From '
Air Force Combat Units of World War II':
Constituted as 50th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940. Activated on 15 January 1941.
Redesignated 50th Fighter Group in May 1942. Functioned as part of the Fighter Command School, testing
equipment and conducting training in air defense operations; also trained pilots and furnished cadres
to night fighter units. Later operated with AAF School of Applied Tactics, training personnel in fighter
tactics under simulated combat conditions. Used P-40s and P-47s, plus some DB-7s, P-51s, and P-70s.
Moved to England, March-April 1944. Assigned to Ninth AF and, using P-47s, began operations by making a
fighter sweep over France on 1 May. Engaged primarily in escort and dive-bombing missions for the next
month. Covered the beach during the invasion of Normandy on 6 and 7 June, and moved to the Continent
late that month. Attacked bridges, roads, vehicles, railways, trains, gun emplacements, and marshalling
yards during the Normandy campaign. Bombed targets in the St Lo region in July and supported the sub-
sequent drive across France. Assisted in stemming the German offensive in the Saar-Hardt area early in
January 1945, engaged in the offensive that reduced the Colmar bridgehead in January and February 1945,
and supported the drive that breached the Siegfried Line and resulted in the movement of Allied forces
into southern Germany in March and April 1945. Received a DUC for close cooperation with Seventh Army
in March during the assault on the Siegfried Line; in spite of the hazards of enemy opposition and
difficult weather conditions, the group struck enemy defenses and isolated battle areas by destroying
bridges, communications, supply areas, and ammunition dumps. Received second DUC for a mission on 25
April 1945 when, despite intense antiaircraft fire, the group destroyed or damaged many enemy aircraft
on an airfield southeast of Munich. Ended operations in May 1945. Returned to the US in August.
Inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Squadrons
10th: 1941-1945
11th: 1941-1942
12th: 1941-1942
81st: 1942-1945
313th: 1942-1945
445th: 1943-1944
Stations
Selfridge Field, Michigan, 15 January 1941
Key Field, Mississippi, 3 October 1941
Orlando AB, Florida, 22 March 1943
Alachua AAF, Florida, 20 November 1943
Orlando AB, Florida, 1 February-13 March 1944
Lymington, England, 5 April 1944
Carentan, France, 25 June 1944
Meautis, France, 16 August 1944
Orly, France, 4 September 1944
Laon, France, 15 September 1944
Lyons/Bron, France, 28 September 1944
Toul/Ochey, France, 3 November 1944
Giebelstadt, Germany, 20 April 1945
Mannheim, Germany, 21 May-circa June 1945
La Junta AAF, Colorado, August-7 November 1945
Commanders
Captain George McCoy Jr, 16 January 1941
Colonel Allen R. Springer, 1 May 1941
Lt.Col. John C. Crosthwaite, 1 April 1942
Lt.Col. Murray C. Woodbury, 15 May 1942
Lt.Col. T. Alan Bennett, 23 July 1942
Lt.Col. Walter B. Putnam, 29 January 1943
Lt.Col. Robert S. Quinn, 9 November 1943
Colonel William D. Greenfield, 1 December 1943
Colonel Harvey L. Case Jr, November 1944-1945.
Campaigns
American Theater
Air Offensive, Europe
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
Decorations
DUC - ETO, 13-20 March 1945
DUC - Germany, 25 April 1945
Cited in the Order of the Day, Belgian Army: 6 June-30 September 1944
Note: All above information pertains to this unit's activities up to 1945.
Any subsequent activity from 1946 onward is not included.