Puts things in perspective for me somtimes, thanks guppy
tried to find info on Lt. Northrop after seeing your pic,
no luck though
367th were tasked with low air support over Normandy on DDay
and days after, flying 38J's,,,here are notes from thier vet page...
D-Day, June 6th, arrived and the Group flew nine missions in the next three days maintaining low aerial cover over the invasion troops. By mid June, the Contain Peninsula had been cut-off and the German ground forces had withdrawn into a perimeter defense of Cherbourg, a major port which had become extremely important to the allies due to the storm damage to the artificial port facilities on the invasion beaches. A three division attack ordered for June 22nd was to be preceded by a low level bombing and strafing attach by 12 Ninth Air Force fighter groups. The 367th was to be the last fighter group over this highly defended area and would be followed by a massive Ninth Bomber Command attack from medium altitude. the fighters were ordered to fly at low altitude from west to east through this five by 26 mile highly defended area. The 367th P-38s were "sitting ducks." Major Rodgers, leading the 392nd Squadron returned with only seven undamaged aircraft. Major Smith, the experienced Flying tiger pilot leading the 393rd squadron was killed. Within two to three minutes after entering the area the 394th had lost five pilots. The mission was an unqualified disaster - seven pilots killed in action (KIA). All but 11 of the returning aircraft had extensive battle damage. The 367th was out of action for several days. During the 17 day period, including the operations in the Cherbourg area, the 367th had 14 pilots killed and one taken prisoner.
His name is not metioned,,but this was what the squad was doing near the time of his death...
The last week of July the Group's forward echelon crossed the English Channel on Liberty ships and landed in France with the 392nd Fighter Squadron moving to Carentain, the 393rd to Criqueville, and the 394th to St. Mere Eglise. Life in Normandy was quite different - pup tents, squad tents, fox holes, plenty of C and K rations, pierced steel plank runways and thousands of yellow-jackets in the jam and jelly.
With the break out of the ground forces from the St. Lo area, close air support of Patton's Third Army became the order of the day. The Groups first big bag came with attacks on the German Seventh Army which, to prevent being surrounded, was withdrawing eastward through the gap between Falaise and Argentan. Five convoys and 100 Tiger tanks were destroyed on one day.
A resurgence of Luftwaffe activity occurred in August with the 367th in the middle of the fray. On August 22nd the Group was ordered to attack, simultaneously, three separate airfields in the Laon area. The 392nd Squadron, led by Major Rogers, dive-bombed and destroyed two hangers on one airfield but were jumped by 12 FW 190s as the completed their attack. Major Rogers called the other squadrons for help. The 393rd was jumped by 18 ME 109s and FW 190s as they reformed from their dive bomb run. Lt Buchanan shot down one but two Germans cornered Lt Awtrey and shot off his canopy. Without a canopy, Awtrey out maneuvered the two and riddled one of them. Lt Stanley Johnson called to report that he was bailing out of his aircraft that had been shot to pieces. Johnson's parachute was seen to open but he was never heard of again. After bombing its target, the 394th Squadron, led by Lt Pieper, turned to help the 392nd. His flight bounced four Germans but in turn was attacked by three others. One of the FW 190s shot out one of Lt Pieper's engines but was destroyed in turn by Pieper's wingman, Lt Lee. The fight continued with the 394th shooting down six additional aircraft including one destroyed by Lt Pieper flying with one engine feathered. In the mean time, the 392nd had taken care of itself, destroying five enemy aircraft without a loss. Victories were by Lieutenants Hartwig, Kines, O'Donnel, Diefendorf and Markley. Altogether the Group had destroyed 14 enemy aircraft for a loss of one.
Returning to the Laon area on August 25th, the 367th Group simultaneously attached three Luftwaffe airfields at Clastres, Perone and Rossiers. The dive bombing attacks ignited one of the greatest fighter versus fighter air battles in U.S. history. It was unique in that most of the action took place in a relatively small area and from 3,000 feet to ground level. There are still witnesses to this dramatic event who refer to it as the "The day the sky over I'Aisne was on fire." (See Chapter 12 of "Quand le Ciel de I'Aisne Etait en Feu" by Jean Hallade.)
The fight started when Major Gardner, leading the 392nd Squadron, radioed the other two squadrons the location of 30 FW 190s that had just taken off. He led his flight on the initial attack and four FW 190s fell simultaneously. Before the cover flight could reach them, Major Gardner and the other three members of his flight were surrounded and shot down. Captain Mateson leading the cover flight shot down two, Lt Lezie damaged one and destroyed another. Lt Platt shot down another while Lt Tremblay hit the wing root and cockpit of another FW 190. After driving three 190s from the tail of a P-38, Lt Lemley had his right engine shot out, but was able to escape at tree top level. Lieutenants' Broniee and Conney were shot down and killed in action.
