The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18

one in England and one in the Atri-
can campaign, and both had just
been returned 20 the training COM
mand for Institutional purposes.
These officers worked increasingly
% make US ready for he real test
and a., Of US felt very grateful for
their efforts.
Goth Best Trained Unit
"On the 3lst .of May we took off
for the Cape Bon peninsula and the
final phase OF the experiment. I
personally believe that no unit in
this war has gone into combat bet
ter trained or better equipped than
the 99th Fighter Squadron. We were
weak in one respect only and that
was simply that the squadron COM
mander. myself. and the flight
commanders had had no actual
combat experience. That is very
desirable feature because il gives
a good BIT OF confidence 10 those
who are led tina; the man who is
N charge 81 the formation knows
what he is doing and frankly
dn't know ;nitially. nor did my
fight commanders. On the other
hand. this deficiency was balanced
by the fact that my pilots averaged
about $50 hours in P-40, and a
Young pilot in these days who has
$50 hours in a P-40 before he goes
into comba; IS a hard man 10 find.
All Of lis were little on edge
because we were going into some
hing that We hadn't experienced
before. This transition was eased
by Colone, William Momyer. who
commands very famous fighter
group which is now located I'D al.
the front We we're attached 10 his
group for operations and attached
for operations means jus: one thing
and that alone. simply that every
night the group operations officer
te.ephoned 10 my operations officer
( the missions set up for the next
day. l nigh: explain that a little
bi; diferently-the setup in the
T African theatre consists OF the stra-
;cgical air force and the tactical
air force We were members OF the
tactical air force Under the ;aciica.
air force headquarters there is an
air support command and this air
scpport command doles out the
daily missions 70 the groups.
One-Fourth Of Missions
a squadron. although il is the
/ basic fighting team in an air force
is actually small unit, and conse-
Quen,ly il would be much better
Cor a single squadron TO &c: is
missions from a group headquarters
rather than large air support COM
mand headquarters. Colonel Nom
Ners, in giving US the missions
treated Us exactly as one OF his
SQuJdrons. He had three Of his own
and "c had one. that being four
Squadrons. We got e-tourth OF ;hC
missions givca by his air support
/ command Colonel Momycr sug.
gested initially that my flight com.
manderS and myself fly as wing
men on one OF his missions 50 thai
We might get some experience mi.
TALLY before attempting 10 lead
our own men into combat. He also
advised me very completely on tho
details of running a squadron in {
combat zone.
At that time, shortly after TIT
first OF June. the Panteileria show
was going on and our first mission!
were over that island. We dive,
bombed detectives on the iSlanc
every day untli;s fall on the iii
OF June. We had our first bomber
escort. B-25S, B-26S, A-20S and som,
British BsliimoreS. 10 the island
Six OF our pilots had their frs
brush with enemy aircraft during
this show but the remainder OF Vi
experienced only some Of the yer,
inaccurate brand OF flax that thu
Italians throw M After Pantel
,cria, Colonel Morhyer's grou;
moved TO the island and we re
ceiyed our opcrational control from
la fighter group commanded by
Colonel McNorriS.
Escorted Bombers 10 Sicily
I From the first Of July TO the 81
Of July we escorted bomberS {,
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