27th Fighter Group | 12th AAF

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27th Fighter Group | Twelfth Army Air Force

 

Group (Light) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Sailed for the Philippine Islands on 1 Nov 1941 and arrived at Manila on 20 Nov. The group’s planes (A-24’s), which had not arrived by 7 Dec, were diverted to Australia after the Japanese attack on the Philippines. The group’s commander and 20 pilots who were flown from Luzon to Australia to get the aircraft did not return because of the deterioration of the situation in the Philippines; some of these pilots saw service in Java, Feb-May 1942, before they were assigned to another group. The men left on Luzon served as infantrymen in the battles of Bataan and Corregidor; though a few managed to escape, most were either killed or taken prisoners of war by the Japanese. The 27th group was transferred, without personnel and equipment, from Australia to the US in May 1942.

 

Remanned and equipped with A-20’s. Trained in the US until Nov 1942. Moved to North Africa. Converted to A-36 aircraft. Began operations with Twelfth AF in Jun 1943 and served in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war.

 

Converted to P-40’s in Jan 1944 and to P-47’s in Jun 1944. Redesignated 27th Fighter-Bomber Group in Aug 1943, and 27th Fighter Group in May 1944. Participated in the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusa. Supported ground forces during the conquest of Sicily. Covered the landings at Salerno and received a DUC for preventing three German armored divisions from reaching the Salerno beachhead, 10 Sep 1943.

 

Supported Fifth Army during the Allied drive toward Rome. Took part in the invasion of Southern France and assisted Seventh Army’s advance up the Rhone Valley, receiving a DUC for helping to disrupt the German retreat, 4 Sep 1944. Took part in the interdiction of the enemy’s communications in northern Italy, and assisted in the Allied drive from France into Germany during the last months of the war. Returned to the US, Oct-Nov 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

 

SQUADRONS. 15th: 1940-1941. 465th: 1942. 522d (formerly 16th): 1940-1945; 523d (formerly 17th): 1940-1945; 524th (formerly 91st): 1941-1945.

 

STATIONS. Barksdale Field, La, 1 Feb 1940; Hunter Field, Ga, 7 Oct 1940-21 Oct 1941; Philippine Islands, 20 Nov 1941 ; Batchelor, Australia, Mar-4 May 1942; Hunter Field, Ga, 4 May 1942; Key Field, Miss, Jul 1942; Hattiesburg, Miss, 15 Aug 1942; Harding Field, La, 25 Oct-21 Nov 1942; Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria, 26 Dec 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, Jan 1943; Ras el Ma, French Morocco, Apr 1943; Korba, Tunisia, Jun 1943; Sicily, Jul 1943; Italy, Sep 1943; Corsica, Jul 1944; Southern France, Aug 1944; Italy, c. Sep 1944; St-Dizier, France, 22 Feb 1945; Toul/Ochey, France, Mar 1945; Biblis, Germany, Apr 1945; Sandhofen, Germany, Jun 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. World War II Philippine Islands; Air Combat, EAME Theater; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe.

 

INSIGNE. Shield: Per bend azure and or, in sinister chief a right clenched fist couped at the wrist in dexter base a magnolia blossom leaved all argent, fimbriated sable. Motto: INTELLIGENT STRENGTH. (Approved 12 Sep 1940.)

 

Chenille.

 

 

 

Source

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

 

 

27fg12aaf

 

 

 

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Incised leather. (Capri)