WWIII History
20 Nov 1940 – Constituted 48th Bombardment Group (Light).
14 Jan 1941 – Activated at Hunter Field, Savannah, GA.
Aircraft: A-20 & B-18
Motto (approved 12 Jan 1942) : Vulneratus Non Victus (Bloodied but Unconquered or Wounded not Defeated).
Insigne: Argent shield, on a pale engrailed azure, a dexter hand couped at the wrist grasping a sword. (Or in real-people terms… A silvery-white shield with a light blue center that has semi-circular indentations on the edge, overlaid by a right hand that stops at the wrist grasping a sword).
In its infancy, the group conducted pilot training. After pilots completing training, they were funneled to either Eighth Air Force in Europe or Ninth Air Force in Africa. The group moved 5-6 times before going overseas. I won’t bore you with those details, nothing about their mission changed.
Sep 1942 – Redesignated 48th Bombardment Group (Dive).
Aircraft: A-20, A-31, A-35, A-36, P-39, & P-40
15 Aug 1943 – Redesignated 48th Fighter-Bomber Group.
Four subordinate fighter-bomber squadrons were also redesignated; 55th, 56th, 57th, and 58th respectively became 492nd, 493rd, 494th, and 495th.
16 Oct 1943 – Ninth Air Force reconstituted from Egypt to Britain.
21 Mar 1944 – Transferred to RAF Station Ibsley, England & assigned to Ninth Air Force.
Aircraft: P-47
The 48 FG crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary and arrived in Gourock, Scotland about a week later. My grandpa had already been in theater for three months by the time they arrived. The 495th Fighter-Bomber Squadron did not go to Europe, it was deactivated. While at Ibsley, the group predominantly conducted training. Since it had recently exchanged all its former aircraft for P-47’s, everyone had to demonstrate proficiency with the new aircraft before being allowed to enter combat.
20 Apr 1944 – Debuted in combat: Operations POINTBLANK & CROSSBOW.
Conducted fighter sweeps over the coast of France. The first mission was uneventful. Subsequent missions largely targeted the Luftwaffe as part of Operation POINTBLANK. This included air-to-air engagements as well as striking their airfields, aircraft factories, fuel supplies, and aircraft on the ground. The group also participated in Operation CROSSBOW by targeting German V-rocket sites. They also targeted German artillery and fortified positions as well as bridges to cut-off German supply lines and overall weaken the Atlantic Wall.
48th Fighter Group, unidentified location, 1944. I suspect this is before D-Day but 🤷♀️.
30 May 1944 – Redesignated 48th Fighter Group.
More support for Operations POINTBLANK / CROSSBOW. Lots of escort and dive-bombing missions in preparation for D-Day. Luftwaffe remained the priority target, with V-rockets as the second priority.
6 Jun 1944 – Operations NEPTUNE & OVERLORD.
D-Day. The 48 FG was 1 of 200 AAF combat groups participating in a 9,543-plane “air armada” that generated 14,000 sorties (this means at least 3,500 planes flew twice that day) to protect 5,000 Allied sea vessels and 156,000 Allied soldiers/sailors/marines during D-Day. Gaining the initial foothold was known as Operation NEPTUNE. Getting all the beaches and Allied forces linked to create a single secure area (a lodgment) was known as Operation OVERLORD. The 48 FG specifically flew 2,000 sorties. They used 500 tons of bombs and 160,000 rounds of ammunition to destroy bridges, rail lines, trains, and German gun positions. They also relayed visual reconnaissance reports back to Allied leaders. More to follow after my visit to France, I’m sure.
18 Jun - 4 Jul 1944 – Moved to Normandy lodgment.
48 FG moved its operations, along with the 492d and 493d Fighter Squadrons to Deux Jumeaux, France on 18 Jun. The 494th Fighter Squadron followed on 4 July. From Deux Jumeaux, the 48th began supporting and following the First Army. Based on my grandpa’s account and lots of poking around on the interwebz, I am very confident the 48 FG (and grandpa) entered Normandy on Omaha beach. Ibsley is only 45 miles ENE of Weymouth. Again, more to follow after the France visit.
25-31 Jul 1944 – Operation COBRA.
