80th Fighter Group - USAAF ciel de gloire - histoire des as de l\'aviation de 1914 à nos jours



 


 

 

80th
FIGHTER GROUP

(Version provisoire - en construction)
44 victoires

 

 

88 Fighter Squadron
(8 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
ALLRED OWEN R Captain 88FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
ALLRED OWEN R Captain 88FTR 07-09-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
ANDERSON RALPH R JR 1st Lt 88FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
BALDWIN CALVIN J 2nd Lt 88FTR 07-09-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
EMERICK BROOKS S 2nd Lt 88FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
GALE ROBERT N 1st Lt 88FTR 07-09-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
HAMILTON GEORGE B Captain 88FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
RANDALL PATRICK H 1st Lt 88FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 0.5

 

89 Fighter Squadron
(23 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
ADAIR PHILIP R 1st Lt 89FTR 05-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
ADAIR PHILIP R 2nd Lt 89FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
BELL ROBERT D 1st Lt 89FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 3
CLOWER FREELING H 1st Lt 89FTR 12-28-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
DOUGHTY HERBERT H 2nd Lt 89FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 3
EVANS FRED S 2nd Lt 89FTR 01-18-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARDY CHARLIE B 2nd Lt 89FTR 12-28-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARRELL WILLIAM S Captain 89FTR 12-10-1943 - - China-Burma-India 2
MARSHALL PERCY A 2nd Lt 89FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
MAY JAMES F JR 2nd Lt 89FTR 12-13-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
MCCARTY ROBERT L 2nd Lt 89FTR 12-10-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
MCREYNOLDS RAYMOND B 2nd Lt 89FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
ROGERS THOMAS E 1st Lt 89FTR 05-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
SHEPARD DODD V 2nd Lt 89FTR 12-10-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
WHITLEY CHARLES G 1st Lt 89FTR 12-10-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1

 

90 Fighter Squadron
(12 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
HAMMER SAMUEL E 1st Lt 90FTR 12-14-1944 - - China-Burma-India 3
HAMMER SAMUEL E F/O 90FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
HOWARTH STEADMAN L 2nd Lt 90FTR 12-14-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
LYON GALE H 2nd Lt 90FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
PATTON JOSEPH B 2nd Lt 90FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
WARD RALPH E JR 1st Lt 90FTR 03-27-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2

 

459 Fighter Squadron
(66.5 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
BEACH BEN JR 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEARDEN AARON L 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEARDEN AARON L 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-29-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEARDEN AARON L 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-07-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEARDEN AARON L 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
BEARDSLEE CARL N F/O 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEHRNS WILLIAM M 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-29-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BEHRNS WILLIAM M 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-23-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BOGGS HAMPTON E 1st Lt 459FTR 12-01-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
BOGGS HAMPTON E 1st Lt 459FTR 03-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 3
BOGGS HAMPTON E 1st Lt 459FTR 04-02-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BOGGS HAMPTON E 1st Lt 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
BOGGS HAMPTON E Captain 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BOGGS HAMPTON E Captain 459FTR 06-06-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BOLDMAN AMEL JR 1st Lt 459FTR 04-02-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
BURGER JOHN D 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
DUKE WALTER F 1st Lt 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
DUKE WALTER F 1st Lt 459FTR 03-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
DUKE WALTER F Captain 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
DUKE WALTER F Captain 459FTR 04-23-1944 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
DUKE WALTER F Captain 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
DUKE WALTER F Captain 459FTR 04-29-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
DUKE WALTER F Captain 459FTR 05-03-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GARLAND OSCAR L 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GARLAND OSCAR L Captain 459FTR 11-04-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GLENN MAXWELL H Captain 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
GLENN MAXWELL H Captain 459FTR 04-02-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GLENN MAXWELL H Captain 459FTR 05-03-1944 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
GLENN MAXWELL H Captain 459FTR 05-10-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GLENN MAXWELL H Captain 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
GLENN MAXWELL H Major 459FTR 06-06-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GOODRICH BURDETT C 1st Lt 459FTR 05-19-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GOODRICH BURDETT C 1st Lt 459FTR 06-06-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GOODRICH BURDETT C 2nd Lt 459FTR - - - China-Burma-India 1
GOODRICH BURDETT C 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
GOODRICH BURDETT C 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-29-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARGIS ROBERT A 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARGIS ROBERT A 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-07-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARRIS JAMES G 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-02-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARRIS JAMES G 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HARRIS JAMES G 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
HUISH S F 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
LUEHRING VERL D Captain 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
LUEHRING VERL D Lt Colonel 459FTR 11-04-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
LUEHRING VERL D Major 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
MAHLER HENRY R 1st Lt 459FTR 01-13-1945 - - China-Burma-India 1
MAHLER HENRY R 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
MAHLER HENRY R 2nd Lt 459FTR 05-15-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
SEALY HARRY H 1st Lt 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
SEALY HARRY H 1st Lt 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
SEALY HARRY H 1st Lt 459FTR 05-03-1944 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
SMITH JOSEPH A 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 0.5
SOWDER DEWEY E F/O 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
THOMPSON WALTER R 2nd Lt 459FTR 12-01-1943 - - China-Burma-India 1
WEBB WILLARD J Captain 459FTR 03-11-1944 - - China-Burma-India 2
WEBB WILLARD J Captain 459FTR 04-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
WEBB WILLARD J Major 459FTR 05-03-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
WEBB WILLARD J Major 459FTR 05-14-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
WHITESCARVER JOHN T 2nd Lt 459FTR 03-25-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1
WOOD EDWIN A JR 2nd Lt 459FTR 04-17-1944 - - China-Burma-India 1

