4th Fighter Group

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=4th Fighter Group


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dates= 1942 — present
country=United States
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branch=Air Force
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current_commander=Colonel John T. Hruby
current_vice commander=Colonel Daniel R. "Trash" DeBree
garrison= Seymour Johnson AFB
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patron=
motto=Fourth But First
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The 4th Fighter Group was an American element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force during World War II, and is the flying component of the USAF 4th Fighter Wing, Air Combat Command. The honors and history of the 4th Fighter Group prior to 1947 have been bestowed on its parent wing.

History

Created in 1942 and activated in Europe using aircraft and personnel transferred from RAF squadrons No 71, 121, and 133 Eagle squadrons formed from American volunteers before the U.S. entry into the war. Returned to the US and deactivated in 1945. Re-activated in 1946 and equipped with P-80s. Converted to F-86 in 1949. Re-designated the 4th Fighter-Intercepter Group in January 1950 and operated in the Korean War as the flying component of the 4th Fighter-Intercepter Wing, from December, 1950 to July, 1953. Inactivated as a group in 1957 and squadrons directly assigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing until 1991. Reactivated to command the Fighter Squadrons in 1991 as the 4th Operations Group.

Lineage

Established as 4th Fighter Group on 22 Aug 1942. Activated on 12 Sep 1942. Inactivated on 10 Nov 1945. Activated on 9 Sep 1946. Redesignated 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group on 20 Jan 1950; 4th Fighter-Bomber Group on 8 Mar 1955; 4th Fighter-Day Group on 25 Apr 1956. Inactivated on 8 Dec 1957, at which time its assets and functions became part of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing. Re-designated as 4th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985; re-designated 4th Operations Group on 17 Apr 1991 and activated on 22 Apr 1991.

Assignments

VIII Fighter Command, 12 Sep 1942; 4th Air Defense (later, 65th Fighter) Wing, c. 1 Jul 1943-Nov 1945. Fifteenth Air Force, 9 Sep 1946; Strategic Air Command, 31 Mar 1947; 4th Fighter Wing (later, 4th Fighter-Interceptor; 4th Fighter-Bomber; 4th Fighter-Day; 4th Wing, 4th Fighter), 15 Aug 1947-8 Dec 1957; 22 Apr 1991-.

tations

*Bushey Hall, England, 12 Sep 1942
*Debden, England, 29 Sep 1942
*Steeple Morden, England, c. 23 Jul-4 Nov 1945
*Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 9-10 Nov 1945
*Selfridge Field, Michigan, 9 Sep 1946
*Andrews Field (later, AFB), Maryland, 26 Mar 1947
*Langley AFB, Virginia, 30 Apr 1949
*New Castle County Airport, Delaware, 14 Aug-10 Nov 1950
*Johnson AB, Japan, 13 Dec 1950
*Suwon AB, South Korea, 30 Mar 1951
*Kimpo AB, South Korea, 23 Aug 1951
*Chitose AB, Japan, c. 25 Nov 1954-8 Dec 1957
*Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, 22 Apr 1991-

Commanders

*Col Edward W. Anderson, Sep 1942
*Col Chesley G. Peterson, 20 Aug 1943
*Col Donald J. M. Blakeslee, 1 Jan 1944
*Lt Col James A. Clark Jr., 7 Sep 1944 (acting)
*Lt Col Clairborne H. Kinnard Jr., 15 Sep 1944 (acting)
*Col Donald J. M. Blakeslee, 20 Oct 1944
*Lt Col Clairborne H. Kinnard Jr., c. 3 Nov 1944
*Lt Col Harry J. Dayhuff, 7 Dec 1944
*Col Everett W. Stewart, 21 Feb 1945
*Lt Col William E. Becker, Sep 1945-unknown
*Col Ernest H. Beverly, 9 Sep 1946
*Lt Col Benjamin S. Preston Jr., 10 Aug 1948
*Col Albert L. Evans Jr., 1 Jun 1949
*Col John C. Meyer, by Sep 1950
*Lt Col Glenn T. Eagleston, 8 May 1951
*Lt Col Bruce W. Hinton, 1 Jul 1951 (acting)
*Lt Col Glenn T. Eagleston, 10 Jul 1951
*Col Benjamin S. Preston Jr., 26 Jul 1951
*Col Walker M. Mahurin, 18 Mar 1952
*Lt Col Ralph G. Kuhn, 14 May 1952
*Col Royal N. Baker, 1 Jun 1952
*Col Thomas D. DeJarnette, 18 Mar 1953
*Col Henry S. Tyler Jr., c. 28 Dec 1953
*Lt Col Dean W. Dutrack, 19 Jul 1954
*Col William D. Gilchrist, 9 Aug 1954
*Col George I. Ruddell, 4 May 1955
*Col Lester J. Johnsen, c. 22 Aug 1956-25 Oct 1957
*none (not manned), c. 25 Oct-8 Dec 1957
*Col David W. Eberly, 22 Apr 1991
*Col George R. Hindmarsh, 3 Jan 1992
*Col Mark C. Masters, 10 Dec 1993
*Col David M. Edgington, 14 Jul 1995
*Col M. Tim Cantwell, 24 Jan 1997
*Col Dennis C. Carel, 1 Dec 1997
*Col Ralph J. Jodice, 14 Dec 1999-.

