367th Fighter Group The 367th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with XII Tactical Air Command stationed at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina . It was inactivated on 7 November 1945 . Assigned to Ninth Air Force during World War II , the 367th participated in seven European Campaigns rolling up an impressive list of statistics , flying 14 , 175 combat sorties destroying 432 enemy aircraft , probably destroying another 28 and damaging 344 . They had destroyed or badly damaged 384 locomotives , 4 , 672 motor vehicles and 8 , 288 railroad cars . The group flew its last combat mission on 6 May 1945 . The unit was redesignated as the 133d Fighter Group , and allotted to the Minnesota Air National Guard on 23 May 1946 . History . The 367th Fighter Group was activated at Hamilton Field , California on 15 July 1943 . That Summer and Fall the cadre of the Group slowly increased and P - 39 Aircobra aircraft arrived . In December the three squadrons , the 392nd , 393rd and 394th were scattered to three different fields in the San Francisco Bay area . Dive bombing and gunnery training was carried out at Tonopah Army Air Field , Nevada . In January 1944 the 367th was beefed up with personnel from the 328th and 368th Fighter Groups . Training continued into February at which time all overseas inspections were completed and the Group was declared ready to move to a combat zone . The training had been costly – eight pilots having been killed in the P - 39s . The Group ' s journey to the European Theater began with entrainment in Oakland , California on 8 March 1944 . A six day train trip across the country was followed by a week of final inspections and training at Camp Shanks , New York before boarding the British liner SS Duchess of Bedford in New York Harbor . The Duchess docked at Greenock , Scotland on 3 April and the Group was transported by train to its airfield at RAF Stoney Cross , England . Having trained on single engine aircraft the pilots had expected to find P - 51 Mustang s , but were surprised to find 75 P - 38 Lightning s sitting on the dispersal pads . The change from single engine to twin engine aircraft required considerable retraining . By early May the 367th was ready for combat . The first two combat missions were completed successfully and the 367th was at war . Fighter sweeps , bomber escorts and dive bombing missions were the order of the day for the Ninth Air Force units . Many sorties were scheduled and successfully completed . The pilots were gaining respect and confidence in the P - 38 . Unfortunately , the baptism of fire over Festung Europe resulted in seven pilot casualties . D - Day , 6 June , arrived and the Group flew nine missions in the next three days maintaining low aerial cover over the invasion troops . By mid June , the Cotentin Peninsula had been cut - off and the German ground forces had withdrawn into a perimeter defense of Cherbourg , a major port which had become extremely important to the allies due to the storm damage to the artificial port facilities on the invasion beaches . A three division attack ordered for 22 June was to be preceded by a low level bombing and strafing attach by 12 IX Fighter Command fighter groups . The 367th was to be the last fighter group over this highly defended area and would be followed by a massive IX Bomber Command attack from medium altitude . the fighters were ordered to fly at low altitude from west to east through this five by 26 mile highly defended area . The 367th P - 38s were " sitting ducks . " Within two to three minutes after entering the area the 394th had lost five pilots . The mission was an unqualified disaster – seven pilots killed in action ( KIA ) . All but 11 of the returning aircraft had extensive battle damage . The 367th was out of action for several days . During the 17 day period , including the operations in the Cherbourg area , the 367th had 14 pilots killed and one taken prisoner . The last week of July the Group ' s forward echelon crossed the English Channel on Liberty Ship s and landed in France with the 392nd Fighter Squadron moving to Carentan , the 393rd to the airfield Cricqueville - en - Bessin ( A - 2 ) , and the 394th to Sainte - Mère - Église ( A - 6 ) . Life in Normandy was quite different – pup tents , squad tents , fox holes , plenty of C and K rations , Pierced Steel Planking ( PSP ) runways and thousands of yellow - jackets in the jam and jelly . With the break out of the ground forces from the Saint - Lô area , close air support of Patton ' s Third Army became the order of the day . The Group ' s first big bag came with attacks on the German Seventh Army which , to prevent being surrounded , was withdrawing eastward through the gap between Falaise and Argentan . Five convoys and 100 Tiger Tanks were destroyed on one day . A resurgence of