350th Fighter Group 1943-1944

[edwest]

I hope you find the following web site useful:


http://forum.armyairforces.com/350th...s-m137808.aspx



Ed

[keith A]

Thanks Ed, I used a lot of the links to get information but the aerial victory lists were less useful. Confusion over the 347th FG and 347th FS. Air War over Italy (Nick Beale et al.) is the best source for the P47 victories.

cheers

Keith

[Devilhawk]

Hello Keith A.,
I am Keith Vizcarra, the archivist for the 345th FS, 350th FG. Your request for information has been passed on to Hugh Dow who scored some of these victories and who is also the historian for the 350th Fighter Group. Can you tell me more about your research?

We have come to have some details from both the allied perspective as well as the German and Italian perspective over the years.
Andrew Arthy has spent much effort to pull together the information concerning a raid on Thelepte, Tunisia in 1943. Here is an excerpt:

The P-39s formed up near Thelepte No. 2, and flew to Thelepte No. 1 to meet the Spitfires, arriving there just as the Jagdgeschwader 77 Bf 109s made their escape. 2/Lt. Hugh D. Dow of the 346th FS/350th FG recalled:

… we arrived over the airfield at 500 feet or so just as a flight of ME-109s hit it. The 109 drivers were obviously unaware of our presence, as we were of theirs, until a few balls of flame sprouted up below us. Capt. John Robertson was leading our P-39s and Capt. Charles F. “Chuck” Hoover was my flight leader. The 109s pulled up after they had made a strafing pass across Thelepte #1 and whatever their intentions were thereafter, they got changed rather suddenly. We, of course, were as surprised as they were but our advantage was we were over our own air patch while they were probably 100 miles from home.

I will also check with Andrew Arthy to see if his work is published or if he minds that I share its content. It is 8 pages and involves other groups as well.

The air battle of 6/Apr/44 has also had quite a bit of discussion and discoveries over time as regards accounts from the American and German pilots involved.

I am happy to see in interest in the 350th and hope to share more information soon. You are able to find copies of all the Daily Operation Reports on my website that relate to the p-47 missions. I have yet to digitize all of the DORs of the P-39 years.

[keith A]

Hi Keith,

I had encountered the 350th in Air War over Italy, but it was only when I bought the new Osprey title about P-47s that I started looking at the group a bit more closely. So far it's taught me a lot about the USAAF in the MTO that I didn't really know. My main focus of interest is the RAF, SAAF units in that theater but the 350th have become a favourite tpoic of mine.... hence the posts! I wasn't planning on doing anything with the research, I doubt I coulod do the subject justice, but it's certainly got my focus at the moment!

best regards

the other Keith