Break through at Saint-Lo. The 48 FG hit German tanks, convoys, gun positions, and ammunition stocks to create momentum for the First Army to begin it’s offensive through northern France under the command of General Omar Bradley (look for his name on the map below).
7-12 Aug 1944 – Mortain medical mission.
Several companies, about 700 soldiers, were surrounded on Hill 314 in the vicinity of Mortain, France after fighting German tanks at close distances with significantly smaller arms for several days. The companies complete destruction was prevented by two lieutenants, who were forward observers for indirect artillery fire, calling in strikes against the tanks from their clear vantage point on the summit of Hill 314. The 48 FG delivered blood plasma using the P-47’s under-fuselage tank (usually used for spare fuel for longer-distance missions... or a big-ass boom-boom) by dropping it to the pinned down troops. Casualties numbered 400 soldiers but the Allies held Hill 314. Proof that lieutenants can get it right, they just need tanks firing at them from all sides (what a supervision metaphor)! In all seriousness, these two LTs are badasses; their vantage point is preserved by a park today.
48 FG P-47's operating from the Normandy lodgment. A makeshift taxiway surface of some kind was laid so they were operating one quality step above straight dirt.
29 Aug 1944 – Moved to Villacoublay, France.
15 Sep 1944 – Moved to Cambrai/Niergnies, France.
17-27 Sep 1944 – Operation MARKET GARDEN.
The main objective was to secure a bridge that crossed the Rhine river. This was supposed to be accomplished by dropping 36 battalions/34,600 airborne infantry troops from the US, Britain, and Poland to simultaneously take nine bridges in the vicinity of Eindhoven, Nijmegen, and Arnhem, Holland. The airborne assault was supposed to be followed by ground infantry reinforcements marching up the road that connected all the bridges, named “Hell’s Highway”.
48 FG provided close air support (CAS) for the airborne drops over Nijmegen and Arnhem. This was very difficult for three reasons. First, Nijmegen and Arnhem were significantly deeper into German-held territory than Eindhoven, so the 48 FG’s ability to stay over the target area was limited since they burned more fuel during the longer transit to Arnhem and then back to their airfield in France. The 48 FG had to make a choice: a) take more bombs/ammo and stay over target for a short time or b) take more fuel in drop tanks and loiter over target longer but have limited ability to carry larger bombs to counter heavy fighting. Second, there were two Panzer divisions (tanks… lots of them) that, unbeknownst to the Allies, had recently arrived near Arnhem. Third, there was a critical 36-hour delay in capturing the main bridge at Nijmegen which left the forces farther down the road at Arnhem stranded for significantly longer than they had planned. It also allowed the two Panzer divisions time to organize a brutal counter-attack.
While Nijmegen was liberated and never re-taken by the Germans, the British and Polish forces at Arnhem were overrun on 21 Sep (they had to retreat from the bridge, rifles vs. tanks usually doesn’t go so well, reference Hill 314). They continued to sustain heavy casualties until what was left of their forces escaped on 25 Sep. The airborne and associated CAS job at Arnhem was just all-around tough.
30 Sep 1944 – Moved to St. Trond, Belgium.
48 FG operating during the winter in St. Trond, Belgium.
6 Dec 1944 – Received a Distinguished Unit Citation.
Faced intense enemy fire while flying below heavy overcast clouds. The 48 FG conducted CAS to help ground forces advance against an enemy stronghold near Julich, Germany. In the weather biz, any cloud cover that obstructs more than 50% of the sky is called a “ceiling”. Overcast specifically means 100% of the sky is obstructed. From the pilot’s point of view, 100% of the ground is obstructed. The P-47s had to fly below the ceiling to visually identify and fire at targets. In this case, they had to get very close to the ground, well in range of enemy guns and anti-air defenses, before identifying their target or being able to effectively use their armaments.
