The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney [Gunther/Minime]

[Gunther]

The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney
352nd Fighter Group

History of the 352nd Fighter Group
The 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: the 328th, 486th and 487th Fighter Squadrons. Once deployed to the ETO, the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England before being forward deployed to Belgium. It performed a variety of missions for the Eighth Air Force, but predominantly served as bomber escort.

The 352d Fighter Group was activated at Bradley Field, CT, on 1 October 1942 and equipped with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The initial squadrons assigned were the 21st and 34th squadrons, under the command of 1st Lieutenant John C. Meyer, as well as the newly activated 328th. On 18 May 1943 the 21st and 34th were redesignated the 486th and 487th fighter squadrons.

The group absorbed new personnel moving several times from Bradley Field to Westover Field, MA in November and then to Trumbull, CT in January 1943. Once aircraft were received and pilots proficient, the squadrons were assigned to alert duty over New York City, operating out of LaGuardia Airport where pilots often performed acrobatic maneuvers. The 352nd pilots routinely buzzed Yankee Stadium and engaged in dogfights over the city, garnering attention of authorities. Shortly thereafter, likely due to their antics at La Guardia, the 328th was moved to Mitchel Field, NY (Long Island) in February, being joined by the 34th in March. The 21st was moved to Farmingdale, NY on 8 March. Training was in its advanced phase when the group was reassembled at Westover Field, MA in late May in anticipation of deployment orders. The order to deploy arrived in June and the group moved to Camp Kilmer, NJ to prepare to embark aboard the ocean liner "Queen Elizabeth" leaving on 1 July 1943 for Scotland and service with the Eighth Air Force.

The first missions of the 352d FG were flown on 9 September 1943 when the Thunderbolts flew an escort mission over the North Sea protecting B-17 Flying Fortress bombers returning from a raid over continental Europe. Skirmishes with the Luftwaffe were frequent, but it wasn't until 26 November when Major John C. Meyer of the 487th FS scored the Group's first victory over Europe – a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Meyer later became deputy commander of the 352d during its most successful period of operations.

On 8 April 1944, the 352d exchanged their radial-engine P-47s for sleek North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes. It was then that the Group adopted their unique blue nose marking. It is legend among aviation historians that the German Luftwaffe referred to the 352d as the "Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney." Whether this is true or not is irrelevant because indeed, the 352d FG was undoubtedly successful. In the end, the Group flew nearly 60,000 combat hours in 19 months, claimed 519 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air (4th highest among the 15 groups of VIII Fighter Command), 287 on the ground and produced 26 aerial aces for losses in combat of 118 aircraft. Notable pilots of the 352d include top scoring P-51 aces Major George Preddy and Col. John C. Meyer, Captain Donald S. Bryan, Lt. Robert "Punchy" Powell, Capt. John "Smokey" Stover, Capt. John Thornell, Capt. William C. Miller, Capt. Raymond Littge and Capt. William T. Whisner.

A WWII fighter squadron consisted of 12 aircraft. They operated in two and four-ship flights. Fighter tactics dictate that you do not take on a target alone; always in teams of two. So a squadron would look something like this:

1. Squadron Leader: Major (US) or Squadron Leader (UK)
2. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

3. Squadron Executive Officer: Captain (US) or Flight Lieutenant (UK)
4. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

The four pilots above, numbered one through four make up one four-ship flight or two two-ship flights.

5. Flight Leader; Captain (US) or Flight Lieutenant (UK)
6. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

7. Flight Leader; First Lieutenant* (US) or Flight Lieutenant (UK)
8. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

As with the Commander's flight, this would be the 2nd four-ship flight which operates in two two-ship flights. The 2nd flight is lead by a senior Lieutenant. If there are no First Lieutenants available it would be the most experienced Second Lieutenant available to take charge of the second two-ship flight.

9. Flight Leader; Captain (US) or Flight Lieutenant (UK)
10. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

11. Flight Leader; First Lieutenant* (US) or Flight Lieutenant (UK)
12. Wingman: Lieutenant (US) or Flight Lieutenant/Flight Officer (UK)

The Squadron consisted of one Major, three Captains and eight Lieutenants on paper. The longer a squadron operates in combat, things change. It is possible to have a Captain as Squadron Commander or senior lieutenant as XO if the CO and XO were KIA or POWs. It is also possible to have every other officer in the squadron 2nd Lieutenants because the squadron has suffered such intense losses. The availability of functioning aircraft can be a problem if aircraft are constantly being shot up on missions. Older aircraft tend to break down and require further maintenance. Each squadron would also have a maintenance section available working out of either tin corrugated Quonset huts or tents.

The Fighter Group (FG) consists of three squadrons as depicted above plus a four-ship headquarters flight. The Headquarters flight consists of the following:

1. Group Commander: Lieutenant Colonel
2. Wingman: Captain

3. Executive Officer: Major
4. Wingman: Lieutenant

If a Group were at 100% strength, they would have forty (40) aircraft and pilots available for operations.

Characters

Name: George Sharkey
Nickname/Callsign: Sharkman
Date of Birth: 2 Sep 20
Date of Commission: 10 Nov 42
Current assignment: Wingman, 487th fighter squadron



Bio: George Sharkey grew up in Hoisington, Kansas. He entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on January 25, 1942, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings at Moore Field, Texas, on November 10, 1942 at the age of 23. After completing P-47 Thunderbolt training, he was briefly assigned to the 321st Fighter Squadron of the 326th Fighter Group at Westover Field, near Chicopee, Massachusetts and then joined the 487th Fighter Squadron of the 352nd Fighter Group in December 1942. Lieutenant Sharkey deployed with the group to England in July 1943. As of March, 1944, Lieutenant Sharkey has had zero air victories against the German Luftwaffe in the P-47 Thunderbolt.

[Minime]

Name: Kenneth Maine
Nickname/Callsign: Dallas
Date of Birth: 31 Jan 19
Date of Commission: 9 Dec 41
Current assignment: Wingman, 487th Fighter Squadron



Bio: A native Texan born in the rural area of Dallas, Kenneth would join the Army a year before the the attack on Pearl Harbor and once Kenneth completed basic training, he would go on to apply for the Aviation Cadet Program. When the United States eventually did declare war on Japan and it's allies, his training was cut short and he was commissioned as an officer on December 9th, 1941. For a year he would initially fly air defense operations in the 8th Air Force and would even serve as a flight instructor in the 20th Fighter Group up until his transfer request to an overseas unit was accepted. Assigned to the 352nd Fighter Group's 487th Fighter Squadron, he was able to ship out with the unit when it was deployed to Scotland in July 1943. He has still yet to score a kill in aerial combat.