405th Fighter Group

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405th Fighter Group
Sister group P-47D on an Advanced Landing Ground in Normandy
Active	1943 - 1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Fighter group
Role	Close air support
Size	73 P-47 aircraft
Part of	Ninth Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Christchurch, Dorset, UK (Mar.-Jun. 1944)
Motto	Movere et Aggredi (Deploy and Attack)
Battles/wars	Air Offensive, Europe Normandy Nothern France, DUC 24 September 1944 Rhineland Alsace-Lorraine Central Europe

The 405th Fighter Group was a fighter bomber unit of the United States Army Air Force in World War II. They group flew P-47 Thunderbolts in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) starting with the buildup to the Invasion of Normandy ("D-Day") through the end of the war in Europe. The 405th was a unit of the Ninth Air Force, IX Fighter Command, IX Tactical Air Command, 84th Fighter Wing.^[1] The 405th was primarily assigned to support Patton's Third Army. The group consisted of the 509th, 510th, and 511th Fighter Squadrons, plus headquarters elements.

The group's most notable action was the destruction of an entire German armored division near the town of Avaranches [sic], France on 29 July 1944. After immobilizing leading and trailing elements of the 3 mile (4.8 km) long column, the rest of the tanks and trucks were systematically destroyed with multiple sorties.^[2]

The 405th also accepted the surrender of the highly decorated Luftwaffe ace, Hans Rudel, and his officers at the end of the war.

Contents 1 Unit history 1.1 World War II 1.1.1 Christchurch, England 1.1.2 Picauville, France 1.1.3 St. Dizier, France 1.1.4 Ophoven, Belgium 1.1.5 Kitzingen, Germany 1.1.6 Straubing-am-Danube, Germany 1.1.7 Demobilization 1.2 Cold War era 2 References

[edit] Unit history

[edit] World War II

The 405th Bombardment Group (Dive) was organized on 4 February 1943,^[3] at Drew Field near Tampa, Florida, and activated on 1 March 1943.^[3] The group was initially equipped with a few Douglass Dauntless and Curtis Helldiver dive bombers. The group gained some P-39 Airacobras before they left Drew. The group was redisignated as the 405th Fighter Bomber Group on 15 August 1943.^[4] In September of 1943 the group moved to Walterboro, South Carolina. In Walterboro the group was outfitted with the original "razorback" design P-47 Thunderbolts. In February 1944 the group moved by train to a point of embarkation (POE) camp near New York City. The group soon embarked the RMS Mauritania for transport to England. After six days at sea, two of them in hurricane conditions, the group disembarked in Liverpool. The group traveled by train to Southampton then via lorrie to Christchurch, Dorset.^[5]

[edit] Christchurch, England

From March to 29 June 1944, the 405th operated out of the Christchurch Airfield.^[6] After setting up camp and training over England, the group began combat operations over France. During this period their primary task was ground attack ahead of the coming Operation Overlord invasion of Normandy. The group disrupted German positions and transportation infrastructure. Train locomotives were a favorite target. The group destroyed the Seine River bridge at Mantes-Gassicourt, northeast of Paris, just before the invasion, to inhibit movement of German materiel.^[7] The group was grounded during the 6 June invasion activities because Allied command was concerned that inexperienced anti-aircraft batteries would mistake P-47s for the German FW-190. The 405th resumed flying on 10 June, providing close air support to the beachhead. On 18 June 1944,^[8] the group was redesignated to the 405th Fighter Group.^[4] A few weeks after the invasion, the 405th packed up and moved to a POE near Southampton.^[9]

While encamped at Christchurch, the Group officers bivouaced in Bure Homage, an English manor adjacent to the airfield that was requisitioned by the British Ministry of Defense for the war.^[10]

[edit] Picauville, France

On 30 June or 1 July the 405th began operating from an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A.8 near Picauville, France.^[3][1]

[edit] St. Dizier, France

Thr 405th moved to Saint Dizier, France on 14 September.^[3]

[edit] Ophoven, Belgium

In February 1945, the 405th moved to Ophoven, in the Kinrooi municipality of Belgium.^[3]

[edit] Kitzingen, Germany

On 30 April 1945, the 405th moved to a former Luftwaffe airbase near Kitzingen, in the German state of Bavaria.^[3]

[edit] Straubing-am-Danube, Germany

And on 8 May the Group moved to Straubing, Germany, on the Danube River.^[3] Shortly after arriving in Straubing, the P-47 Thunderbolts of the 405th were turned over to the French Air Force.^[11]

[edit] Demobilization

The 405th Fighter Group was deactivated on 29 October 1945.^[3]

[edit] Cold War era

On 1 December 1952 the unit was reactivated as the 405th Fighter Bomber Group with the reactivated 509th, 510th and 511th Squadrons on Godman Army Airfield, Fort Knox, Kentucky. The Group was equipped with F-84 Thunderjets and assigned to the Tactical Air Command. On 16 April 1953, the group moved to Langley Air Force Base, near Hampton, Virginia.^[12]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} U.S.Ninth Tactical Air Force. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
2. ^ Henkels, John B. (October 1997). They Also Serve: An Armorer's Life in the ETO. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing Co., p. 172. ISBN 0-8059-3998-9. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Wyllie, Arthur (2005). WWII Victories of the Army Air Force. Lulu Press, Inc., pp. 309–310. ISBN 978-1411648647. 
4. ^ ^{a b} 405th Fighter Group (french). Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
5. ^ Henkels, pp. 78–111.
6. ^ CHRISTCHURCH Resident Aircraft. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
7. ^ Henkels, p. 113.
8. ^ Wyllie lists this change as May.
9. ^ Henkels, pp. 161–164.
10. ^ HISTORY OF THE BAE SYSTEMS CHRISTCHURCH SITE. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
11. ^ Henkels, pp. 240–241.
12. ^ (1980) in Mauer, Mauer (ed.): Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Ayer Publishing, reprint of US Gov't Printing Office 1961 edition. ISBN 0405121946.