Raising hell over Europe

Air Classics, Aug 2003 by Hulett, George

In action with the 356th Fighter Group

Schiffer continues its program of printing detailed histories of World War Two combat units and one of the latest is The 356th Fighter Group m World War II ($59.95 and available from Schiffer at 610-593-1777). Authored by Kent D. Miller, the book tells the story of the 356th Fighter Group which flew in the European Theater of Operations during the second World War.

This 8th Air Force unit spent over two years in England, occupying the airfield at Martlesham Heath in the county of Suffolk. Originally entering combat flying P-47 Thunderbolts, and later switching to P-51 Mustangs, the 356th dispatched its fighters on 407 missions across the Channel. Between the time of the first, on 15 October 1943, and the final mission on 7 May 1945, the 356th was credited with destroying 277 enemy planes.

As the principle of bomber escort was strictly adhered to by the 356th's commanders, pilots of the group often had to pass up opportunities to engage enemy fighters and increase their scores. While this fact helped earn the 356th a reputation as being a "hard luck" outfit, due to their low victory-to-loss ratio, the gratitude and praise from the bomber crews more than offset this misnomer. AC