Luftwaffe activity occurred in August with the 367th in the middle of the fray . On 22 August the Group was ordered to attack , simultaneously , three separate airfields in the Laon area . The 392nd Squadron dive bombed and destroyed two hangars on one airfield but were jumped by 12 FW 190 s as the completed their attack . The 393rd was jumped by 18 ME 109 s and FW 190 s as they reformed from their dive bomb run . After bombing its target , the 394th Squadron turned to help the 392nd . The 394th bounced four Germans but in turn were attacked by three others . The fight continued with the 394th shooting down six additional aircraft . In the mean time , the 392nd had taken care of itself , destroying five enemy aircraft without a loss . Altogether the Group had destroyed 14 enemy aircraft for a loss of one . Returning to the Laon area on 25 August , the 367th Group simultaneously attacked three Luftwaffe airfields at Clastres , Péronne and Rosières . The dive bombing attacks ignited one of the greatest fighter versus fighter air battles in U . S . history . It was unique in that most of the action took place in a relatively small area and from 3 , 000 feet to ground level . There are still witnesses to this dramatic event who refer to it as " the day the sky over I ' Aisne was on fire . " The fight started when the 392nd Squadron , radioed the other two squadrons the location of 30 FW 190s that had just taken off . Leading the attack , the 392d on the initial attack and four FW 190s fell simultaneously . Before the cover flight could reach them , four members of the flight were surrounded and shot down . Captain Mateson leading the cover flight shot down two , Lt Lezie damaged one and destroyed another . Lt Platt shot down another while Lt Tremblay hit the wing root and cockpit of another FW 190 . After driving three 190s from the tail of a P - 38 , Lt Lemley had his right engine shot out , but was able to escape at tree top level . Lieutenants Broniee and Conney were shot down and killed in action . With the 392nd and 393rd Squadrons joining the fight the odds were more even . Major Griffin leading the 392nd attacked from out of the sun and shot down one FW 190 and damaged another as did Lieutenants Livingston and Plotecia . Captain Blumer leading the 393rd and with Lt Awtrey on his wing destroyed five enemy aircraft becoming an ace on one mission . Lt Pacek flying his third combat mission shot down two and Lieutenants Dobrowolosk and Melvin Jones destroyed one each . Of the 50 enemy aircraft engaged , 25 were destroyed , one probably destroyed and 17 damaged . The 367th lost two pilots KIA . Four other bailed out over enemy held France . In the afternoon the 367th destroyed 16 Ju - 52 s while on a long range strafing mission to airfields in the Dijon - Bordeaux area . For its achievements on 25 August , the 367th Fighter Group received the Presidential Unit Citation , the highest possible award for a unit in combat . By now the Allied forces were moving forward and it was time for the three squadrons to start leap - frogging to new bases ; moving from bases in Normandy to Le Mans ( A - 35 ) , to St . Quentin and by late October to Juvincourt ( A - 68 ) , north of Reims . Now the flying missions were predominantly interdiction , that is , dive bombing and strafing trains , motor transport , bridges , marshaling yards and supply areas . The 367th also supported the air drop of Nijmegen by escorting C - 47 s and destroying the flak positions . For successful combat activity that Fall , the Group was awarded an Order of the Day Citation of the Belgium Army . The Luftwaffe , now operating from German soil , reacted vigorously to the 367ths attacks . An engagement on 20 October is particularly worth mentioning . The Group , now low on P - 38s , was ordered to simultaneously attack three railroad bridges in the Duren area . Lieutenant Estabrook , leading seven P - 38s , from the 394th squadron was jumped by 16 FW 190s on his dive bombing run . Three pilots failed to return , three returned badly damaged and Lt Bradford was killed in action . Lt Malone , leading the 392nd Squadron , was jumped by 25 FW 190s on his dive bombing run . Lieutenants Malone and Mathisen bailed our of their badly damaged aircraft and were taken prisoner while Lt Andrews and the experienced and highly respected Deputy Group Commander , Lt Colonel Morris Crossen were killed . Major Carroll Joy , leading the 393rd Squadron , turned to help the other squadrons on completing his bomb run and found Lt Bowers of the 394th being attacked by seven FW 190s . He destroyed two and Lt Eldridge destroyed another . Altogether the 367th had destroyed 10 enemy aircraft , but seven of our pilots failed to return , three having been killed in action . During this time , pilots were being decorated with Distinguished Flying Cross es ( DFCs ) and Air Medal s . Some were returning to the States with combat tours completed . Pilots were not the only ones receiving awards . Nine airmen received the Bronze Star . On 9 November , Colonel Young completed his tour and was succeeded by Colonel Edwin S . Chickering . Cold weather was now approaching and the Group bedded down at Juvincourt , on an old German air base with more permanent facilities . Life settled into a routine with bad weather curtailing some of the flying activities and adding to their hazard . There were liberty runs to Reims , an EM Club , more movies and a good basketball team . Missions from Juvincourt consisted mainly of fighter sweeps , bomber escorts , dive bombing and strafing of bridges and transport . Luftwaffe reaction continued . On 19 November Major Brooks destroyed three enemy aircraft while coming to the rescue of a P - 47 under attack . Captain Blumer added another . Altogether the 393rd and the 394th Squadrons destroyed seven with no losses to themselves . The German Ardennes Offensive occurred as the holidays approached . A planned move to a field in Belgium was canceled . On the night of 18 December a Forward Air Control Team from the 393rd Squadron was sent to Bastogne to assist the 101st Airborne Division . The team consisted of an experience flight commander , Captain James Parker , a radio operator , a driver and a radio equipped jeep . The team joined the 101st just an hour before the last road to Bastogne was cut . When the weather finally broke , Parker did a superb job of directing the flights of fighter aircraft that were reporting in to him . Bastogne was saved due to the guts and determination of the 101st Airborne Division , Captain Parker , and the Ninth Air Force fighter bomber pilots . On Christmas Eve the 367th , after escorting C - 47s on a re - supply drop at Bastogne , conducted an armed reconnaissance of the Trier area . The 394th Squadron was jumped by FW 190s and a 40 minute air battle ensued in which Lt Jessie DeFrance bailed out of his burning P - 38 and was taken prisoner , Lt Baxter was killed and Lieutenants Croker and Mygatt were badly shot up but were able to return to base . The Group claimed eight destroyed and two probably destroyed and nine damaged . On Christmas Day , Lt Harry Curtis was killed while strafing half - tracks behind the Battle of the Bulge . During the holiday season the enlisted men hosted and entertained 50 French orphan children , providing candy and small gifts . Throughout our moves in France , the officers and men continuously assisted in the welfare of the citizens surrounding our hastily made airfields . As the year 1945 commenced , and with a shortage of P - 38s due to losses , a decision was made by higher headquarters to re - equip the Group with P - 47 Thunderbolt aircraft . Transition commenced with pilots flying P - 38s on combat missions and P - 47s on training missions . On 16 February the 393nd Squadron flew the first combat missions in P - 47s . As the war progressed , the P - 47s were kept busy , in one instance maintaining a ten hour patrol over the Remagen Bridge . The untiring crew chiefs , armorers , sheet metal repairmen , cooks , intelligence personnel , weather officer , surgeons , clerks and staff were working as a well forged team . R & Rs were provided and some rotated to the States on leave . Also for a second time , our Group was cited in a Belgium Army Order of the Day . On 19 March 1945 a special maximum strength mission was scheduled to destroy a castle and complex near Bad Nauheim , Germany housing the German Army Headquarters for the entire Western Front . the headquarters of Field Marshal Kesselring who had recently replaced Field Marshal Von Rundstedt . History reported that Hitler ' s Minister of War Production , Albert Speer , was also there . The attack was scheduled for 1330 hours , the time the senior staff and commanders were expected to be lunching . The initial attack was to be made at minimum altitude by Major Matheson leading 16 P - 47s of the 394th Fighter Squadron , each aircraft loaded with two 1 , 000 pound bombs with delay fuses . Having difficulty navigating at low level due to unexpected haze , the 394th was not able to attack as scheduled . Fortunately , Major Mateson ' s difficulties did not alert the headquarters ' defenses and Lt Diefendorf , leading 16 P - 47s loaded with 1 , 000 pound bombs with . 