16 Dec 1944 - 28 Jan 1945 – Battle of the Bulge.
Two weeks after the support near Julich, the 48 FG was tasked to hold back a massive German assault. The 48th flew again under heavy weather conditions and strafed ground positions, holding back the Nazi army’s last major offensive. While my grandpa recalls a Christmas Day offensive, I believe this mission was likely the attacks on the Bonn-Hangelar and Wahn airfields that were conducted with the 373 FG on 23 Dec. It’s recorded that the P-47s flew as low as 20 feet (FL000.2 for my weather friends) during this attack. As my grandpa detailed, the Luftwaffe counter-struck his airfield at St Trond on New Years Day. The 48 FG received a third Belgian citation for their relentless actions throughout the 6-week battle.
1-25 Mar 1945 – Operation LUMBERJACK.
The objective was to secure the western bank of the Rhine river. As my grandpa mentioned, the Germans destroyed nearly all the bridges over the Rhine. On 7 Mar, the 9th Armored Division (part of First Army, so supported by 48 FG) discovered the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen was still standing. A Nazi whoopsie-doodle for sure, it was a railroad bridge to boot! Allies quickly seized and established the eastern bridgehead amidst continued German attempts to destroy the bridge. How about that German engineering! Poor weather initially prevented the 48 FG from assisting, but on 9 Mar, they flew armed reconnaissance on the eastern side of the Rhine and destroyed targets to help stop the Germans from destroying the bridge. Finally on 17 Mar, after being struck with bombs, artillery, and other demolition efforts, the bridge collapsed. But the Allies had used it for ten days and were now on the eastern bank. The rest of the Allies crossed on makeshift bridges like the one my grandpa described (rowboats and boards).
26 Mar 1945 – Moved to Kelz, Germany.
17 Apr 1945 – Moved to Kassel, Germany.
29 Apr 1945 – Moved to Illesheim, Germany.
There is still an American air base here. I visited it for work last week!
8 May 1945 – Final mission (flown from Illesheim) and V.E. Day.
48 FG at Illesheim, Germany on 8 May 1945. Mission complete.
5 Jul 1945 – Moved to Laon, France
Sep 1945 – Reassigned to U.S (Seymore-Johnson, NC).
7 Nov 1945 – Deactivated.
WWII Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 6 Dec 1944.
3x Cited in the Orders of the Day, Belgian Army: 6 Jun-30 Sep 1944, 1 Oct-17 Dec 1944 and 18 Dec 1944-15 Jan 1945.
Belgian Fourragere.
Post-WWII History
25 Jun 1952 – Constituted 48th Fighter-Bomber Wing.
48th Fighter Group as well as 492d, 493rd, and 494th Fighter-Bomber squadrons were assigned beneath this wing.
10 Jul 1952 – Activated & assigned at Chaumont Air Base, France
Aircraft: F-84 & F-86
Received the moniker Statue of Liberty Wing (Statue de la Liberte) by the local Chaumont community. It is the only AF Wing with both an official number and name. It is colloquially referred to as The Liberty Wing.
8 July 1958 – Redesignated 48th Tactical Fighter Wing
Aircraft: F-100, F-4, & F-111
15 Jan 1960 – Relocated to RAF Lakenheath
1 Oct 1991 – Redesignated 48th Fighter Wing
Aircraft: F111 (until 1992), F-15 (1992-present), HH-60 (until 2018), F-35 (2020-present)
48th Fighter Group was redesignated 48th Operations Group. The 492nd, 493rd, and 494th Fighter-Bomber squadrons were redesignated Fighter Squadrons. From the 1990s to present the 48th Operations group has supported many missions throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Operation ELDORADO CANYON, strikes on Libya due to terrorist attacks attributed to the Libyan government. Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, war for the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq. Operation PROVIDE COMFOR, Kurdish humanitarian relief efforts and the enforcement of the northern Iraq no-fly zone. Operation DENY FLIGHT, enforcement of the no-fly zone over Bosnia. Operation NOBLE ANVIL, air war over Serbia. Operation NORTHERHN WATCH, enforcement of the no-fly zone over northern Iraq. Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, enforcement of the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Operations ENDURING FREEDOM/IRAQI FREEDOM. Operations ODYSSEY DAWN/UNIFIED PROTECTOR, enforcement of a no-fly zone in Libya.
Whew. If you made it this far, congrats, this was a long one! Should've told you to grab some snacks at the beginning. Now we both know better. No fun closing fact this time, you've been here long enough. Tango Sierra out!
Comments