325th Fighter Group

The 325th FG activated on 3 August 1942 at Mitchel Field, NY. At the end of August, they moved to Hillsgrove (Providence), RI, and began training for overseas combat. The 317th, 318th, and 319th Fighter Squadrons, were assigned to the group. In early January 1943, the group received orders for a permanent change of station to Langley Field, Virginia.

While at Langley, the Group received new model P-40s and trained to launch their planes from a Naval aircraft carrier. On the 7th of January, pilots flew their planes to the Naval Air Station, at Norfolk. They taxied their planes through the streets, with the aid of "wing walkers", to the USS RANGER, where naval personnel hoisted them on deck. The Group embarked for North Africa on 8 Jan, arriving off the coast of Casablanca late on the 18th.

In the early morning hours of the next day, the pilots launched their Warhawks, and flew to their first overseas station, Tafaraoui, Algeria. The rest became history. The 325th achieved one of the AAF’s most impressive combat records during World War II.

They flew all of the Army Air Forces primary fighters, during the war: the P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang. Twenty-seven of their pilots achieved Ace status (five or more aerial victories). They flew over 550 missions, achieved over 500 aerial victories and received Distinguished Unit Citations for two of them. The Group also achieved notariety as the first USAAF fighter unit to fly into Russia, on the first "shuttle mission" of the war, in 1944.

In October 1945, the group inactivated, but was activated once again, for the Korean War. The unit underwent successive activations, inactivations, and redesignations. Today the 325th designation belongs to the 325th Fighter Wing, at Tyndall AFB, FL. Under Air Force tradition, the history and lineage of the original 325th FG has been "bestowed" on today’s active wing.

The full  325th Fighter Group History.

Commanders of the 325th Fighter Group.

The Operational Summary of the 325th Fighter Group.

Total Victories by type of aircraft for the 325th Fighter Group.

Victories by Headquarters pilots

The history behind the Checkertail Markings

A pilots required packing list in the 325th Fighter Group

Overseas stations and information about Lesina, Italy 

325th Fighter Group P-51 Mustang Inventory includes serial numbers, aircraft names, and pilots

325th Radio Beam in Lesina, Italy.

Map of group movement from Casablanca (January 43) to Mondolfo (April 45)

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