Aircraft

*Spitfire, 1942-1943
*P-47, 1943-1944
*P-51, 1944-1945
*P-47, 1947
*P-80, 1947-1949
*F-51, 1948-1949
*F-86, 1949-1957
*F-4, 1965-1991
*F-15, 1991-
*KC-10, 1991-1995

Operations

Served in combat over Europe from Oct 1942 to Apr 1945. Operated until 1 April 1943 using Spitfires. Changed to P-47 Thunderbolts on 1 April 1943 and to P-51 Mustangs on 25 February 1944. Longest serving USAAF fighter unit in the ETO. Aircraft losses were 8 Spitfire VB, 28 P-47C and P-47D, and 212 P-51B and P-51D. Pilot losses were 125 killed-in-action (including missing-presumed-dead) and 105 Prisoners-of-War, of 553 pilots serving, or 42 per cent. The group was credited by VIII Fighter Command as having the most combined victories over German aircraft (583 air, 469 ground against 241 combat losses) of any group in the Eighth Air Force, and scoring the fourth highest number of air-to-air victories in Europe. First group to escort U.S. bombers over Berlin on 4 Mar 1944. Earned Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for aggressiveness in attacking enemy aircraft and air bases, 5 Mar-24 Apr 1944. Escorted bombers in the first shuttle bombing mission from Britain to Russia on 21 Jun 1944. Supported the airborne invasion of Holland in Sep. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945. Covered the airborne assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Returned to the U.S. and inactivated on 10 Nov 1945.

Trained for air combat, 1947-1950. Served in combat in Korea Dec 1950-Jul 1953; escorted bombers, made fighter sweeps, engaged in interdiction of the enemy's lines of communication, flew armed reconnaissance sorties, conducted counter-air patrols, and provided close support for ground forces. Highest scoring group in combat against communist MiGs. From 1 May to 3 Nov 1951, rotated squadrons to perform air defense missions from Japan. Provided air defense for Japan, 1953-1957. In Feb 1955, shot down two of eight North Korean MiGs that attacked an escort mission.

Although it did not exist as an organization from 1955 to 1987, its squadrons, flying F-4 Phantom IIs as part of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from bases in Thailand as part of Operation LINEBACKER and Operation LINEBACKER II during 1972-73. Its squadrons deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 as part of Operation DESERT SHIELD and flew combat missions in Kuwait and Iraq in 1991 as part of Operation DESERT STORM, using F-15E Strike Eagles. Elements rotated to Southwest Asia after the first Gulf War to enforce the no-fly zones in Iraq. Controlled air refueling assets, 1991-1995.

Awards & Decorations

Campaign Streamers.

*World War II: Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
*Korea: CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea Summer 1953.

Distinguished Unit Citations

France, 5 Mar-24 Apr 1944; Korea, 22 Apr-8 Jul 1951; Korea, 9 Jul-27 Nov 1951.

Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards

23 Apr 1991-31 Mar 1993; 1 Jun 1994-31 May 1996; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2000-31 May 2002; 1 Jun 2002-31 May 2003.

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations

1 Nov 1951-30 Sep 1952; 1 Oct 1952-31 Mar 1953.

* Motto: "Fourth But First"

Squadrons

* 7th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 15 Apr-Oct 1957.
* 333d Fighter Squadron: 1 Oct 1994-.
* 334th Fighter Squadron (later, 334th Fighter-Interceptor; 334th Fighter-Bomber; 334th Fighter-Day; 334th Tactical Fighter; 334th Fighter): 12 Sep 1942-10 Nov 1945; 9 Sep 1946-8 Dec 1957 (detached 1 May-26 Jun 1951; 1 Jul-8 Dec 1957); 22 Apr 1991-.
* 335th Fighter Squadron (later, 335th Fighter-Interceptor; 335th Fighter-Bomber; 335th Fighter-Day; 335th Tactical Fighter; 335th Fighter): 12 Sep 1942-10 Nov 1945; 9 Sep 1946-8 Dec 1957 (detached 20 Sep-3 Nov 1951; not operational 15 Sep-8 Dec 1957); 22 Apr 1991-.
* 336th Fighter Squadron (later, 336th Fighter-Interceptor; 336th Fighter-Bomber; 336th Fighter-Day; 336th Tactical Fighter; 336th Fighter): 12 Sep 1942-10 Nov 1945; 9 Sep 1946-8 Dec 1957 (detached 27 Jun-19 Sep 1951; 19 Nov 1954-8 Dec 1957); 22 Apr 1991-.
* 339th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: attached c. 25 Nov 1954-15 Sep 1957.
* 344th Air Refueling Squadron: 22 Apr 1991-29 Apr 1994.
* 711th Air Refueling Squadron: 29 Apr-1 Oct 1994.
* 744th Air Refueling Squadron: 29 Apr 1994-1 Dec 1995.
* 911th Air Refueling Squadron: 22 Apr 1991-29 Apr 1994.