The 397th Fighter Squadron is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

unit. It was activated in June 1943 as part of the

368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to: *368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group The 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group is a combat support unit of the United States Air Force. ...

. After training in the United States, it moved to the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater (warfare), theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It command ...

, where it served in combat until the spring of 1945 with

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...

, earning a

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...

and a

Belgian Fourragère Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

for its actions. Following

V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...

, the squadron served in the army of occupation at AAF Station Straubing, Germany until it was inactivated on 20 August 1946 and transferred its personnel and equipment to another unit, which was activated in its place.

History

Organization and training

The 397th Fighter Squadron was first organized at

Westover Field Westover may refer to: People *Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian *Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, Ame ...

, Massachusetts in June 1943 as one of the original

squadrons Squadron(s) may refer to: Military * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 ...

of the

. The squadron drew its initial cadre from the

326th Fighter Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

, an

Operational Training Unit Royal Air Force Operational Training Units (OTUs) were training units that prepared aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles. OTUs ;No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (1 (C)OTU): The Unit was formed i ...

at Westover. In June 1943, the cadre of the squadron travelled to

Orlando Army Air Base Orlando Executive Airport is a public airport three miles (6 km) east of downtown Orlando, in Orange County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) and serves general aviation. Overview Orlan ...

for training at the

Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...

. The 397th trained with

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s, moving to

Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...

, New York in August to complete its training. In November, it joined the group headquarters at Farmingdale Army Air Field, New York. The squadron and group left Farmingdale for the Port of Embarkation,

Camp Myles Standish Camp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts, during World War II. It was the main staging area for the Boston Port of Embarkation, with about a million U.S. and Allied soldiers passing through the camp on their ...

on 20 December 1943 and boarded the to sail for Great Britain on 29 December, arriving at the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde, is the estuary of the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The Firth has some of the deepest coastal waters of the British Isles. The Firth is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre, Kintyre Peninsula. The ...

on 7 January 1944.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 254–255

Combat in Europe

The squadron arrived at

RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or more simply RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the England, English county of Berkshire. The airfi ...

on 13 January 1944. It began operations on 14 March, when it flew a fighter sweep over the coast of France. The squadron received its first credit for destroying an enemy aircraft on this mission.Newton & Senning, p. 647 That was to be the unit's only mission from Greenham Common, for it moved the next day to

RAF Chilbolton Royal Air Force Chilbolton or RAF Chilbolton is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in Hampshire, England. The airfield was located in Chilbolton approximately south-southeast of Andover, Hampshire, An ...

, as the

438th Troop Carrier Group 438th may refer to: *438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (438 AEAG), assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing of USAFCENT, stationed at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan *438th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional unit assigned to United States Air ...

moved into Greenham Common. It made

strafing Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such a ...

and

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

attacks on transportation targets and flak batteries in preparation for

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

, the invasion of France. The squadron also participated in

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The primary V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, which were launched agai ...

, attacking launch sites for

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb ( "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () name was Fieseler Fi 103 and its suggestive name was (hellhound). It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug a ...

s and

V-2 rocket The V2 (), with the technical name ''Aggregat (rocket family), Aggregat-4'' (A4), was the world's first long-range missile guidance, guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the S ...

s. On

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

, the group supported the landing forces in Normandy. Ten days after the landings, it moved to

Cardonville Airfield Cardonville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located near the commune of Cardonville in the Normandy region of northern France. Located just outside Cardonville, the United States Army Air Force established a temporary a ...

, an advanced landing ground in northern France and began operations from the Continent as an element of

IX Tactical Air Command The IX Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. It fought in the European theater of World War II. Its last assignment was at Camp Shanks, New York, where it was inactivated on 25 October 1945. History Formed ...

. Shortly after the move,

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Randall Hendricks became the squadron's first

ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...

. The squadron provided

close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...

for forces in the

Battle of Cherbourg The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II. It was fought immediately after the successful Allied landings on 6 June 1944. Allied troops, mainly American, isolated and captured the fortified port, which was ...

, which secured a vital port for further operations in France. It participated in the air operations that prepared the way for

Operation Cobra Operation Cobra was an offensive launched by the First United States Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take advantage of the dis ...

