357th Fighter Group

8th Air Force 357FG

Squadrons of the 357th FG

362nd Fighter Squadron:
363rd Fighter Squadron:
364th Fighter Squadron:

Assigned 8th AAF: 31 January 1943

Wing/Command Assignment

VIII FC, 66 FW: 31 Jan 1944
1BD, 66 FW: 15 Sep. 1943.
1AD, 66 FW: 1 Jan. 1945

Combat Aircraft:

P-51B
P-51C
P-51D
P-51K

Stations

RAYDON 30 Nov. 1943 - 31 Jan. 1944.
LEISTON 31 Jan. 1944 - 8 Jul. 1945.

Group COs

Lt Col Edward S. Chickering: 7 Jul. 43-17 Feb. 44.
Col Henry R. Spicer: 17 Feb. 44-5 Mar. 44, POW.
Col Donald W. Graham: 7 Mar. 44-10 Oct. 44.
Lt Col John D. Landers: 11 Oct. 44-2 Dec. 44.
Col Irwin H. Dregne: 2 Dec. 44-21 Jul. 45.

First Mission: 11 February 1944
Last Mission: 25 April 1945
Aircraft MIA: 128
Total Missions: 313

Enemy Aircraft Claims: 609 air; 106 ground.

Major Awards:

Two Distinguished Unit Citations: 6 Mar. and 29 Jun. 1944: for defence of bombers on missions to Berlin and Leipzig,14 Jan. 1945: action on Derben mission.

Unit Claims to Fame

First P-51 group in 8AF.
Faster rate of air victories than with any other 8AF group during final year of war.
Highest enemy air claims for single mission—14 Jan. 1945 Total 56 claims.

Early History:

Activated 1 Dec. 1942 at Hamilton Fd, CA. Unit moved to Tonopah AAFd, Nev. 4 Mar. 1943 and wasequipped with P-39s. Moved to Santa Rosa AAFd, CA. on 3 June 1943, and Orville AAFd, CA. 18 Aug. 1943 and Casper AAFd, Wyo. 7 Oct. 43. On 9 Nov. 1943 commenced overseas movement by leaving Casper from Camp Shanks, NY. Sailed on Queen Elizabeth on the 23 Nov. 1943, arriving at Clyde on the 29 Nov. 1943. Assigned to 9AF, IXFC, 30 Nov. 1943 and based Raydon. Trained with a few P-51B's. In Jan. 1944 8AF exchanged 358FG for 357FG Hq. and 362FS moved on 31 Jan. 1944, 363 and 364FS moved 1 Feb. 1944.

Subsequent History:

Selected for service with occupational forces in Germany. Moved to Neubiberg (R-85) early in July 1945. Unit suffered shortages in aircraft and personnel during the following year. Inactivated at Neubiberg on the 20 Aug. 1946.
Redesignated 121FG and allotted to the Ohio ANG in 1946. Since 1952 as a tactical fighter wing. Equipment for many years with F-84F