Evening star., 1943-06-30
Rickenba backer's Old
Squadron Leads in
Air Force Victories
Bottlewise Fighter
Pilots Fly Into Combat
Almost Daily
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,
Star Etoff rorraennpSa,t

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
BASE, North Africa (By MaiD -
The Oldest fighting squadron in the
American Air Force, built up origi-
nally from a nucleus of the La
Fayette Escadriile in France and
commanded by Capt. Eddie Ricken-
backer at the end of the last war,
daily adds new achievements to its
record.
The end of the Tunisian cam
paign, which meant temporary rest
and easy billets for the ground
forces, brought only an intensified
ton of fighting for the Air Forces
pilots and crews, and the schedule
of the "Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron,
as it has been known since 1918,
calls for almost daily combat above
Fantelleria, Sicily, Sardinia and
Italy itself
Tops in Victories
This particular squadron of Light
nings now tops all other Air Force
units in the number of victories-49
enemy planes destroyed.
Every one of its pilots, some of
them sent in as replacements in
the last few weeks. has been deco
rated or has been recommended for
decoration.
Nearly all of those who came to
Africa with the squadron wear the
Distinguished Flying Cross and the
Silver Star in addition to the
fouragere Of the Croix de Guerre
conferred on them in the last war.
The unit has flown more than $50
>>sions in the North African cam
paign. Every time it goes out it
expects, and usually gets, strenuous
opposition. Its chief opponents
have been the yellow noses" the
FW-190s taken from the Russian
and French fronts last winter and
flown by crack German pilots. and
the Messerschmitt fighters of an
improved design.
Helped Perfect Lightning.
The squadron was largely re-
sponslble, at the cost of a consider
able casualty rate in peacetime, for
getting the bugs" out of the Light
ming and making it the efficient
fighting craft it now is.
With the declaration of war, the
squadron went into active service
as an air guard for the California
Coast, flew from Los Angeles 70
England last fall and went into
action there as companion of the
celebrated Polish 303 squadron which
now tops all Raj units for victories.
After learning some of the tricks of
this war the squadron flew to Africa
at the start of the invasion.
1t arrived without any ground
forces Pilots fueled and serviced
their own planes, pitched their own
tents and cooked their own meals.
1t was night and day job for all
Of them until ground crews arrived
month later. There was mission
nearly every day, sometimes two
day.
Insignia Restored.
Alter the last war the insignia of
the squadron was changed from the
hat-ln-t n-the-rlng to an Indian head.
Last week the old insignia was re-
stored by the commanding general
of Air Forces in this area and the
pilots are wearing it in the form of
silver badges on their chests-the
only men in the Air Force with such
an addition to their uniforms.
In addition to the daily combat
missions, the squadron has many
routine Jobs involving considerable
peril, such as long weather observ-
ing flights over the high Atlas peaks.
But for more than a month now
there have been no losses and, pilots
say, with their present familiarity
with enemy tactics, they do not
expect manV more.