At first, the Group's pilots trained with the Republic P-43 Lancer. This was a single-engine pursuit aircraft and the forerunner of the famous P47 Thunderbolt fighter. In May '1941, the Group moved to Portland, Oregon. As the training progressed, elements of the 55th were assigned to Paine and McChord Fields in the state of Washington. It was there that the fliers and ground support people began training with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters which would have such an impact on the air war in Europe later.

In February 1942, the Group's 54th Pursuit Squadron was transferred to the newly formed Eleventh Air Force in Alaska to defend the Aleutian Island-chain against a Japanese attack.

The 55th Pursuit Group was redesignated as the 55th Fighter Group in May 1942, as the Army began to update the names of its units. Also, during the Spring of 1942, the Group lost possession of the 37th Pursuit Squadron as it was absorbed by other units being formed in preparation for Operation Torch: the invasion of North Africa. The 338th Fighter Squadron was activated on 12 September. The Group spent the remainder of 1942 training with its P-ads. As 1943 began, the Group added yet another Squadron when the 343rd Fighter Squadron was activated in February. By August, the personnel had finished with their stateside training and began the preparations for the transatlantic deployment to England to become the foundation for the massive air armada growing there. The 55th Interceptor Control Squadron' was no longer part of the 55th Fighter Group by this time; so only three operational squadrons made the move to England: the 38th, 338th, and the 343rd.

On 4 September, the group embarked on the HMS Orion. This transport could normally carry 1,500 persons across the ocean. For this trip, 300 officers and 3,200 enlisted men made the voyage. The Group was stationed at Nuthampstead, near Cambridge.

The 55th was assigned to the Eighth Air Force's 66th Fighter Wing and received its P-38 fighters on 21 September 1943. Although it was the second P-38 group to arrive in England (the 20th Fighter Group arrived first), the 55th was the first to go operational when, on 15 October, the 55th flew an orientational fighter sweep over Holland.

The primary mission of the 55th Fighter Group was to escort the bombers of the Eighth Air Force on their daylight air attacks against Hitler's "Festung Europa"

The targets included industries and railroad marshalling yards throughout Europe and V-weapons sites in France. As 1944 began, the Allies had established long-range fighter escort capability. The 55th Group provided protection for the heavy bombers during the famous maximum effort, known as "Big Week" 20-25 February 1944.

Soon thereafter, on 3 March 1944; the Eighth Air Force planners scheduled a large-scale daylight raid on Berlin. Unfortunately, the weather was very poor and most of the planes were recalled. The 55th Fighter Group did not receive a recall order and arrived over Berlin to rendezvous with the bombers which did not. materialize. Lieutenant Colonel Jack S. Jerkins was leading the 55th that day and the Group made history by becoming the first American fighter unit to penetrate the Berlin skies during the war.

The 55th introduced a new form of P-38 on 10 April 1944. A specially modified Lightning, with a Plexiglas nose and room for a bombardier in lieu of the fighter's normal nose armament, became known as the "droop snoot". The target for this first mission was to be the airfield 'at St. Dizier, France; but, as the planes approached, it became obvious that the airfield was obscured by a ground haze, Again leading the Group on a historic mission, Colonel Jenkins opted for a secondary target at Coulomiers. After the bombs were released, Colonel Jenkins led the fighters "down on the deck" to strafe the field. On his second pass, Jenkin's P-38 was hit several times by enemy gunners forcing him to crash land and be taken prisoner.

Six days later, the remainder of the Group moved to Wormingford, near Colchester, in Essex, England. On 5-11 June, the 55th Fighter Group patrolled over the English Channel and bombed bridges in the Tours area during the D-Day Invasion which began on 6 June. The patrols over shipping lanes between England and France were flown from dawn to dusk and led to the first night patrols for the Group. Pilots flew three missions daily, a total of 10.5 hours per day. Three P-38s were forced to land on the emergency strip at the Normandy beachhead on 11 June. On 21 July 1944, the 55th flew its last mission in the P-38 Lightning and began transition into the newer P-51 Mustang fighter. The Group then supported bombers striking gun emplacements during the breakout from Normandy to St. Lo, beginning 25 July. On 6 July, the 343rd Squadron took part in a shuttle mission which began in England and stopped in Russia after escorting bombers which attacked Gdynia, Poland. The flight was 1,492 miles and constituted the squadron's longest escort mission o£ the war. From 16 August until about 10 September, two 343rd pilots flew P-51s to escort a B-17 bomber carrying high British and American government officials to Naples, Italy and other Mediterranean points.

During eight missions from 3-13 September 1944, the 55th Fighter Group compiled "one of the most outstanding records of enemy aircraft destroyed and damaged" in the history of war combat over Europe. In addition to protecting bomber formations over enemy territory, the group destroyed 106 and damaged 51 enemy airplanes in the air and on the ground. For that activity, the Group was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.

From 17-23 September, the Group provided fighter patrols and area. support in, the Arnhem sector for troop carrier aircraft dropping troops and supplies during the airborne invasion of Holland. In November, a "Clobber College" was established by the 55th Group and supported b y the squadrons to provide combat training to many.-new pilots fresh out of U, S. flying schools.

During the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes, the Group seized every opportunity to fully support ground forces on the fighting front. Improving weather late in the month enabled the P-51s to concentrate on vital targets. Fighter sweeps and dive bombing near the front lines on 18, 23 and 26 December netted destruction or damage of enemy planes and a multitude of ground targets. Escort support for bombers continued. In January 1945, the Group concentrated on road and railroad networks, motor transport and communication targets as Germans were pushed back. in the "bulge" area. February was a highly successful month for the squadrons of the 55th. In air and ground attacks, bombing and strafing, the group destroyed and damaged a large number of trains locomotives, rail cars, road targets, vehicles, buildings and aircraft. The Group was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation for its activities on 19 February 1945. On 3 march, two planes were lost on an escort mission when one pilot attempted to assist another, The 343rd reports: "Lt Liles hit by flak while strafing an airdrome near Prague, Czechoslovakia, bellying-in about four miles south of the field. Lt Howes landed and attempted to pick him up but was unable to take off, cracked up destroying his aircraft. Both pilots were seen running away from the plane". In March, the Group strafed trucks, locomotives and oil depots near Wesel when the Allies were crossing the Rhine. The 55th flew its last combat mission of the war on 21 April 1945. On 21 July, the unit moved to Kaufbeuren, Germany, and was, reassigned from the Eighth Air Force to the Ninth Air Force. On 15-16 September, the 38th Fighter Squadron made a goodwill flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.

During July 1946, the Group was one of the units to receive the first U.S. operational jet fighter, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. However, the Group continued to fly P-51s and according to. one source, A-26s. On 29 April, the unit moved to Giebelstadt, Germany, and on 20 August 1946, the unit was inactivated, the resources being transferred to another unit.

The 55th Fighter Group completed its combat tour of duty with a distinguished record in seven campaigns. The Group flew over 600 combat missions, claiming more that 400 enemy aircraft destroyed and over 100 damaged. The 55th had 16 aces credited with 90 victories. The two highest scorers were COL (then Capt) William H Lewis and BG (then Capt) Darrell S Cramer, each credited with victories. COL (then Capt) Donald M Cummings made 6.5 "kills" - two of which were the first jets to see combat - the ME-262.

Distinguished Unit Citation: ETO, 3 - 13th Sept '44
Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 19 Feb '45

Total Aircraft Claims in Air :

Destroyed 303.5

Probable 23

Damaged 83

Aces were:
(scores in the group only- some scored victories while flying in other groups or squadrons)