| 133rd Operations Group | |
|---|---|
 133rd Operations Group C-130H | |
| Active | 1943–1945; 1947–1952; 1952–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  Air National Guard |
| Role | Airlift |
| Patron | Splendentes in DefensioneLatin Splendid in Defense |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Belgian Fourragere Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Col Peter Ament[1] |
| Notable commander | Brig Gen Edwin S. Chickering (commander from November 1944 until inactivation) |
| Insignia | |
| 133d Operations Group emblem(Approved 9 July 1954)[2][note 1] |  |
The133rd Operations Group is the flying component of theMinnesota Air National Guard's133rd Airlift Wing, stationed atMinneapolis–Saint Paul Joint Air Reserve Station, Minnesota. If activated to federal service, the group is gained byAir Mobility Command of theUnited States Air Force.
Thegroup was first activated as the367th Fighter Group, anArmy Air Forces unit. The group trained in the western United States withBell P-39 Airacobras. The 367th moved to England in the spring of 1944, where it became part ofIX Fighter Command (later XIX Tactical Air Command) and converted toLockheed P-38 Lightnings. The group engaged in combat with Lightnings, and later withRepublic P-47 Thunderbolts, in theEuropean Theater of Operations untilVE Day, earning twoDistinguished Unit Citations and theBelgian Fourragere for its actions. It returned to the United States in the fall of 1945 and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
In May 1946, the group was allotted to theNational Guard and renumbered as the133d Fighter Group.[note 2] It trained withNorth American P-51 Mustangs. In 1951 it was mobilized for theKorean War and served in anair defense role until inactivating in February 1952 in a reorganization ofAir Defense Command.
The group was returned to theMinnesota Air National Guard in December 1952. It was anair defense fighter unit until 1960, when it converted to theBoeing C-97 Stratofreighter and theairlift mission. It was called to active duty during theBerlin Crisis of 1961. The 133d replaced its C-97s withLockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft in 1971. It was inactivated in early 1975, when its component units were assigned directly to its parent133d Tactical Airlift Wing. It was reactivated in 1994 and resumed its role as the operational component of the 133d Wing.
Thegroup commands units that support federal and state requirements for the airlift of troops, cargo, and medical patients anywhere in the world. It performs missions tasked by other headquarters within its capabilities. It monitors standardization of all flying and support unit operating procedures and insures units maintain an environment conducive to safe training activities.[1]
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The 367th Fighter Group was first activated atHamilton Field, California on 15 July 1943 with the392d,393d and394th Fighter Squadrons as its initial components.[2][3][4][5] Several members of its initialcadre were formerFlying Tigers with prior combat experience. It was not until late August, however, that the group received its firstBell P-39 Airacobra.[6] After building up its strength, the group moved in October toSanta Rosa Army Air Field, California.[2] In December the group moved toOakland Municipal Airport, while its squadrons moved to separate fields in northern California.[note 3] The squadrons moved temporarily in sequence toTonopah Army Air Field, Nevada, where they performeddive bombing andgunnery training. Training accidents with the Airacobra cost eight pilots their lives. In January 1944, as it prepared for overseas movement, the 367th was beefed up with personnel from the328th and368th Fighter Groups.[7] The group staged throughCamp Shanks, and sailed for England aboard theSS Duchess of Bedford.[8] The "Drunken Duchess"[note 4] docked atGreenock, Scotland on 3 April and the group was transported by train to its airfield atRAF Stoney Cross, England.[7]
Having trained on single engine aircraft, the group's pilots were surprised to findLockheed P-38 Lightnings sitting on Stoney Cross's dispersal pads.[9] Only four group pilots, members of the advance party, had any experience flying the Lightning. These pilots had flown combat sorties with the55th Fighter Group.[10] The change from single engine to twin engine aircraft required considerable retraining for both pilots and ground crew.[9] Although some pilots entered combat with as little as eight hours of flying time on the P-38, in late April the group was reinforced by fourteen pilots who had trained on the Lightning in the States and were more experienced on the type.[11] However, the lack of instrument training in the P-38 took its toll on the group as weather, not enemy action, caused the loss of pilots and airplanes.[12]
On 9 May, the group flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep overAlençon.[13] For the remainder of the month, the group flew fighter sweeps, bomber escort anddive bombing, missions and suffered its first combat losses.[14]
OnD-Day and the next three days the group flew nine missions maintaining air cover over shipping carrying invasion troops.[9] These missions continued for the next three days. The 367th and other P-38 groups stationed in England were selected for these missions with the expectation that the distinctive silhouette of the Lightning would prevent potential friendly fire incidents by anti-aircraft gunners mistaking them for enemy fighters.[15] Shortly after the Normandy invasion, on 12 June, the group was selected to test the ability of the P-38 to carry a 2,000 lb bomb under each wing. The selected target was arailroad yard, and results were mixed. However, on this mission, the group scored its first air-to-air victory when Lts James Pinkerton and James Mason teamed up to shoot down aMesserschmitt Me 410 flying near the assigned target.[16]