, the Allied breakthrough at St Lo on 25 July, and supported ground forces during their drive across France. In early August, the squadron became part of

XIX Tactical Air Command The XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas, where it was inactivated on 31 March 1946. During World War II, the mission of the ...

, which would concentrate on air support for General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Alli ...

Third United States Army Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

. By early September, fuel shortages were impacting both Third Army and XIX Tactical Air Command, slowing the Allied advance, and sometimes forcing fighter-bombers to land at forward bases to refuel. On 3 September 1944, operating from

Chartres Airfield Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as defi ...

, and in the face of "withering anti-aircraft and small arms fire," the squadron destroyed numerous motor transport vehicles,

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a piece of equipment pulled by one or more horses. These vehicles typically have two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by auto ...

s, and uncounted troops in the vicinity of

Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...

(Bergen), Belgium, also attacking as targets of opportunity enemy positions that obstructed the progress of Allied ground forces. For this action, the squadron was awarded the

. The squadron then moved closer to the front, arriving at

Laon/Athies Airfield Laon-Athies Air Base is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the city of Laon in the Aisne department of France. Its history begins before World War II, when it was originally a grass civil airdrome. During the German occupa ...

on 11 September. It was cited in the order of the day for the first time by the

Belgian Army The Land Component (, ), historically and commonly still referred to as the Belgian Army (, ), is the Land warfare, land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land ...

for the period from D-Day through the end of September. The squadron continued its support of allied ground forces, participated in the assault against the

Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...

, and took part in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

from December 1944 through January 1945 by attacking rail lines and trains,

marshalling yard A classification yard (American English, as well as the Canadian National Railway), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, and Australian English, and the former Canadian Pacific Railway) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway y ...

s, roads and vehicles, armored columns, and gun positions. During these operations, on 17 December,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

William Kerr destroyed three enemy aircraft in a single engagement.These were Kerr's only victories of the entire war. Newton & Senning, p. 647. The squadron was cited in the order of the day for a second time by the Belgian Army for this support and awarded the

. It continued operations with the Allied forces that pushed across the Rhine and into Germany until the end of the war. The last combat mission flown by the 368th Group was a fighter sweep near

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

on 5 May 1945. The squadron ended the war credited with the destruction of 44 enemy aircraft.The official total is 43.99 because three pilots who shared in the destruction of a single enemy aircraft received credit for .33 victory each. Newton & Senning, p. 647.

Army of occupation

After

, the unit served with the army of occupation, at AAF Station Straubing. On 20 August 1946, the 368th Group and its elements were inactivated and replaced at Straubing by the 78th Fighter Group. The squadron transferred its personnel and equipment to the 84th Fighter Squadron, which was simultaneously activated. Although 368th Group

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

and the other two operational squadron of the group were transferred to the

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

the following day, the 397th has remained inactive.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 397th Fighter Squadron on 24 May 1943 : Activated on 1 June 1943 : Inactivated on 20 August 1946

Assignments

* 368th Fighter Group, 1 June 1943 – 20 August 1946

Stations

* Westover Field, Massachusetts, 1 June 1943 * Mitchel Field, New York, 21 August 1943 * Farmingdale Army Air Field, New York, 29 November – 20 December 1943 * RAF Greenham Common (AAF-486), England, 13 January 1944 * RAF Chilbolton (AAF-404), England, 15 March 1944 * Cardonville Airfield (A-3), France, 16 June 1944 * Chartres Airfield (A-40), France, 23 August 1944 * Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69),Station number in Johnson, p. 20. France, 11 September 1944 * Chievres Airfield (A-84), Belgium, 2 October 1944 *

Juvincourt Airfield Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France. Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Ju ...

(A-68), France, 27 December 1944 * Metz Airfield (Y-34), France, 5 January 1945 * Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield (Y-73), Germany, 16 April 1945 * Buchschwabach Airfield (R-42), Germany, 16 May 1945 * AAF Station Straubing (R-68),Station number in Johnson, p. 39. Germany, 13 August 1945 – 20 August 1946

Aircraft

, 1943–1946

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II Military units and formations established in 1943 Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces