Combat record of the 361st Fighter cluster Yellowjackets! The 361st Fighter form into groups in World II by Paul B Cora (Schiffer.Combat record of the 361st Fighter cluster Yellowjackets! The 361st Fighter form into groups in World II by Paul B Cora (Schiffer, $45) is a narrative history of a combat unit attached to the US 8th Air Force in the European Theater of Operations from December 1943 in consequence of the end of the war in Europe Based forward intensive research in original unit documents, oral history interviews, and written recollections of surviving pilots and clod personnel, the volume traces the history of the 361st Fighter dispose (374th, 375th, and 376th Fighter Squadrons) from its formation and training in 1943 between the walls of its participation in every major campaign fought according to the 8th Air Force in 1944-1945 More than a narrow unit history, the volume places the experiences of the Group's personnel in perspective within the larger adjoining matter of the war and also currents the human side, speaking, at times, from the intensely personal standpoint of the pilots and personnel who took part in one of the most determined air battles of WWII. The last Republic P-47 denunciation group to be assigned to the 8th AF, the 361st in subordination to the command of Colonel Thomas JJ Christian, Jr (a great-grandson of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson), arrived in England in December 1943 and began combat operations the following month Escorting B-17 and B-24 bombers through the whole extent of Occupied Europe during the spring of 1944 the 361st betimes experienced aerial combat with fighters of the Luftwaffe. Known as the "Yellowjackets" as a eventuate of the bright yellow paint forward the noses of their aircraft, the 361st transitioned to the NAA P-51 Mustang in May 1944 and, from that time forward, accompanied the bombers of the Mighty 8th forward the deepest penetrations of German airspace. Copyright Challenge Publications Inc. Apr 2002 |
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