By mid JuneGerman ground forces had withdrawn to defend a perimeter aroundCherbourg, a major port whose capture had become more important to the allies with the destruction ofMulberry A, one of the artificial harbors constructed near the Normandy beachhead. An attack byVII Corps on 22 June was to be preceded by low level bombing and strafing attack byIX Fighter Command. Briefed by intelligence to expect a "milk run" The 367th flew at low altitude through what turned out to be a heavily defended area. Within two to three minutes after beginning the attack the 394th Squadron lost five pilots. Seven group pilots were killed in action. Nearly all surviving group aircraft received battle damage and the 367th was out of action for several days.[9][17]
Ninth Air Force moved its medium bomber forces to bases closer to the Continent in July, so they would be able to strike targets near the expanding front in France. The387th Bombardment Group was moved to Stoney Cross, forcing the 367th to vacate their station and move the short distance toRAF Ibsley.[18] From Ibsley the group struck railroads, marshaling yards, and trains to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front duringthe Allied breakthrough at Saint Lo in July 1944.[2]
Starting on 19 July the group's forward echelon crossed theEnglish Channel to take up stations inNormandy.[19] Group headquarters and the 394th sharedBeuzeville Airfield with the371st Fighter Group, while the 392d Squadron was atCarentan Airfield,[3] and the 393d atCricqueville Airfield,[4] advanced landing grounds made frompierced steel planking.[note 6] After the breakout of ground forces in theSaint-Lô area, the group concentrated on close air support ofGeneral Patton'sThird Army. In late August, the group attackedGerman Seventh Army convoys which, to prevent being surrounded, were withdrawing eastward from theFalaise pocket. Five convoys and 100Tiger Tanks were destroyed on one day.[9] By mid August the group and its squadrons were able to operate from a single base,Cricqueville Airfield.[20]
On 22 August the group attacked threeLuftwaffe airfields nearLaon. The 392d Squadron dive bombed and destroyed two hangars on one airfield but were jumped by twelveFocke-Wulf Fw 190s as they completed their attack. EighteenMesserschmitt Bf 109s and Fw 190s engaged the 393d Squadron as it reformed from its dive bomb run. After bombing its target, the 394th Squadron turned to reinforce the 392d. The group claimed fourteen enemy aircraft against a loss of one Lightning.[9]
The 367th received aDistinguished Unit Citation when it returned to the Laon area three days later. That day, the group attackedLuftwaffe airfields atClastres,Péronne andRosières-en-Haye through an intenseflak barrage. The group then engaged more than thirty Focke-Wulf 190 fighters that had just taken off. Group claims were 25 enemy aircraft destroyed, one probably destroyed and 17 damaged against the loss of 6 group aircraft.[note 7] Then, despite a low fuel supply, the groupstrafed a train and convoy after leaving the scene of battle. Captain Larry Blumer of the 393d Squadron destroyed five enemy aircraft becoming anace on one mission. In the afternoon the 367th destroyed sixteenJunkers Ju 52s while on a long range fighter sweep of more than 800 miles to airfields in theDijon-Bordeaux area.[2][9][21]
As Allied forces moved forward across France the group began leap-frogging to new bases. In early September they relocated atPeray Airfield (A-44),[3][4][5] but moved again a week later toClastres Airfield (A-71). From Clastres The 367th supportedOperation Market-Garden by escorting troop carrier aircraft and attacking flak positions. For its attacks that fall, the group was cited in the Order of the Day by the Belgium Army.[9]
In late October, as Ninth Air Force brought its medium bombers to bases in France, the 367th was bumped from its station for the second time by the 387th Bombardment Group, when it moved toJuvincourt Airfield (A-68), north ofReims.[2][22] Juvincourt was a former Luftwaffe base with permanent facilities, in contrast to the advanced landing grounds where the group had been based since moving to France.[23] The group attacked German strong points to aid the Allied push against theSiegfried Line throughout the fall of 1944.[2]
The GermanArdennes Offensive occurred as the holidays approached. A planned move to a field in Belgium was canceled. On 18 December, the 393rd Squadron was sent aForward Air Control team toBastogne to assist the101st Airborne Division, arriving just an hour before the Wehrmacht cut the last road access to Bastogne. When the weather finally broke, the team was able to direct flights offighter-bomber aircraft attacking the Germans. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 367th, after escorting C-47s on a resupply drop to encircled troops at Bastogne, conducted an armed reconnaissance of theTrier area. The 394th Squadron was engaged by Fw 190s and a 40-minute air battle ensued in which the group claimed eight destroyed, two probably destroyed and nine damaged.[9]
Early in 1945 a desire to standardize the fighter-bombers in Ninth Air Force, the group transitioned intoRepublic P-47 Thunderbolts. Pilots flew Lightnings on combat missions while training at the same time with the Thunderbolt. The 393d Squadron was the first to fly combat missions with the P-47s. Using the Thunderbolt the group was again cited in a Belgium Army Order of the Day, earning theBelgian Fourragere.[9]
