the 354th FS, blue for the 357th FS, and yellow for the 358th FS.
356th FG The Blue Diamonds / Martlesham Playboys
The 356th FG, activated on December 8, 1942, was assigned to two fighter wings during its service in Europe, similar to the 78th FG. In addition to the 65th FW, it was also assigned to the 67th FW (from August 1944 until the end of the war).
Upon its arrival in Europe in August 1943, this unit was assigned to the 65th FW and was deployed in combat in October of the same year. It used P-47 aircraft until November 1944, including the period when it was transferred from the 65th to the 67th FW. Thus the imaginary circles represented by the terms ‘65th FW’ and ‘P-51 never intersected.
361st FG Yellowjackets
The 361st FG served in all three fighter wings and even in the 9th AF. Established on 28 January 1943, it became part of the 8th Air Force in November of the same year, after which it moved to Bottisham in England. The unit saw its first combat in January 1944, still with P-47s, and in May of the same year it re-equipped with P-51s. The group remained in Bottisham until September 1944, when it moved to Little Walden. From there, at the turn of 1944/45, it was called to the continent. First to France, where it participated in supporting Allied forces during the Battle of the Bulge, and then to the Chievres base in Belgium. It returned to Little Walden for the last weeks of the war in April 1945.
The distinctive identification markings of this unit were the yellow noses of their P-51s. As with other groups, they initially consisted only of a yellow propeller cone and a stripe behind it. Later, the yellow color was extended in an arc or broken line across the top of the engine cowling to the front canopy, often covering the olive anti-glare stripe on the nose. There is also a documented variant where only the propeller cone was yellow. The Mustangs of this unit also often stand out with their green camouflage color, applied to the upper fuselage and wings of aircraft in their original metal color. This color scheme was related to plans and later implemented deployment of the group at continental airfields.
Like other groups, the 361st FG applied squadron identification markings to the rudders of its Mustangs. In its case, these were the colors red, blue, and yellow, assigned in that order to the 374th, 375th, and 376th FS.
479th FG Riddle's Raiders
As the youngest unit of the 65th FW, the 479th FG became part of it in May 1944, when it completed its transfer to England. It was not only the youngest part of the 65th FW, but also the last fighter group to be attached to the 8th AF. It was established six months earlier, on October 12, 1943. Its European base was Wattisham, and it entered combat with P-38 aircraft. Between October (some sources say mid-September) and December 1944, it re-equipped with Mustangs.
Unlike other groups in the 65th FW, the 479th FG did not use any color identification on its Mustangs, i.e., nose painting. The aircraft of this unit were generally less colorful, including the application of nose art and kill marks. The only formal color marking was the differentiation of rudders according to individual squadrons, and even that was not strictly adhered to. According to VIII FC instructions, the rudders were to be painted red for the 434th, yellow for the 435th, and black for the 436th FS.
However, the reality was different, including the fact that the coloring of the rudders for the 479th FG appeared earlier than for most other groups within the VIII FC. This happened during the period when Col. Hubert Zemke took command of the unit (he led it from August 12, 1944, until his capture on October 30, 1944). Zemke introduced squadron markings for the unit based on a similar scheme to that used at the time by his previous 56th FG. The colors corresponded to the later 8th AF directive, with the exception of the 436th FS. Zemke left its rudders unpainted, and in the following period a black-and-white checkerboard pattern appeared, later replaced by solid black. However there is also unverified information about the application of blue paint.
SFX and 2nd Scouting Force
One of the problems faced by 8th AF bomber crews was the unreliability of weather forecasts deep over the continent. This manifested itself not only in difficulties during the journey to the target, but above all in bomb runs. Contrary to forecasts, it was not uncommon for the target to be obscured by clouds. Although radar-based bombing methods capable of ‘seeing’ through solid cloud cover were developed, the results of such procedures were worse than better, especially in the early stages of their development. It would be more advantageous for the bombing units to turn to a secondary, opportunity target, or a ‘last resort target’ in time. However, the realization that it was impossible to bomb the primary target usually came too late.
The commander of the 384th Bomb Group, Col. Budd J. Peaslee, came up with a solution to this problem. He proposed creating a special unit comprising fast single-engine fighter aircraft. The pilots would fly solo over the target area and report the situation to the bomber wing commanders by radio. The P-51D was the obvious choice, although the 8th Air Force also used British Mosquitoes for similar purposes. The pilot of such a Mustang would primarily be an experienced bomber pilot who had already completed their operational tour, preferably as a Commanding Pilot (formation or wing commander). These pilots' experience gained during their bombing missions meant they knew exactly what information bomber wing commanders needed.
The Scouting Force Experimental (SFX), which was to test this theory in practice, found its base in Steeple Morden with the 355th FG, belonging to the 65th FW. Its size was supposed to correspond roughly to one squadron, but in terms of the number of pilots and aircraft, it was smaller, more in the range of one flight. Between July 16 and September 12, 1944, SFX flew 35 successful missions, after which it was decided that similar units would be established for all three fighter wings, or the bomber divisions respectively. Col. Peaslee continued to command the 1st Scouting Force, assigned to the 1st BD (B-17), and moved to Honington (home of the 364th FG and 1st Strategic Air Depot). The newly formed 2nd Scouting Force remained under the arms and operational support of the 355th FG at Steeple Morden and provided service for the 2nd BD (B-24). The 3rd Scouting Force, which provided service for the 3rd BD (B-17) within the 66th FW, was established at Wormingford (55th FG).
The color scheme of the SFX and later 2nd SF (established on September 26, 1944) Mustangs was based on the practice of the units from which they were borrowed or transferred. In this case, it was the Mustangs of the 355th FG. The 2nd SF did not use any special color markings, and the aircraft generally retained their white noses and code letters (usually with a black bar added above or below the squadron letters) used during their previous service with the 355th FG.
5th Emergency Rescue Squadron Shepherd of the Seas
The list of units under the 65th FW would not be complete without a brief mention of the 5th ERS. The idea was inspired by the ARS - the RAF's air and sea rescue system, which had helped many American crews on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the 8th AF command felt the need to introduce a similar service within its own structures. At a conference of Allied air force commanders on May 8, 1944, it was decided to establish such a unit and place it under the 65th FW. The 5th ERS was based in Saffron Walden and Boxted, and later also as a detachment in Halesworth. The patrol aircraft were retired P-47s, which monitored not only the sea surface but also radio traffic during the departure and return of bomber formations and their fighter escorts across the English Channel and the North Sea. Thunderbolt pilots could drop dinghies and other equipment to crews in distress and, above all, ensure accurate fixing their location. To improve the subsequent rescue procedures, the unit was later equipped with PBY Catalina aircraft.
In terms of identification markings, the 65th FW was characterized by greater variability and more frequent differences between individual groups than its sister units, the 66th and 67th FW, whose color schemes were generally more distinctive and previously established. This makes it interesting from both a modeling and research perspective. The markings of the subordinate fighter groups were less conspicuous and less rigidly standardized in the 65th FW. The 65th Fighter Wing was also characterized by a combination of older, highly experienced groups (e.g., the 4th Fighter Group and 56th Fighter Group) and newer units (such as the 479th Fighter Group), and it was this diversity that was one of its defining features within the VIII Fighter Command's operations over Europe.