361st Fighter Group

8th Air Force 361st FG

Squadrons of the 361stFG

374th Fighter Squadron:
375th Fighter Squadron:
376th Fighter Squadron:

Assigned 8th AAF: 30 Nov. 43

Wing/Command Assignment

VIII FC: 30 Nov. 43.
VIII FC,66 FW: 12 Dec. 43.
VIII FC,67 FW: 11 Mar 44.
VIII FC,65 FW: 8 Aug. 44.
2 BD,65 FW: 15 Sep. 44.
9 AF, XIX TAC: 24 Dec. 44.
VIII FC: 1 Feb. 45.
2 AD, 65 FW: 10 April 45

Combat Aircraft:

P-47D Dec. 43-15 May 1944.
P-51B from 12 May 1944;
P-51D and P-51 K.

Stations

BOTTISHAM 30 Nov. 1943 - 26 Sep. 1944
LITTLE WALDEN 26 Sep. 1944 - 4 Feb. 1945
ST. DIZIER 25 Dec. 1944 - 15 Apr 1945
CHIEVRES 15 Feb. 45 - 9 Apr. 1945
LITTLE WALDEN 9 April 45 - 3 Nov. 1945

Group COs

Col Thomas J. J. Christian Jr: 10 Feb. 1943-12 Aug. 1944, KIA
Col Ronald F. Fallows: 14 Aug. 1944-30 Aug. 1944
Lt Col Roy B. Caviness: 31 Aug. 1944-20 Sep. 1944
Lt Col Joseph J. Kruzel: 20 Sep. 1944-2 Nov. 1944
Lt Col Roy B. Caviness: 3 Nov. 1944-2 Dec. 1944
Col Junius W. Dennison Jr 3 Dec. 1944-1 5 Apr. 1945
Lt Col Roy B. Caviness: 15 Apr. 1945-29 Jun. 1945
Col John D. Landers: 29 Jun. 1945-unkn

First Mission: 21 Jan 1944
Last Mission: 20 Apr 1945
Total missions: 441
Aircraft MIA: 81

Claims: Air 226 Ground 105.

Major Awards:

None

Unit Claims to Fame

Last P-47 group to join 8AF.

Early History:

Activated on the 10th Feb. 1943 at Richmond AAB, Va. They trained at air bases in eastern USA during spring and summer of 1943; Langley Fd, Va. from 26 May 1943; Millville AAFd, NJ. 20 Jul. 1944; Camp Springs AAFd, Md. 28 Aug. 1943; The unit returned to Richmond AAB on 20 Sep. 1943. Equipped with P-47s. Moved to Camp Shanks, in NY. on the 12 Nov. 1943 to prepare for overseas duty. They Sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 23 Nov. 1943 and arrived in Clyde 29 Nov. 1943.

Subsequent History:

Unit remained in the UK until Nov. 1945. Many personnel transferred and aircraft where sent to depots in Sep. 1945. The remaining personnel sailed on the Queen Mary from Southampton on the 4 Nov. 1945 and arrived in New York on the 9 Nov. 1945. Group was then established at Camp Kilmer, NJ. and inactivated there on the 10 Nov. 1945.

Group was redesignated the 127 Fighter Group and allotted to Mich ANG in 1946. Later the group was redesignated a tactical reconnaissance unit flying RF-84F as 127 Tactical Fighter Wing.