| 368th Fighter Group |
| "Nulli Secundus" |
| Welcome to the official site of the 368th Fighter Group Association |
| SECOND TO NONE: The History of the 368th Fighter Group |
| The comprehensive history of the 368th Fighter Group 540+ Pages, 8 Chapters & 18 Appendixes. Loaded with personal stories, hundreds of photographs, research information, color plates (soft cover only), & much more. |
| Click on book pages for a closer look |
| Group Headquarters & Staff Sections |
| Group & Squadron pages include Photo Albums with hundreds of photos. |
| This web site is dedicated to the brave men that served with and supported the 368th Fighter Group. We must never forget the sacrifices made to protect our freedom and to free the people of Europe. Thank you for your service, you will never be forgotten. "Nulli Secundus!" |
| 395th Fighter Squadron "Panzer Dusters" |
| 396th Fighter Squadron "Thunder Bums" |
| 397th Fighter Squadron "Jabo Angels" |
| 368th Fallen Brothers |
| 368th Fighter Group Web Pages Click on the icons to navigate site |
| 368th Aerial Victories |
| 368th Nose Art & Aircraft Profiles |
| The P-47 |
| Gun Camera Film |
| 368th Association & Reunion Info |
| Links |
| The History Channel program Dogfights featured 368th FG pilot George Sutcliffe in July 2007 |
| Site Map |
| Special Announcements 02April08: Limited hard cover edition of Second to None is now available. Only 300 hard cover editions were published and over 100 have already been sold. Sgt. Joseph Hanson is awarded his Purple Heart - click here to read the story and see photo. |
| Kenneth Kik, FF/EMT-P, USAFR Ret. 368th FG Webmaster and Grandson of "Panzer Duster" Pilot Richard Kik Jr About the webmaster |
| A flash back, what was the 368th Fighter Group doing in December 1943 - 1946? |
| 368th Combat Record, Awards & Decorations |
| 368th History & Timeline |
May 1944
1st – Pre-invasion attacks against marshalling yards.
2nd – Bombed marshalling yards at Toucoing, France with commendation for good work.
3rd – 4th – Crews remained on ground alert but no missions flown.
5th – Dive bomb marshalling yards at Somain, France.
7th – Dive bomb German positions near Namur, Belgium.
8th – Group flies a 600 miles round trip mission to bomb a rail bridge west of Sudan, France.
9th – Dive bombed flak positions at Calais in preparation for bombers attacking V-1 sites.
Second mission that day took the group back to attack V-1 sites.
10th – Escort mission scheduled but scrubbed.
11th -
12th – 1st mission was an escort for C-47’s to Veurne, Belgium and back, ?purpose, maybe to make the
Germans think it was a practice flight for future paratrooper drop. 2nd mission destroyed railroad bridge at
Namur.
13th – 14th – No missions flown.
15th – Chilbolton Field bombed by 2 German planes at 0210 destroying 2 planes damaging 11.
16th – 18th – No operational missions.
19th – Group attacks the Cambai-Epinoy Airdrome.
20th – Escort heavy bombers to target near Paris.
21st – Operation “Chatanooga Choo-Choo” begins – targeting rail traffic. Group destroys 10 locomotives
22nd – Escort B-26’s to French coast to bomb gun emplacements. Group receives 2 new P-47D-25’s bought
buy war bond sales in Sherman County, Nebraska & Henderson County, Kentucky.
23rd – Escort mission scrubbed.
24th – Escort heavy bombers back to Paris area. After escort group strafed 20 trains, destroying 15.
25th – Group destroys railway bridge at Hasselt, Belgium using a “glide bomb” technique.
26th – Attack on Saint-Ande-de-L’Eure Airdrome.
27th – Low level straffing missions ranging as far as Coblenz, 16 locomotives destroyed and
another 11 damaged by group.
27th - Experimental mission N.E. of Compeigne, France bombing with incendiary gas tank.
This would later be known as Napalm. This is the first documented use of Napalm.
