31st Fighter Group Vets Flight-Line
THE 31ST FIGHTER VETERANS "FLIGHT LINE" (FORMERLY THE"THREE-O-EIGHTER"); A PUBLICATION FOR AND ABOUT FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL 31ST FIGHTER GROUP FORMED IN JULY, 1941.ITS HEADQUARTERS, 307TH, 308TH, AND 309TH FIGHTER SQUADRONS, AND SUCCESSOR ORGANIZATIONS.
DURING THE 31ST FIGHTER GROUP'S ETO TOUR FROM JUNE, 1942 THRU JULY, 1945 ITS FIGHTER SQUADRONS TOGETHER ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF AERIAL VICTORIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER WITH A COMBINED TOTAL OF 571.
THE 31ST FIGHTER GROUPS PILOTS FLEW SPITFIRES IN THE 8TH AF IN ENGLAND, THE 12TH AIR FORCE IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, AND ITALY; AND P-51 MUSTANGS IN THE 15TH AIR FORCE.
THIRTY-THREE (33) OF THE 31ST'S PILOTS BECAME "ACES".
THE 31ST FIGHTER WAS THE FIRST: AMERICAN FIGHTERS IN ENGLAND; TO OPERATE IN ETO; TO DESTROY AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT; AAF FIGHTER GROUP IN ACTION IN ALGERIA, MALTA, AND SICILY; TO LAND IN ITALY; HAD THE ONLY AAF UNIT AT ANZIO; AND THE FIRST AAF GROUP TO OPERATE WITH P-51 MUSTANGS IN MTO.
THE 31ST FIGHTER GROUP EXEMPLIFIED ITS MOTTO "RETURN WITH HONOR".
- Elmer J. “Buz” Howell, SMSGT USAF ®, Editor.
​
​
View 'Flight-Line' Archives
​
​