01 second nose fuses was able to surprise the headquarters by initiating his dive bomb attack from 7 , 000 feet . Lt Diefendorf ' s bombs made a direct hit on the castle ; however , the German generals escaped into deep underground bunkers . General Kesselring did receive a scalp wound from a falling chandelier . The 394th made their attack as the 392nd completed theirs . The 16 P - 47s of the 393rd Squadron led by Major Slingerland were loaded with napalm to burn - up anything remaining . The bombs and napalm reduced the military complex to ruins , causing many casualties and disrupting communications and the flow of intelligence at a critical time when the Allies were crossing the Rhine . For this successful undertaking the 367th Fighter Group was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Presidential Unit Citation . As our ground forces crossed the Rhine and forced their way deeper into Germany the 367th ' s interdiction mission accounted for the destruction of much motor and rail transport , tanks and supplies . We were commended by the Commanding General of Twelfth Corps for superior close air support of his divisions . In addition our excellent basketball team went on to win the Ninth Air Force finals but lost the championship in a close game . On 10 April the Group moved to an airfield on the northwest side of Frankfurt , Germany . Life here was quite different . KP was done by displaced persons and the officers turned in their field equipment and moved into two hotels in the nearby town of Bad Soden . However , the war was not yet over , Mid - April saw the Group destroy 70 enemy aircraft . Many missions were to furnish continuous air cover over the advancing U . S . armored divisions . At one time the Commanding General of the 11th Armored Division , General Dager , flew into our base to personally shake the hand of every pilot who had flown on a mission the day before that had saved his armored columns from disaster . The 367th had put to route a German Panzer division destroying many of their tanks . About this time General Weyland presented Group Personnel with two Silver Star s , two Purple Heart s , five DFCs and 17 Bronze Star s . Our last combat mission was flown on 8 May . All hostilities ceased on 9 May V - E Day , exactly one year after the Group became operational . Some local flying continued and on 4 June the 367th led a long line of Ninth Air Force groups in a fly - by viewed by General Weyland . By now the point system was in effect and some personnel were rotating to the States . On 1 July it was announced the 367th was to go to the Pacific Theater of Operations . Only four of the 15 Ninth Air Force fighter groups were selected for this redeployment showing the respect that the 367th had developed . The move was to be made through the Panama Canal and direct to the Philippines where the Group would be re - equipped with P - 47Ns in preparation for the invasion of Japan . The Group moved to Camp Detroit in France and after a month there moved to a staging area near Marseille . Here the Group was split and loaded on two ships , the USS General Morton , and the USS John Ericcson . About this time the Twentieth Air Force dropped the two atomic bomb s and Japan surrendered . The Morton was diverted to Newport News , Virginia and the John Ericcson sailed for Staten Island , New York . The few personnel that remained in the Group after leaves , transfers and discharges reassembled at Seymour Johnson Field , North Carolina on 2 November . On 7 November 1945 the 367th was inactivated . The 367th had participated in seven European Campaigns rolling up an impressive list of statistics . The pilots had flow 14 , 175 combat sorties destroying 432 enemy aircraft , probably destroying another 28 and damaging 344 . They had destroyed or badly damaged 384 locomotives , 4 , 672 motor vehicles and 8 , 288 railroad cars . The important thing is not the statistics , but the effect these combat sorties had on the outcome of the war . The Group ' s bomber escorts , attacks on enemy airfields and destruction of enemy aircraft in air - to - air combat materially contributed to the gaining of air superiority over Europe to the point where German forces could not move , except in darkness or adverse weather , without fearing devastating attacks from the air , while Allied forces moved about with impunity . The Group ' s attacks on bridges and enemy lines of communication materially prevented or delayed the German Army from moving troops and supplies to counteract the Allied advances . The Group spearheaded the attacks by our ground units by acting as eyes to see what was out ahead of them and destroying opposing forces . And the 367th struck at the very heart of the German Wehrmacht destroying the headquarters for Commander in Chief West at a critical stage during the Allied crossing the Rhein . The 367th Fighter Group contributed greatly to the defeat of Hitler ' s Germany . For their accomplishments the Group received two Presidential Unit Citations , two Belgium Army Order of the Day Citations and many letters of commendations . These awards or recognition were the result of the professional and dedicated efforts of all the personnel of the Group , pilots and ground personnel , officers and enlisted men .