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Close air support for Task Force Weaver


Gregory
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Hello,

 

During Normandy campaign Task Force Weaver was a separated part of the 90th ID. As the monograph of the 90th ID, "War From the Ground Up" book, informs a squadron of the P-47s was detached for close air support in aid of TF Weaver. Does anybody know which squadron was it? Have you ever seen any memoirs of the P-47 pilots concerning the period of Falaise Pocket/Falaise Gap closing and the USAAF operations to support TF Weaver and 90th ID?

 

Best regards

 

Greg

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A quickie google search yielded mention of two groups that were involved; the 370th FG (P-38s) and 405th FG (P-47), but I think it likely that there were probably other groups involved as well. Given a IX AF OOB for the time period and some group histories or war diaries, it may be possible to come up with a likely candidate or candidates that would have been involved in a specific engagement.

 

I have little knowledge of ground operations, but am familiar with the basics of the whole Falaise Gap deal. However, I am familiar with TF Weaver only in passing and know nothing of its involvement in this action. If you can supply more info as to dates and times, I will try and see what I can come up with.

 

Would it be possible to get an exact quote(s) from the book that mentions the P-47s?

 

 

Fade to Black...

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Hello, thanks a lot for possible consultation.

 

 

"War From the Ground Up", page 175

Task Force Weaver

 

Air Support: Squadron of P-47s

 

Command of Lt. Col. Randolph

Reconnaissance: 90th Recon Troop

Light Tank Co.: 712th Tank Battalion

 

Task Force Forward Command Group

Advance Guard – Command of Maj. Hamilton

Company of Infantry on 712th Medium Tanks

Det. of Co. A, 315th Engineer Battalion

Remainder of 1st Bn, 357th Inf.

 

Lt. Col. Reimers

343rd FA Bn

Battery A, 537th AAA Bn

 

Maneuver Force – Command of Col. Barth

Remainder 357th Inf. Regt

Remainder 712th Tank Bn

Remainder Co. A, 315th Eng. Bn

Co. A, 315th Medical Bn

345th FA Bn

Co. A, 607th Tank Destroyer Bn

 

 

"War From the Ground Up", page 198

Lt. Ray A. Griffin's memoir (Co. G, 712th Tank Bn)

"The main body of Task Force Weaver was approaching Le Mans, on the south road. Task Force Barth had approached Le Mans on the north road and had stopped so that Lt. Lombardi's platoon was right at the Vee. A good-sized German unit of armor and artillery had been retreating on the south road ahead of Task Force Weaver. When they hit the junction, Lt. Lombardi's platoon and the doughboys opened fire. In a short time our good friends, the P-47 boys, showed up. The combined firing of Lombardi's platoon, the doughboys, the P-47s, and that of the units in Task Force Weaver wiped out the Germans."

 

 

"War From the Ground Up", page 204

Maj. Orwin C. Talbott's memoir (S-3, 359th Inf.), mid-August 1944

"The Germans withdrew that night, and the next day we were able to preceed up the road through the Foret de Sees. When we arrived at the major crossroads north of the forest, we secured it and were told to hold. Here I had a couple of close shaves with our air force. Reconnoitering down the road going west from crossroads, a lone P-47 flew repeated circles over me and, frankly, I thought he was trying to decide whether I was friend or enemy, whether he should shoot or not. The situation was very fluid then and he could not easily tell which was which. I became wary enough to unlimber the fluorescent panel on the jeep so he could see it. That apparently satisfied the pilot, because he flew away."

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