21st Fighter Group - USAAF ciel de gloire - histoire des as de l\'aviation de 1914 à nos jours



 


 

 

21st
FIGHTER GROUP

(Version provisoire - en construction)
86 victoires

 

 

46 Fighter Squadron
(24 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
BODIE ROBERT N 1st Lt 46FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
BROCK JOHN W 1st Lt 46FTR 07-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
BROCK JOHN W 2nd Lt 46FTR 04-12-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
COONS JOSEPH D 1st Lt 46FTR 07-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
COONS JOSEPH D 2nd Lt 46FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
GELBRICH LOUIS C 1st Lt 46FTR 07-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
LEWIS THOMAS W 1st Lt 46FTR 01-16-1944 - - Central Pacific 0.5
MERKLEIN ROBERT V 1st Lt 46FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
NABER EUGENE J 1st Lt 46FTR 04-12-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
ORT JACK K Captain 46FTR 07-15-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
PARSLEY WALTER L 1st Lt 46FTR 07-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 1.5
RAINWATER CHARLES O Captain 46FTR 05-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
RAINWATER CHARLES O Captain 46FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
RASMUSSEN PHILIP M 2nd Lt 46FTR 12-07-1941 - - Central Pacific 1
SANDERS LEWIS M 1st Lt 46FTR 12-07-1941 - - Central Pacific 1
SCOTT FELIX P F/O 46FTR 01-15-1944 - - Central Pacific 1
SHIRLEY FRED A Major 46FTR 04-12-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
SHIRLEY FRED A Major 46FTR 04-22-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
STERLING GORDON H JR 2nd Lt 46FTR 12-07-1941 - - Central Pacific 1
THACKER JOHN M Major 46FTR 01-16-1944 - - Central Pacific 1
VROMAN RICHARD L 1st Lt 46FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
WARREN BENJAMIN C 1st Lt 46FTR 01-16-1944 - - Central Pacific 0.5

 

72 Fighter Squadron
(28.5 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
ALLARD ALBERT J 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
BRADBURY JAMES 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
BRANDENBERGER HORACE R 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1.5
BREGAR ADOLPH J Captain 72FTR 04-07-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
BREGAR ADOLPH J Captain 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
BROWN HOWARD C 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
CARLYLE JAMES H 1st Lt 72FTR 12-24-1943 - - Central Pacific 2
CARLYLE JAMES H Captain 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
DENMAN THOMAS W 1st Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
DENMAN THOMAS W 1st Lt 72FTR 07-09-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
FARINA GEORGE S 1st Lt 72FTR 12-23-1943 - - Central Pacific 0.5
GOTWALS JACOB W 1st Lt 72FTR 04-07-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
MCDONALD ERNEST S Captain 72FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
MERRITT WILLIAM E 1st Lt 72FTR 04-07-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
MERRITT WILLIAM E Captain 72FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
NORTON HARRY W JR 1st Lt 72FTR 07-22-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
PARKER HARRISON V 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
ROBINSON WILLIAM A 1st Lt 72FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
RUSSELL HOWARD L Captain 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1.5
SKRIPEK JOHN E 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
SKRIPEK JOHN E 2nd Lt 72FTR 06-11-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
SNYDER JAMES R 2nd Lt 72FTR 12-19-1943 - - Central Pacific 1
STARR ROBERT S 2nd Lt 72FTR 07-10-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
STUART ALFRED V 1st Lt 72FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
STUART ALFRED V 2nd Lt 72FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
THAMES JOHN 2nd Lt 72FTR 12-23-1943 - - Central Pacific 0.5
VAN NADA JAMES C Captain 72FTR 12-23-1943 - - Central Pacific 1
VAN NADA JAMES C Captain 72FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 1

 

531 Fighter Squadron
(16.5 vict)

Nom Grade Unité Date Ennemi Avion d'arme TOP Nbr Vict
COUNTS JACK 2nd Lt 531FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
CRIM HARRY C JR Captain 531FTR 04-07-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
CRIM HARRY C JR Major 531FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 2
CRIM HARRY C JR Major 531FTR 07-01-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
CRIM HARRY C JR Major 531FTR 07-06-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
DAVIS ALBERT B 1st Lt 531FTR 07-15-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
DIBBLE EDWARD H 1st Lt 531FTR 07-15-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
GIBSON FREDERICK J Captain 531FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
KOKE HENRY J 2nd Lt 531FTR 05-29-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
MALLIN ROBERT I Captain 531FTR 04-22-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
MANNING FLOYD L Captain 531FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
MARSH WADE W 1st Lt 531FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 1.5
MATTSON CONRAD E 1st Lt 531FTR 07-15-1945 - - Central Pacific 1
THOMPSON JOHN O 2nd Lt 531FTR 07-16-1945 - - Central Pacific 0.5
WILSON JOHN D ** 2nd Lt 531FTR 04-19-1945 - - Central Pacific 1

 

The 21st Fighter Group (FG), activated on 21 April 1944 at Wheeler Air Field in what was then the territory of Hawaii. Assigned to VII Fighter Command, the group consisted of the 46th, 72nd and 531st Fighter Squadrons.

Over the next two months, the group trained on its first aircraft type, the P-39Q Airacobra. The 21st provided air defense over the Hawaiian Islands from July 1944, then began upgrading into the P-38J/L Lightning in September. By the end of October, rumors filled the air that the group soon would upgrade airframes again, this time to the P-51 Mustang. This change in aircraft heralded a new mission for the 21st FG.

True to rumor, leading echelons began deploying by ship to the island of Iwo Jima in the western Pacific in February 1945. Before the end of the month, the 21st began flying patrols over the critical island base in support of ground operations.

The final group echelon arrived at Iwo Jima on March 25. Early the next morning, elements of the 21st were attacked in their encampment by Japanese soldiers. Assisted by a patrol of American Marines, 21st personnel counter-attacked and in the tent-by-tent fighting killed 250 of the enemy. Fourteen group personnel were killed and 50, including 21st FG commander Colonel Kenneth Powell, were wounded.

The first long-range aerial mission of the 21st Fighter Group against the mainland of Japan began on 7 April 1945, when the group's Mustangs escorted a formation of B-29 bombers against the fortified and well defended Nakajima aircraft factory near Tokyo. This mission marked the first time fighters had escorted bombers over Japan. Moreover, this mission has been credited as having been the longest over-water fighter escort sortie to date. Over the following weeks, the 21st escorted American B-29s over enemy airfields and industrial targets and engaged rival Japanese fighter aircraft.

The 531st Squadron achieved another first for the 21st FG in June 1945 by initiating aerial rocket strike sorties against select enemy targets which included ships and a radio station.

In the meantime, the group's aircraft continued to duel in the air and two "aces" soon emerged-Major Harry Crim and Captain Willis Matthews, both of the 531st Fighter Squadron. Aircrews of the 21st also strafed the airfields which the Japanese used for their increasingly dangerous kamikaze attacks.

The 21st FG flew its last combat mission 14 August 1945, about two weeks before the official Japanese capitulation on 2 September. The group received the Distinguished Unit Citation on 13 November 1945 specifically for its outstanding conduct during the earlier raid on Nakajima. However, the 21st had played a laudable part throughout the final stages of the war in the Pacific.

After the war, the group transferred from Iwo Jima, first to Saipan, then finally to Guam. The original 21st FG inactivated on 10 October 1946.

 



Source :

STARS & BARS - Frank Olynyk - Grub Street Editions
http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/index.asp
http://7thfighter.com/21stfg/index.htm