Available December 1, the comprehensive history of the 368th Fighter Group, one of the most productive fighter groups of World War II. Comprised of the 395th FS “Panzer Dusters”, the 396th “Thunder Bums,” and the 397th “Jabo Angels,” the Group distinguished itself during six campaigns in Europe and was the recipient of the Presidential Unit Citation. Before the D-Day invasion, the Group earned a solid reputation while operating fighter sweeps and attacks on marshalling yards, locomotives and rolling stock, road and rail bridges, key roads, submarine pens, and rocket sites. After the invasion, they gained notoriety while providing air cover for the First and Third Army sweeps across France, Belgium, Austria, and Germany.
The 368th had many notable firsts. Among them, in May of 1944, they were the first unit to attack the V-1 “buzz bomb” sites, located along the French coast at Calaise. That same month, they were the first to drop experimental incendiary napalm bombs in combat. The 368th FG was first group to fly in support of the disembarking infantry as they stormed the beaches on the morning of June 6, 1944, D-Day. They were the first Group to operate missions from advance landing strips and the first to be permanently based on the continent. After the breakout, the 368th spearheaded the role of pilots as forward air controllers, placing them in front line Sherman tanks in order to call in more effective air strikes. Despite the loss of 13 pilots killed in air-to-air combat, the 368th led all Ninth Air Force P-47 only units with 149 aerial victories. The Group had three aces, with Lt. Col. Paul P. Douglas of the 396th FS leading all Ninth Air Force P-47 only units with 8 aerial victories.
Finally, one of the most outstanding and overlooked Groups in World War II has its story told. Tim Grace, the son of one of its pilots, has completed a 3 1/2 year project to preserve their story as a legacy for their families and World War II aviation enthusiasts and historians alike. This 576-page paperback is written in narrative form and is a road map and diary of their entire activation. The book begins with a brief history of the Air Force in order to set the context of the Group's contributions to the war effort. It is followed by 6 chapters that trace the Group through each of its 6 battle campaigns, and then as part of the Army of Occupation. This is followed by an entire chapter that contains 71 personal stories. As an added bonus, the book has 18 essential appendixes that span their activation, in addition to extraordinary ancillary data. Featured among them are detailed list of Victories, MIA, KIA, and POW lists; Missing Air Crew reports; and various media publications of the day. The book contains a color section with many aircraft profiles. As an added feature, there is a 74-page photo gallery with over 400 archive photos. There is much more that is certain to be new for avid readers of World War II Shows how active the 368th were during WW2. <S> To those that have fallen and have passed on to the other world.
