78th Fighter
Group 78th Fighter
Group 
"Big Friends" was a term commonly used by 8th Fighter Command pilots when referring to Allied bombers in the ETO. As a salute to all ETO Allied Bombardment Groups, a collection of stories and pictures are presented here involving the 78th Fighter Group and various Heavy Bombardment Units.
390th Bombardment Group
In a well publicized picture of the Air War in Europe, B-17 aircraft of the 390th Bomb Group are shown with their accompanying fighter escort during a September 27, 1943 mission to Emden, Germany. Extensive research of the picture by the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum Foundation suggests that the fighter escort in the picture background may have been aircraft from the 78th Fighter Group. The 78th did participate in the mission of September 27, 1943 along with five(5) other 8th Fighter Command Groups( 4th, 56th, 352nd, 353rd and 355th ). The "S-ing" tactic visible behind and above the bomber formations( note the contrails)was a standard escort practice for the 78th. The 78th was very successful that day scoring 11 confirmed aerial victories( 9 destroyed, 2 probable) without loss.
John Warner of the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department wrote an article confirming the authenticity of the photograph. The photograph and some excerpts from John's article are included here for reference. For the complete text of the article and a colorized version of the picture, please visit the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department web site article; "Top Cover for J Group".
( Source Credit: 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department Web Site(1) )
John S. Warner, 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department
"After many months of research, it has finally been established to the satisfaction of the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department that the accompanying photograph bearing the same title as this article was taken on 27 Sept 1943 during a mission to Emden, Germany. The photograph was taken by S/Sgt. Stanley M. Smith, a waist gunner on A/C #30783, The Stork Club of the 570th Squadron of the 390th Bombardment Group (H), Eighth Air Force, piloted by Lt. Keith E. Harris. The aircraft centered in the picture is B-17F A/C #23329, named Skippy. "
" This photograph was the most widely circulated photograph of the air war in World War II. It is believed this photograph was printed in the New York Times and the European Edition of Stars And Stripes in the early Fall of 1943. It appeared in the magazine Impact in the November 1944 issue and in the 31 June 1944 edition of Time magazine. It is also in dozens of aerial history books and also is on the dust cover of the 390th Anthology, Volume I. The only known negative of this photograph is in the Archives of the Smithsonian Institution. (Disc 3A-19813, Negative No. 26566, Germany: AIRPLANES, VAPOR TRAILS.)"
"This article is based on a monograph submitted to the 390th Memorial Museum dated 20 October 1996 by Marshall B. Shore, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret), the Group navigator for the 390th in WWII. The purpose of the monograph was to authoritatively document and authenticate this famous photograph. Painstaking research was accomplished by both Robert W. Waltz and Marshall Shore using the computerized data, photographs, and microfiche of the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation records. Correspondence with the Smithsonian Institution Archives, multiple reference books, and personal interviews with 390th veterans were also utilized in Shore's research."
"The fighter escort that day was composed of 262 P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters from six groups. Three of these were dispatched to cover the bomber stream on penetration to the target and the other three met the bombers for withdrawal from the target area. One fighter from the 56th Fighter Group was lost with the pilot reported MIA."
"Col. Eugene P. Roberts, USAF (Ret) now of Spokane, WA was commander of the 84th Squadron of the 78th Fighter Group the day this mission took place. He told Shore that their standard procedure was to stack each squadron one above the other with an altitude separation of 300 feet. Each squadron then "S-ed" back and forth separately as top cover for the bombers. This can be seen in the photograph."
The 390th Bombardment Group was assigned to the 8th Air Force and dispatched to Station 153 located at Parham in Suffolk, England. The Group's first mission to the continent was flown on August 12, 1943 and its last mission in May of 1945. During a mission to Munster on October 10, 1943, eighteen(18) 390th Bomb Group B-17s shot down sixty-two(62) German fighter aircraft for a record in the 8th Air Force.
The 390th participated in 301 operational missions, dropping over 19,000 tons of bombs. 179 of its aircraft were lost, with 147 missing in action and 32 due to other causes. The Group's accomplishments show a total of 378 enemy aircraft destroyed, 78 probably destroyed, and 97 damaged. The Group was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, 8 Battle Streamers and many commendations. During its combat history the Group's bombing accuracy was reported as the best in the 8th Air Force and its aircraft losses were the lowest per mission flown/bombs dropped.
Webmaster's notes:
(1) - 390th Memorial Museum Foundation Research Department, John S. Warner, web site article, "Top Cover For J Group"
To Be Continued . . .
This page was last revised on 8 / 20 / 02
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