The beginning of the 367th Fighter Group
The 367th Fighter Group was activated on July 15, 1943 at Hamilton Field, CA, per General Order and was assigned to the IV Fighter Command of the 4th Air Force. The source of cadres was furnished by the 328th FG already in Hamilton Field.
The group was made of the headquarter and the following subordinate units:
- 392nd Fighter Squadron
- 393rd Fighter Squadron
- 394th Fighter Squadron
→ The Group Headquarter
The group headquarter was initially made of 6 officers and 18 enlisted men on 21 July 1943. Additional men joined the headquarter during the following months:
- 1 October 1943 --> 19 officers and 35 enlisted
- 31 December 1943 --> 24 officers, 1 Warrent Officer and 40 enlisted
- 31 January 1944 --> 31 officers, 1 Warrent Officer and 61 enlisted
- 8 March 1944 --> 24 officers, 1 Warrent Officer and 50 enlisted
The Commanding Officer has changed several times from the activation until the appointment of Col. Charles M. Young:
- Maj. Teuvo Ahola from July 17 to August 11, 1943
- Lt. Col. John Allison from August 11 to October 22, 1943
- Maj. A. Tuevo Ahola from October 22 to November 25, 1943
- Maj. Morris Crossen from November 25 to January 22, 1944
Not only the Commanding Officer has changed but the location has changed too. The group moved from Hamilton Field to Santa Rosa Army Airfield, Ca, on October 11, 1943, and to Oakland Municipal Airfield, CA, on 10 December 1943.
Col. Charles Young and his ground crew. Col. Young was the Commanding Officer of the 367th FG from January 1944 until his replacement by Col. Edwin S. Chickering at the end of his tour of operation in November 1944. His P-38 was named "Miss Helena" after his home town Helena, AR (archives 367th FG association)
→ The 392nd Fighter Squadron
The 392nd FS was initially made of 1 officer and 59 enlisted men on 13 July, 1943, but soon additional men joined the squadron :
-1st August 1943, 1 officer and 62 enlisted
- 1st September 1943, 7 officers and 93 enlisted
- 1st October 1943, 8 officers and 138 enlisted
- 1st November 1943, 43 officers and 144 enlisted
- 1st January 1944, 42 officers, 1 Warrent Officer and 195 enlisted
- 8 March 1944, 39 officers and 252 enlisted
Moves of the 392nd FS States side:
- From Hamilton Field to Santa Rosa on October 11, 1943
- From Santa Rosa to Sacramento Municipal Airport on December 10, 1943
- On 11 December 1943, 36 officers and 92 enlisted moved to Tonopah for gunnery and bombing training
- From Sacramento to Camp Shanks on March 8, 1944
Commanding Officers of the 392nd FS and dates of assignment:
- Cap. Grover J. Gardner on July 15, 1943
- Cap. Harold K. Stuart on August 9, 1943
- Maj. Teuvo Arvi Ahola on November 25, 1943
- Maj. Carroll H. Joy on January 7, 1944
- Maj. Wendell J. Kelley on January 25, 1944
Lieutenant Earl Ody of the 393rd fighter squadron in his P-39 in Oakland, CA (Collection Jean-Luc Gruson)
→ The 394th Fighter Squadron
The 394th FS was initially made of 1 officer and 53 enlisted men on 15 July, 1943.
Next:
- 31st December 1943, 42 officers and 189 enlisted
- 31st January 1944, 39 officers and 238 enlisted
- 8 March 1944, 39 officers and 252 enlisted
Moves of the 394th FS States side:
- From Hamilton Field to Santa Rosa on October 11, 1943
- From Santa Rosa to Hayward Municipal Airport on December 8, 1943
- From Hayward Municipal Airport to Tonopah on 27 December 1943 for gunnery training
- From Tonopah to Hayward Municipal Airport on 13 January 1944
- From Hayward Municipal Airport to Camp Shanks on March 8, 1944
Commanding Officers of the 394thFS and dates of assignment:
- Cap. James E. Peck on July 15, 1943
- Cap. Robert E. Smith on November 23, 1943
Pilots of the 392nd fighter squadron in Sacramento Municipal Airport or in Santa Rosa AFB (archives 367th FG association via Pat Kelly)
→ The 393rd Fighter Squadron
The 393rd FS was initially made of 1 officer and 55 enlisted men on 15 July, 1943.
