| 311th Fighter Group | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 311th Fighter Group |
|
| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Force |
| Nickname | "Yellow Scorpions" |
| Engagements | Burma Campaign 1944–1945 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Gabriel P. Disosway |
The 311th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces, being inactivated on 6 January 1946 at Fort Lawton, Washington.
During World War II, the unit was one of only three groups to use the A-36 Apache dive bomber version of the P-51 Mustang. It was created in 1942 as a light bombardment group, training with the Vultee Vengeance, before moving on to the A-36 (and the P-51) when it entered combat in India as part of Tenth Air Force.
After the war, the unit was redesignated as the 101st Fighter Group on 24 May 1946 and allocated to the Maine Air National Guard
Contents |
|
|
Trained with V-72 Vengeance aircraft. Moved to India, via Australia, July–September 1943. Assigned to Tenth Air Force. Operating from India and using A-36A Apaches. The units aircraft had yellow tails with two black bands; the 530th Fighter Squadron having its diagonal bands sloping from top right to bottom left, while the other two Squadrons had theirs either vertical or sloping the opposite way. The red nose was also a squadron marking. Many planes of this Group had a girl's name on the nose but very few had any artwork.
The group supported Allied ground forces in northern Burma; covered bombers that attacked Rangoon, Insein, and other targets; bombed enemy airfields at Myitkyina and Bhamo; and conducted patrol and reconnaissance missions to help protect transport planes that flew The Hump route between India and China.
Converted to P-51C Mustangs in May 1944. Moved to Burma in July and continued to support ground forces, including Merrill's Marauders; also flew numerous sweeps over enemy airfields in central and southern Burma.
Moved to China in August 1944 and assigned to Fourteenth Air Force. Escorted bombers, flew interception missions, struck the enemy's communications, and supported ground operations, serving in combat until the end of the war. Ferried P-51's from India for Chinese Air Force in November 1945. Returned to the US in December 1945.
Inactivated on 6 January 1946.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||