The 367th received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 19 March 1945. The group's target was the headquarters ofField Marshal Kesselring, the German Commander-ln-Chief, West,[note 8] at Ziegenburg nearBad Nauheim, Germany. Aircraft of the leading 394th Squadron would attack at low level to achieve surprise, carrying a 1,000-pound bomb under each wing. The P-47s of the 392d Squadron would be similarly armed, but woulddive bomb from a higher altitude. The bombs were equipped with time-delay fuses intended to crack the concrete roofs of the bunker. The 393rd Squadron carriednapalm intended to seep into the bunkers and burn what remained. The attack was scheduled for a time that intelligence reports indicated would find senior staff and commanders at lunch, the only time they would not be in the reinforced tunnels underneath the castle that housed the headquarters. The target was located in mountainous terrain well defended by antiaircraft artillery. Moreover, to avoid alerting the Germans to the pending attack, photographic reconnaissance aircraft had avoided the area, so detailed target photography was not available. The day of the attack the castle was concealed by ground haze which caused the 394th to stray off course at the last minute, preventing them from executing the attack as planned and reducing the element of surprise.[24] Although senior German officers reached the underground bunkers and survived the attack, the group reduced the military complex to ruins, disrupting communications and the flow of intelligence at a critical time.[9]
The group struck tanks, trucks, flak positions, and other objectives in support of the assault across theRhine late in March and the final allied operations in Germany.[2] It was commended by the commanding generals ofXII Corps and the11th Armored Division for the close air support the group provided for their commands. On 10 April the group moved toEschborn Airfield on the northwest side ofFrankfurt, Germany. The 367th flew its last combat mission, a defensive patrol, one year after entering combat on 8 May.[25]
All hostilities ceasedthe following day, exactly one year after the group became operational. On 4 June the 367th led a flyby forGeneral Weyland.[9] On 1 July it was announced the 367th was to redeploy to thePacific Theater of Operations after it was re-equipped with and trained with long range P-47Ns in preparation forOperation Downfall, the invasion of Japan.[2] The group moved to Camp Detroit in France then to a staging area nearMarseille. Here it boarded two ships, theUSS General C. G. Morton, and theUSNS John Ericsson (T-AO-194). When Japan surrendered, theMorton was diverted toNewport News, Virginia while theEriccson sailed forStaten Island, New York.[9] Following leave for everyone, the few personnel that remained in the group after transfers and discharges reassembled atSeymour Johnson Field, North Carolina on 2 November, and the 367th was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.[2][9]
The 367th participated in seven campaigns. It had flown 14,175 combat sorties destroying 432 enemy aircraft, probably destroying another 28 and damaging 344.[note 9] They had also destroyed or damaged 384 locomotives, 4,672 motor vehicles and 8,288 railroad cars.[9]
367th Fighter Group
| Aerial Victories | Call Sign | Fuselage Code | Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Hq | Dynamite | 0 | [26][27] | |
| 392d Fighter Squadron | Knobhole | H5 | 39.5 | [26][28][29] |
| 393d Fighter Squadron | Decco | 8L | 22.5 | [26][29][30] |
| 394th Fighter Squadron | Casket | 4N | 23 | [26][29][31] |
| Group Total | 85 |
The 367th Fighter Group was redesignated the133rd Fighter Group and was allotted to theNational Guard on 24 May 1946.[2] The group was organized atHolman Field, Saint Paul, Minnesota and was extended federal recognition on 28 August 1947. It was assigned the109th Fighter Squadron and 179th Fighter Squadron at Holman Field and the 178th Fighter Squadron of theNorth Dakota Air National Guard.[note 10] All three squadrons had been federally recognized earlier and had begun training with theNorth American F-51D Mustang. The 179th soon moved toDuluth Municipal Airport.
In the fall of 1950, theAir National Guard reorganized under thewing base organization system, and the133d Fighter Wing was activated on 1 November 1950 to command the 133d Fighter Group and its newly formed support organizations.
The group and its squadrons were called to active duty in March 1951 due to the growth of the Air Force during theKorean War. It was assigned toAir Defense Command (ADC), along with its two squadrons in Minnesota, but the 178th Squadron was transferred to the146th Fighter-Bomber Group upon mobilization.[32] The group and its two remaining squadrons were renamedfighter-interceptor units with a mission ofair defense. The group continued to fly the Mustang while on active duty. ADC was having difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. It reorganized by inactivating its fighter wings and groups and reassigning their squadrons to geographically organized headquarters.[33] The group was inactivated in February 1952 and its squadrons assigned to the31st Air Division.[2][34]
In December 1953 the group was returned to theMinnesota Air National Guard, retaining its air defense mission. In 1956, the 133d Fighter-Interceptor Wing reorganized along the regional model of its gaining command, ADC, becoming the 133d Air Defense Wing. The 133d Group became the133d Fighter Group (Air Defense) and its squadrons in Duluth andHector Airport North Dakota were reassigned to newly formed Fighter Groups. The wing support organizations were split among the 133d Group and the newly formed organizations.
It continued as an air defense fighter organization until 1960 when it transitioned into anairlift mission withBoeing C-97 Stratofreighters. during theBerlin Crisis of 1961, the group was mobilized and its units served directly wing control. In 1971, the group transitioned intoLockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. The group was inactivated in 1975, but reactivated in 1994, again flying the Hercules.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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