414th Fighter Group

Constituted as 414th Fighter Group on 5 Oct 1944 and activated on 15 Oct. Equipped with P-47's. Moved to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Jun-Aug 1945. Assigned to Twentieth AF. The air echelon, based temporarily on Guam, attacked objectives in the Truk Islands on 13 and 22 Jul. The group began operations from Iwo Jima late that month with an attack against a radar station on Chichi Jima. Operations during Aug were directed primarily against enemy airfields in Japan, but the group also strafed hangar barracks, ordnance dumps, trains, marshalling yards, and shipping. Moved to the Philippines late in Dec 1945. Assigned to Thirteenth AF. Inactivated in the Philippines on 30 Sep 1946.

Redesignated 414th Fighter Group (Air Defense). Activated in the US on 18 Aug 1955. Assigned to Air Defense Command. Equipped first with F-94's, later with F-89's.

Squadrons. 413th: 1944-1946. 437th: 1944-1946; 1955-. 456th: 1944-1946.

Stations. Seymour Johnson Field, NC, 15 Oct 1944; Selfridge Field, Mich, 15 Nov 1944; Bluethenthal Field, NC, 19 Mar-11 May 1945; North Field, Iwo Jima, 7 Jul 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, 23 Dec 1945-30 Sep 1946. Oxnard AFB, Calif, 18 Aug 1955-.

Commanders. Lt Col Robert C Bagby, 28 Oct 1944; Col Henry G Thorne Jr, 6 Dec 1944-unkn. Col Edwin F Carey Jr, 1955-.

Campaigns. Air Offensive, Japan; Eastern Mandates.

Decorations. None.

Insigne. Shield: Azure, a bend or, between two martlets volant argent, lightning bolts gules streaming from each of their tails. (Approved 26 Jul 1956.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986