 

The 80th fighter group, organized at Farmingdale and Mitchel Field in New York in 1942 , and trained in P-47s for assignment to the European Theatre. A change in priorities resulted in the 80th fighter group, consisting of the 88th, 89th, and 90th fighter squadrons being diverted to Karachi, India, where they were equipped with P-40Ns, and in mid 1943, deployed to the Assam Valley, where their mission was air defense of the 10th Air Force bases in the valley, engaged in the "Hump Airlift Operation". ATC, Combat Cargo and others staged out of these bases, flying supplies across the High Himalayas to the 14th Air Forces bases in China. Concurrently, a continuous combat patrol of 4 P-40s was initiated to protect the most vulnerable part of the route where the transports crossed the Himalayas on a northern route, where the Japanese fighters liked to sneak up the Irrawaddy and Salween river valleys to pick off unarmed transports as they struggled to cross the high mountain ranges.
By October 1943, a fourth squadron was formed from the group, the 459th fighter squadron. It was equipped with P-38Hs and assigned to the Chittagong area in the southern area near Calcutta where they were involved in frequent clashes with the Japanese Air Force in southern Burma.

October 1943 also saw the beginning of interdiction missions into Northern Burma by the 80th group, targeting airfields, supply depots, troop concentrations, and bridges, particularly railroad bridges on the Burma Railway. By early 1944, this part of the mission was greatly accelerated. One squadron was moved to Shingbwiyang in north Burma, beginning the leapfrog moves aimed at pushing the Japanese forces out of north Burma, and the construction ofthe Ledo Road, and capture of Myitkyna.

From February 1944 through May 1944, a Herculean effort was made by the 80th group, to support Merrill's Marauders, Pick's Engineers and Stilwell's composite forces, during their drive down the Hukawng valley to Myitkyna. Countless dive bombing, strafing and Napalm attacks were made, many as close as 50 yards from our own troops. Top cover missions for air drops were flown to protect the troop carrier planes dropping supplies. Many of these missions were combined top cover, followed by attack missions before returning to base. The 80th group P-40s had a deaths head skull painted on each side of the engine cowling, which was intended to send a message of terror to the Japanese ground forces. A belly mounted air siren was sometimes used, which created what we called the "Banshee Wail". The 80th Fighter Group picked up the nickname of "The Burma Banshees". We were in effect the flying artillery for the ground forces, who had great difficulty negotiating the treacherous Burma Jungles with heavy equipment. A particularly effective weapon we used was a land mine, which created terrific concussion, and when dropped on troops in the jungle was deadly for anyone near.

On the 17 th of May, our forces captured the airdrome at Myitkyna. This gave us an advanced base to operate from, with troop carrier planes flying supplies in from then on. Fierce fighting continued as the Japanese counter attacked from the south, including a massive attack by the Japanese Army, aimed at cutting the Bengal-Assam rail line, in order to deny supplies to the 10th Air Forces bases in the Assam Valley, for _e ]jump Operation. This attack was aimed at the British Forces in the Imphal-Kohim. The 80th group was called on for close air support to the British Forces and were instrumental in thwarting the Japanese from achieving this goal.

June 1944 marked the beginning of conversion from P-40 to P-47 aircraft, and by July, the 89th began operating P-47s from bases in Assam, attacking Japanese forces in the Bhamo, Loiwing and Lashio areas, which had been unreachable with P-40s. At the end of July, Lt Adair, acting as detachment commander took the first P-47s into a Burma Base, operating out of the 311 th group base at Tingkawk Sakan, equipped with P-51 s. He led 15 missions with P-47s in support of the British, some of which were combined with 31lth led missions, to see how the P-47s could operate from short gravel runways. Tingkawk Sakan was 4000 feet of gravel carved out of a 200 foot high teak forest with temperatures running well above 100 degrees. In the interim period, the 89th moved from Nagaghuli in Assam, to Myitkyna, which was about the same length as Tingkawk Sakan, and by September in full operation from Myitkyna. Air superiority over northern Burma allowed the airlift operation to fly further to the south, avoiding the high Himalayas, and shortening the route and increasing the payload.

The 80th group engaged in numerous air battles, destroying over 100 aircraft in the air, and probably more than that on the ground. The 459th scored most of the victories, with 6 pilots becoming aces. By January 1945, there were few lucrative targets left in north Burma as the area south from Bhamo to Lashio had been pretty well worked over. The Ledo road was continued past Bhamo, to join the old Burma Road, where overland traffic by truck commenced in February.

 



Source :

STARS & BARS - Frank Olynyk - Grub Street Editions
http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/index.asp
http://www.pbase.com/tinpan/burma_banshees