325th Operations Group

Restored Curtiss P-40

325th Fighter Group P-47 at an Allied airfield in Italy

325th Fighter Group P-51D Mustang

The 325th was first activated as the 325th Fighter Group at Mitchel Field, New York in August 1942 with the 317th,[7] 318th,[8] and 319th Fighter Squadrons[9] assigned. It trained at Hillsgrove Army Air Field with Curtiss P-40 Warhawk aircraft[10] before moving to North Africa by ship and transport planes in January through February 1943. The group entered combat in April 1943 and began escorting medium bombers, flying strafing missions, and conducting sea sweeps from bases in Algeria and Tunisia.[10] The 325th participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia, the reduction of Pantelleria, and the conquest of Sicily.[10] The 325th received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action over Sardinia on 30 July 1943 when the group, using diversionary tactics, forced a superior number of enemy planes into the air and destroyed more than half of them.[10] The group did not fly combat missions from the end of September to mid-December 1943 as the 325th converted to Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and moved to Italy.[10]

The 325th began operations with Fifteenth Air Force in December 1943, and primarily engaged in bomber escort operations.[10] It received a second DUC for a mission on 30 January 1944 when the group flew more than 300 miles at very low altitude to surprise the enemy fighters that were defending German airfields near Villaorba, Italy; by severely damaging the enemy's force, the 325th enabled heavy bombers to strike vital targets in the area without encountering serious opposition.[10] The group converted to North American P-51 Mustang aircraft in May 1944 and provided the fighter escort on the first shuttle bombing mission from Italy to Russia in early June 1944, and became the first American group to score a victory while flying from a Russian base.[11] It escorted heavy bombers during long-range missions to attack the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, the Daimler-Benz tank factory at Berlin, oil refineries at Vienna, and other targets, such as airfields, marshalling yards, and communications targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. It also covered operations of reconnaissance aircraft and strafed such targets as trains, vehicles, and airfields. The group continued combat operations until May 1945.[10] The group moved back to the U.S. and was inactivated after V-E Day.[10]

325th Ftr Gp Aerial Victories

318th Fighter Squadron P-61B[note 2]

325th Fighter Group F-94 Starfires and F-82 Twin Mustang

The group was inactive from 1945 until 1947, when it was activated as an all-weather fighter group equipped with Northrop P-61 Black Widows.[10] In 1948, the group converted to North American F-82 Twin Mustang aircraft[10] and moved to Washington, to provide air defense for the Atomic Energy Commission Hanford Plant.[16] In 1948, the US Air Force unified operational and support organizations under a single wing under what is called the Hobson Plan. As a result, the 325th Fighter Wing became the parent for the 325th Group and three other supporting groups[17]

Beginning in Spring 1949, it conducted the All Weather Combat Crew Training School, while participating in air defense operations, exercises and training.[1] In 1951, as ADC expanded its mission, the Federalized 123d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying World War II era F-51Ds, was attached to the group (now named the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Group).[18] Although the 123d received some day fighter North American F-86 Sabres in July, it continued to fly Mustangs while attached to the 325th.[18] Meanwhile, the other three squadrons of the 325th converted from their Twin Mustangs to early model Lockheed F-94 Starfires in June and December 1951.[19]

In December 1951, Fifth Air Force, engaged in the Korean War, indicated to Headquarters, United States Air Force that it needed all-weather interceptors to defend the Seoul area. In response, ADC dispatched the group's 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to Suwon Air Base, although the squadron remained assigned to the 325th group.[20] The 325th group and wing inactivated in February 1952[10] as part of a major Air Defense Command (ADC) reorganization that replaced its fighter wings with regional air defense wings, responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[21] Its operational squadrons were transferred to the 4704th Defense Wing at McChord Air Force Base and the 4703d Defense Wing at Larson Air Force Base, Washington.[22]

F-102s of the group's 318th FIS in 1958

In 1955 the personnel and equipment of the inactivating 567th Air Defense Group,[23] including the 317th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[7] were transferred to the newly designated 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense),[10] which activated once again at McChord as result of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[24] Because one purpose of Project Arrow was to reunite fighter squadrons with their traditional groups,[24] the 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was moved from Presque Isle Air Force Base.[8] to assume the personnel and equipment of the 567th's 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.[25] Both of the group's squadrons flew the radar equipped and rocket armed F-86D version of the Sabre.[19] The 325th served as the USAF "host" group at McChord Air Force Base until October 1956, when the 325th Fighter Wing was reactivated[1] and was assigned several support organizations to fulfill its duties.[26][27][28] At the same time it conducted air defense operations.[1]

The group became subordinate to the 325th Fighter Wing again in October 1956 and was non-operational as all group headquarters personnel were used to man the wing headquarters until about June 1957.[1] The squadrons upgraded to Convair F-102 Delta Daggers, the 317th Squadron in December 1956 and the 318th in March 1957.[19] In August 1957, the 317th Squadron moved to Alaska and was reassigned from the group,[7] while the 64th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron simultaneously moved from Alaska to McChord.[29] The group regained control over its tactical squadrons in June 1957 and continued air defense operations of the wing, with annual squadron deployments to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida for firing practice.[1] Just before the group was discontinued, the 64th Squadron moved to Paine Field, Washington, where it was reassigned to the 326th Fighter Group.[29] The group was in the process of converting to Convair F-106 Delta Darts[19] when it was discontinued in March 1960, with its remaining tactical squadron being transferred directly to 325th Fighter Wing control.[1]

McDonnell Douglas F-15D Eagle, 325th Operations Group

On 1 September 1991, the group was redesignated the 325th Operations Group and activated when the 325th Fighter Wing implemented the USAF Objective Wing organization.[1] The 325th Group was assigned control of the wing's tactical units.[1] The group was originally part of Tactical Air Command, but in an Air Force realignment of advanced crew training responsibilities, it transferred to Air Education and Training Command in June 1992. The group mission was to train McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle pilots. It continued this mission until 2010, adding F-22 Raptor training in 2003. When F-15 training ended, the group was reduced to a single flying squadron.[1] The group also conducted battle management training through its 325th Air Control Squadron. This mission ended in October 2012 and transferred to the 33d Operations Group.[30]

In October 2012, the Air Force combined both combat and training F-22 Raptor squadrons into a single group, and realigned the group under Air Combat Command.[31]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
• Endicott, Judy G., ed. (2001). The USAF in Korea, Campaigns, Units and Stations 1950-1953 (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Force Historical Research Agency. ISBN 0-16-050901-7.
• Grant, C.L., (1961) The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.
• Newton, Wesley P., Jr. and Senning, Calvin F., (1963) USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II, USAF Historical Study No. 85
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

Further reading

• Green, Hershel H. (2000). Herky! The Memoirs of a Checkertail Ace. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7643-0073-3.
• McDowell, Ernest R. (1994). Checkertails: The 325th Fighter Group in the Second World War. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-89747-316-7.
• McDowell, Ernest R.; Hess, William N. (1969). Checkertail Clan: The 325th Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, Inc. ISBN 978-0-81689-750-6.
• Rogers, Brian. (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.