BUILT 08/2019

44-13298, Capt. Freddie F. Ohr, 2nd FS, 52nd FG, Madna, Italy, Fall,1944

The 52nd Pursuit Squadron, known after May, 1942 as the 52nd Fighter Group, was established

in January, 1941 at Selfridge Field in Michigan. Initial training was undertaken on the P-39 and

was followed by a move to Northern Ireland in the summer of 1942, where the unit continued

training on Spitfires, and this was in turn followed by a brief combat tour over western Europe under the command of the 8th AF. By November, 1942, the entire unit was transferred to

Northern Africa. After arrival there, combat operations were undertaken through north Africa,

Sicily and Italy while still flying Spitfires, but this time under the leadership of the 12th USAAF.

In April, 1944, the long awaited change to the Mustang arrived, along with a change in mission

assignment and location under the 15th AF, tasking the 52nd FG with escort duties of this Army

Air Force’s strategic bombers. The aircraft flown by Freddie Ohr, an American ace of Korean

decent, was as it was delivered from the manufacturing facility, with aluminum sprayed wings

and a bare metal fuselage. The red nose and yellow rear fuselage distinguished aircraft of the

52nd FG and the yellow wing bands were reserved for aircraft of the 15th USAAF.

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INFO Eduard - August 2019