53rd Weapons Evaluation Group

Col. MacDonald and Al Nelson next to his Lockheed P-38L "Putt Putt Maru(V)", 44-25471.

In 1943 Japanese air strength in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II was powerful, and they were capable of launching large scale attacks against Allied ground forces and installations at any time. On New Guinea, the Japanese had many bases from which to launch their air strikes.

Major Richard I. Bong in his P-38J, "Marge", (42-103993), named after his girlfriend (later wife) Marjorie Vattendahl

Foreground is P-38J "Putt Putt Maru" (42-104024). Also shown is P-38L "Blood & Guts" (44-25600)

The swiftest and most effective means of gaining control of the air was to bomb those Japanese strongholds and destroy as many aircraft on the ground as possible. Such bombing strikes could best be accomplished during daylight hours, when fighter escort was essential. The only fighter aircraft then in the Southwest Pacific with sufficient range to escort bombers to and from Rabaul and Wewak was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. However, the limited P-38 strength in the Fifth Air Force in April 1943 consisted of only three squadrons, (the 80th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group; the 39th Fighter Squadron of the 35th Fighter Group; and the 9th Fighter Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group). The limited number of spare Lightnings available during late 1942 and early 1943 had to be used to make up attrition in these squadrons.

To augment the small force, the 475th Fighter Group was activated in Australia as a P-38 unit on 14 May 1943 at Amberley Airfield in Queensland, Australia.[1] The operational squadrons of the 475th were the 431st,[3] 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons. However, the continuing shortage of P-38s forced the 35th and 49th Fighter Groups to convert their single P-38 squadrons to P-47Ds, thus leaving the Fifth Air Force at the end of 1943 with only the 475th Fighter Group, and the 80th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group.

The group was specifically trained to provide long-range escort for bombers during daylight raids on Japanese airfields and strongholds in the Netherlands East Indies and the Bismarck Archipelago.[1] On 14 August 1943, the 475th Fighter Group and its 431st, 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons transferred from Amberley Airfield to the Dobodura Airfield Complex, in New Guinea. The 431st and 432d operated from Port Moresby. The 431st operated until October 1943 and the 432d until September 1943. The 433d squadron flew its first mission on 15 August 1943.

The 475th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for missions in August 1943 when the group not only protected North American B-25 Mitchells that were engaged in strafing attacks on airdromes at Wewak but also destroyed a number of the enemy fighter planes that attacked the formation.[1]

The group received a second DUC for intercepting and destroying many of the planes the Japanese sent against American shipping in Oro Bay on 15 and 17 October 1943. It covered landings in New Guinea, New Britain, and the Schouten Islands. After moving to Mokmer Airfield on Biak Island in July 1944, the group flew escort missions and fighter sweeps to the southern Philippines, Celebes, Halmahera, and Borneo.[1]

For a while, the 475th included among its personnel the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh. He was serving with the Group as a technical representative from the United Aircraft Corporation. Lindbergh flew a number of combat missions with the Group in June/August 1944 as a civilian to instruct pilots on how to use cruise control to get maximum range and endurance from their P-38Js. On 28 July, Lindbergh was credited with shooting down a Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-51 over Elpaputih Bay in the Netherlands East Indies in a 433rd Fighter Squadron P-38 42-104995.

The group moved to the Philippines in October 1944 and received another DUC for bombing and strafing enemy airfields and installations, escorting bombers, and engaging in aerial combat during the first stages of the Allied campaign to recover the Philippines, October–December 1944.[1]

Major Thomas McGuire of the 431st Fighter Squadron next to his Lockheed P-38J "Pudgy (V)" (44-24155)

Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for missions on 25 and 26 December 1944 leading flights of P-38's escorting bombers that struck Mabalacat Airdrome and Clark Field. He scored three confirmed victories on that Christmas day, and on the following day, he scored four more against Japanese fighters. On 7 January 1945, while attempting to save a fellow flyer from attack during a fighter sweep over Negros Island in the Philippines, Maj McGuire risked a hazardous maneuver at low altitude, crashed, and was killed.[1]

The group flew many missions to support ground forces on Luzon during the first part of 1945. It also flew escort missions to China and attacked railways on Formosa. It began moving to Ie Shima near Okinawa in August but the war ended before the movement was completed.[1]

During World War II, the 475th Fighter Group was engaged in combat for approximately two years. The group completed 3042 missions, (21,701 Sorties) and shot down 551 Japanese aircraft. On the other hand, the Group lost only 56 Planes to the Japanese. During the war, the Group took part in seven campaigns, and was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations for outstanding performance of duty in action. In addition to Majors Bong and McGuire, the unit boasted such "Aces" of the Pacific War as Col. Charles MacDonald (27), Capt. Daniel T. Roberts (14), Lt. Francis J. Lent (11), Lt. Col. John S. Loisel (11), Capt. Elliot Summer (10), plus many more.

475th Fighter Gp

Long-range North American P-51H 44-644182

After active combat ended, on 22 September 1945, the 475th moved to Seoul Airfield, Korea for occupation duty as part of the 308th Bombardment Wing of Far East Air Forces (FEAF). The group moved to Kimpo Airfield on 7 January 1946, where it converted to the long-range P-51H Mustang.[1] The following March, the group added an airlift mission when the 46th Troop Carrier Squadron at Kimpo was detached from its parent group in Japan and attached to the 475th.[8] In November 1947, the 433rd Fighter Squadron moved to Itazuke Airfield and was detached to the 347th Fighter Group.[9]

However, in August 1948 the group joined the 433rd at Itazuke and the squadron returned to the group's control.[1] The same month, FEAF organized its combat units under the wing base organization system and the group became a subordinate unit of 475th Fighter Wing, as did the units supporting it.[10] The 475th Fighter Group was inactivated on 1 April 1949 at Ashiya Air Base, Japan.[1]

F-89H of the group's 432nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron during Operation Plumbbob

In 1955, Air Defense Command (ADC) implemented Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[11] As part of this project, on 18 August 1955, the 475th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was activated at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport,[1] where it assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 514th Air Defense Group, which was simultaneously inactivated.[12] Because Project Arrow was also intended to unite squadrons with their historical groups, the 432nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron moved on paper from Truax Field, Wisconsin to join the group at Minneapolis,[13] where it replaced the 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which departed for McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.[14] The group also assumed host responsibility for regular USAF units at Minneapolis and was assigned several support units to carry out this responsibility.[15][16][17][18] The group took over the 514th's airborne interception radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed Northrop F-89D Scorpions. By June 1956, the group was flying a mix of F-89Ds and F-89H's. The H model could carry AIM-4 Falcons in addition to the unguided Mighty Mice. Two months later the group was completely equipped with H models.[13] In the late 1950s, ADC began withdrawing from civilian airports, partly because of security concerns arising from the nuclear capability its interceptor aircraft were beginning to acquire. In January 1958, the group and its subordinate units were inactivated.[19]

From 1983 to the present, group responsibilities included management of the Air Force weapon system evaluation program, range control for live-firing missile programs on the Gulf Range, and providing aerial targets support for special test projects, which included full-scale and sub-scale drones.[8]

• 46th Troop Carrier Squadron: (attached 22 March 1947 – c. 1 August 1948)
• 80th Fighter Squadron: (attached 13 December 1943 – 24 February 1944)[note 4]
• 81st Range Control Squadron (later Test Support Squadron, Range Control Squadron): 15 October 1983 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – present
• 82nd Tactical Aerial Targets Squadron (later, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron): 15 October 1983 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – present[21]

Detachment 1 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico[2]

• 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron: 15 October 1983 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – present
• 84th Test Squadron, c. April 1993 – unknown
• 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron: 23 August 1999 – present

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida[2]

Detachment 1 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah[2]

• 431st Fighter Squadron: 14 May 1943 – 1 April 1949 (detached 15 November 1947 – 28 August 1948)
• 432nd Fighter Squadron (later 432nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron): 14 May 1943 – 1 April 1949; 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958
• 433rd Fighter Squadron: 14 May 1943 – 1 April 1949 (not operational, 1 November 1945 – 17 April 1946 and 18 July 1946 – 11 September 1946; detached to 347th Fighter Group 18 November 1947 – 28 August 1948)[9]
• 475th USAF Infirmary[17] (later 475th USAF Dispensary):[18] 18 August 1955 – 1 April 1960
• 475th Air Base Squadron: 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958
• 475th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron: 8 July 1957 – 2 January 1958[15]
• 475th Materiel Squadron: 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958[16][20]
• 475th Test Support Squadron (later 53rd Test Support Squadron): 15 October 1983 – 20 November 1998, 28 January 2004 – present

Drones

• QF-102 Delta Dagger, 1983–1984
• QF-100 Super Sabre, 1983–1993; QF-106, 1991–1996
• QF-4 Phantom II, 1996–1998, 1998 – 2016
• QF-16, 2013–present
• Numerous subscale drones, 1983–1998, 1998–present[20]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Newton, Wesley P., Jr. and Senning, Calvin F., (1963) USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II, USAF Historical Study No. 85
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

Further reading

• Brammeier, Major Charles L. (1987) USAAF Fighter Operations in the Southwest Pacific: The Role of the 475th Fighter Group. Air University, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
• Stanaway, John. Possum, Clover & Hades: The 475th Fighter Group in World War II. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-518-5.
• Stanaway, John. 475th Fighter Group. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007. ISBN 1-84603-043-9.
• Yoshino, Ronald W. Lightning Strikes: The 475th Fighter Group in the Pacific War, 1943–1945. Manhattan, Kansas: Sunflower University Press, 1987. ISBN 0-89745-104-X
• Zbiegniewski, Andre R. 475 FG (bilingual Polish/English text). Lublin, Poland: Oficyna Wydawnicza Kagero, 2003. ISBN 83-89088-50-9.
• USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, Volume 21, Number 1, January 1979.