29th –Escort heavy bombers to Hanover, Germany and back. Longest mission on record for group
30th –In one mission, group destroys 2 bridges across Seine River at Pont-de-L’Arche & Elbeuf, severely
damages another Le Manoir.
May 1945
1st – No missions flown, advance echelon leaves for Station R-42 at Buchschwabach near Nuremburg.
2nd – Air patrols in Straubing area. Radio announces the suicide death of Adolph Hitler.
3rd – Armed Recces in Eastern Austria and Tabor-Pilsen area of Czechoslovakia.
4th – Armed Recces south of Salzburg, Austria.
5th –Ground due to poor weather.
6th – Unofficial news that the German Army had surrendered.
7th – Uneventful fighter sweep near Passau-Cham.
8th – Official news that Germany had surrendered.
9th – Air Patrol in the Pilsen-Ling-Flatouy area with orders not to fire.
13th – Group completes move to Nuremburg and begins to settle in to “peace time” operations.
1st – Pre-invasion attacks against marshalling yards.
2nd – Bombed marshalling yards at Toucoing, France with commendation for good work.
3rd – 4th – Crews remained on ground alert but no missions flown.
5th – Dive bomb marshalling yards at Somain, France.
7th – Dive bomb German positions near Namur, Belgium.
8th – Group flies a 600 miles round trip mission to bomb a rail bridge west of Sudan, France.
9th – Dive bombed flak positions at Calais in preparation for bombers attacking V-1 sites.
Second mission that day took the group back to attack V-1 sites.
10th – Escort mission scheduled but scrubbed.
11th -
12th – 1st mission was an escort for C-47’s to Veurne, Belgium and back, ?purpose, maybe to make the
Germans think it was a practice flight for future paratrooper drop. 2nd mission destroyed railroad bridge at
Namur.
13th – 14th – No missions flown.
15th – Chilbolton Field bombed by 2 German planes at 0210 destroying 2 planes damaging 11.
16th – 18th – No operational missions.
19th – Group attacks the Cambai-Epinoy Airdrome.
20th – Escort heavy bombers to target near Paris.
21st – Operation “Chatanooga Choo-Choo” begins – targeting rail traffic. Group destroys 10 locomotives
22nd – Escort B-26’s to French coast to bomb gun emplacements. Group receives 2 new P-47D-25’s bought
buy war bond sales in Sherman County, Nebraska & Henderson County, Kentucky.
23rd – Escort mission scrubbed.
24th – Escort heavy bombers back to Paris area. After escort group strafed 20 trains, destroying 15.
25th – Group destroys railway bridge at Hasselt, Belgium using a “glide bomb” technique.
26th – Attack on Saint-Ande-de-L’Eure Airdrome.
27th – Low level straffing missions ranging as far as Coblenz, 16 locomotives destroyed and
another 11 damaged by group.
27th - Experimental mission N.E. of Compeigne, France bombing with incendiary gas tank.
This would later be known as Napalm. This is the first documented use of Napalm.
29th –Escort heavy bombers to Hanover, Germany and back. Longest mission on record for group
30th –In one mission, group destroys 2 bridges across Seine River at Pont-de-L’Arche & Elbeuf, severely
damages another Le Manoir.
May 1945
1st – No missions flown, advance echelon leaves for Station R-42 at Buchschwabach near Nuremburg.
2nd – Air patrols in Straubing area. Radio announces the suicide death of Adolph Hitler.
3rd – Armed Recces in Eastern Austria and Tabor-Pilsen area of Czechoslovakia.
4th – Armed Recces south of Salzburg, Austria.
5th –Ground due to poor weather.
6th – Unofficial news that the German Army had surrendered.
7th – Uneventful fighter sweep near Passau-Cham.
8th – Official news that Germany had surrendered.
9th – Air Patrol in the Pilsen-Ling-Flatouy area with orders not to fire.
13th – Group completes move to Nuremburg and begins to settle in to “peace time” operations.
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