80 Years Ago -- U.S. Fighters Over Berlin!

[Old No7]

March 3, 1944:
P38 Lightnings were seen flying over Berlin for the first time in WW2, but there were no bombers as the heavies had turned back.

March 4, 1944:
P51 Mustangs from the Fourth Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, based at Debden England became the first single-engine fighters in the skies over Berlin.

Those P51s were from my Dad's group. The "Debden Eagles" -- so-called because they started life as the Eagle Squadrons flying RAF Spitfires with U.S. pilots and U.S. ground crews, but with RAF officers on an RAF base -- were credited as being the first fighter group to achieve an all-the-way to & back bomber escort of B17 heavies to Berlin.

That was the day that Hermann Goering looked up and saw the fighter escorts still with the bombers and knew "the jig was up".

My dad was Flight Chief for A Flight of 335 Fighter Squadron, and he and his ground crews put up all 16 planes, as did 334 and 336 Fighter Squadrons. The Fourth put 48 Mustangs in all into the air that fateful day. While my dad said he and his crews "did the easy part" compared to the pilots, he was always very proud of participating in that event.

~ Let We Forget ~

Old No7

( Click any image to enlarge )

4th FG Mustangs 02.JPG

4th FG Mustangs 04.JPG

4th Fighter Group - Patch 02.jpg

A Flight in WWII.jpeg

Range of Allied Fighters.jpg

[Old No7]

And this is for you Dad!

My father back in WWII:

Dad-WWII.jpg

My father with a P51 at Manchester NH, many years later:

Dad with P51 at Manch 01.jpg

"The Belly Tank" enlisted men's bar at Debden, England, in WWII: (note the artwork!)

Belly Tank - Enlisted Mens Beer Hall.jpeg

And me in 2017 attending the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the 8th Air Force's Fourth Fighter Group, in front of the Belly Tank's bar at the Dayton OH National Air Force Museum's WWII building *. The entire bar (minus the nudes...) was relocated from England over to Ohio to serve as part of the museum's displays for the second world war.

* Sadly, I've learned the quonset hut the WWII displays are in are deteriorating so badly, they will be removed and scrapped -- what a darn shame!

8thAF Base (18).JPG

The 4th FG memorial to pilots lost, located on the grounds of the museum. The 4th had the highest number of enemy planes -- over 1,000 -- destroyed during the war, which earned them the slogan: "Fourth But First!"

4thFG Memorial 09-29-17 (1).jpg

~ RIP Dad ~

Old No7

[Grizz]

That's a fantastic legacy and great tribute to your Dad and his buddies and their incredible achievements. Thanks for posting!

[gamekeeper]

My mother and sister on two separate occasions were fired upon by Luftwaffe single engine fighters, my sister could even see the pilots face, I sincerely thank all those brave US airman who returned the favour. Sad times and so many lost their lives fighting for freedom from Nazi ideology.
Lest we forget.

[jeepnik]

Sadly many of us can no longer thank our fathers for the sacrifices they made. But I do believe we will get another chance eventually.

[AJMD429]

Lest we forget.

Unfortunately I think most U.S. citizens HAVE forgotten...

[Rockrat]

Yeah, sad but so true!

[Bill in Oregon]

Just a wonderful post and tribute, Darryl. Dad was in the 97th Infantry, but all four of Mom's brothers Army Air Corps.
The guy on the left here is my Uncle Milton. His B-17, the Sad Sack, was in the 91st Bomb Wing, 324th Squadron based at RAF Bassingbourn. The Memphis Belle was in this squadron. Milton, a tailgunner, was badly injured by German flak.
I cherish the memory of all these men.

[Ysabel Kid]

Thanks for sharing Darryl! My uncle was on the ground then, with the 29th ID, 116th IR, Company F. Served from D-Day (1st wave) all the way to the fall of Germany.

[Grizz]

Thanks for sharing Darryl! My uncle was on the ground then, with the 29th ID, 116th IR, Company F. Served from D-Day (1st wave) all the way to the fall of Germany.

I had an uncle in an engineer unit early in the landings. they had the pipe bombs that were supposed to cut the barb wire. They made it to the shelter at the base of the cliffs, pinned down by a machine gun. Uncle took a rifle and charged up, killed the germans while they killed him.

I don't know his name. He and my aunt were married a very short time. The uncle I knew had a different last name. Aunt never spoke of this but Mom filled me in on my other uncle. I lost another uncle in Aus in a training flight. Training to keep the japanese out of Australia. I often think that no Americans are untouched by the blood letting from the long string of wars.

Any way, thanks to all those souls, for all they did.

grizz

[Drawdown]

Thanks for that, and I Salute your Dad in Thanks! We toured the WP Air Force Base in 1970 or 71, I was about 12. My uncle lived in Dayton at that time. One highlights of my younger years, utmost respect for any and all military, my dad a WWll 2nd Marine Division, landed on Saipan day 1 there thru it all! My brother a Marine killed in Vietnam 1967.