Like for the 392nd FS, additional men were assigned to the squadron :
- 31st December 1943, 45 officers and 192 enlisted
- 26th February 1944, 39 officers and 255 enlisted
- 8 March 1944, 33 officers and 250 enlisted
Moves of the 393rd FS States side:
- From Hamilton Field to Santa Rosa on October 11, 1943
- From Santa Rosa to Oakland Municipal Airport on December 6, 1943
- On 11 December 1943, 36 officers and 92 enlisted move to Tonopah for gunnery training
- From Oakland Municipal Airport to Camp Shanks on March 8, 1944
Commanding Officers of the 393rd FS and dates of assignment:
- Cap. Charles W. Hoffman on July 15, 1943
- Cap. Joseph H. Griffin on August 6, 1943
- Maj. William A. Jones on January 23, 1944
P-39 Airacobra of the 367th FG above the ocean close to San Francisco (archives 367th FG association)
The 367thFG was originally created as an O.T.U. (Operational Training Unit) and the aircraft assigned to it would be the P-39 Airacobra. The first one was delivered to the 394th FS on October 4, 1943. This plane was the P-39 model Q-10 # serial 42-20864.
During the first months, the men of the 367thFG followed a training including training films on discipline, camouflage, safe guarding of military information. Lectures were given to the men by the officers on subjects pertaining to their respective section duties.
On October 11, the men were ready to move to their new station, the Santa Rosa Air Force Base some XX miles, north of Hamilton Field. This move would be the first on a long list of moves until the end of the war.
This is at Santa Rosa that the unit saw the expansion of its pilot personnel when a large batch of pilots arrived in mid-October. These new bees were almost all pilots who earned their wings with class 43-I, on October 1st1943, in Luke Field AFB, AZ. Other pilots arrived also in October from the 329thFS. Additional men came from the 4thAF replacement depot at Hammer field. In Fresno, CA.
In order to accelerate the training of the men, the 3 squadrons moved to their own airfield. The 392ndFS moved to the Municipal Airport in Sacramento, the 393rdFS moved to the Oakland Municipal Airport and the 394thFS moved to Hayward Municipal Airport. The group headquarter moved also to Oakland Municipal Airport.
At the end of December 1943 or beginning of January 1944, each squadron sent a batch of men and all the pilots for a TDY (Temporary Duty) in Tonopah, NV, for gunnery and bombing training.
At the end of January 1944 all the pilots have finished 95 hours in the 21 types of flying required by the IV Fighter Command’s pilot training. In fact, the pilots had an average of 120 flight hours in the P-39.
This training in the USA was not without loss. On December 5, 1943, 2nd Lt. Edward L. Wanzung, 392ndFS, was killed in the crash of his P-39 one mile south of Santa Rosa. 2nd Lt. Robert M. Harris, also from the 392ndFS, did not recover from spin 4 miles from Tonopah, NE, on December 18. 2ndLts. Philip A. Lee and Robert N. Pusecker, 394thFS, were killed in a mid-air collision 5 miles south of Santa Rosa AFB on November 7. 2nd Lt. William J. McCary, 393rdFS, was killed when his P-39 spun in during a training in the gunnery range 25 miles south of Tonopah on January17, 1944
From left to right : ordnance officer (probably Lt James Valent), Lts Earl Ody, John Eldridge, William Norris in Oakland Municipal Airport in December 1943 (collection Jean-Luc Gruson)
Pilots of the 392nd FS in the Pilot's room in Santa Rosa or Sacramento. The bad quality of this picture is explained by the fact that is was obtained from a microfilm (collection 367th FG association)
Men of the ordnance service (collection 367th FG association)
Vehicles department (collection 367th FG association)
Communication (collection 367th FG association)
Lt. Hugh Hallman, 392nd FS, before the building of the Municipal Airport in Sacramento (collection 367th FG association)
