Army Air Forces in Europe

world war II

14th Fighter Group

8th Air Force 14FS

Squadrons of the 14th FG

48th Fighter Squadron
49th Fighter Squadron
50th Fighter Squadron


Assigned 8th AAF: 18 Aug 1942

Wing/Command Assignment

VII FC: 6F W 12 Sep 1942

Combat Aircraft:

P-38F

Stations

ATCHAM 18 Aug 1942 to 6 Nov 1945

Group COs

Col Thayer S. Olds 18 Apr 1941 to 28 Jan 1943

First Mission: 2 Oct 1942
Last Mission: 21 Oct 1942
MIA: No combat losses

Early History:

Activated 15 January 1941at Hamilton field, California. They moved to March Field in California in early June 1941, and back again to Hamilton Field on the 7th of February 1942 to recieve P-38s. The Ground echelon departed 16 July 1942 on the first stage of the movement to England. They sailed on the USS West Point in early August 1942, and arrived in Liverpool on 17th Aug 1942. The air echelon departed to Bradley Field Conn. on July 1st 1942. They flew P-38s to the United Kingdom via the nortern ferry route. The first aircraft departed Presque Isle on 22 July 1942. The 50th Fighter Squadron remained in Iceland and did not rejoin the Group. The ground echelon at Atcham later transfered to the 4th Fighter Group. The 14th Flew sweeps and practice missions under the Royal Air Force's guidance from Ford, and Tangmere.

Subsequent History:

Assigned to the 12th Air Force, XII Fighter Command on the 14th of September 1942, but continued to operate under VIII Fighter Command. The Ground echelon left Atcham on the 30th of October 1942, and sailed on the USS Brazil and USS Uruguay from Liverpool and arrived in Oran on the 10th of November 1942. The air echelon departed for Portreath on the 6th of November 1942, and flew to North Africa from the 10th to the 14th of November 1942. They fought with the 12th Air Force in North Africa and later with the 15th Air Force in Italy on bomber escort duties.The 14th fighter group was a unit of the Air Defense Command in the post war years. In 1966 the designation was given to a special operations wing in Vietnam.