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2nd Fighter Squadron |
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Name : 2nd Fighter Squadron Country : US |
| Pilots and Aircrew for : 2nd Fighter Squadron | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Ohr, Fred Click the name above to see a profile of Ohr, Fred | Ohr, Fred Probably the only World War II flying ace of Asian descent, Fred F. Ohr overcame widespread distrust of Asian Americans in the United States military to become a fighter squadron commander and a fighter ace with six victories in the Mediterranean Theatre. Ohr claimed his first victory as a fighter pilot, flying Spitfires over North Africa in 1943. While in Africa, he joined the famed 2nd Fighter Squadron, called the “American Beagles” and began flying a P-51 Mustang with the 52nd Fighter Group. When the African campaign ended, Ohr found himself transferred to Italy, flying cover for bombers attacking Italian and Eastern European targets. After becoming squadron commander of the 2nd Fighter Squadron, Ohr and his fighter group were flying cover for the B-24’s making the famous attack on the oil fields at Ploesti, Romania. While making one final pass to ensure that his squadron was out of harm’s way, Ohr spotted one of his men flying the opposite direction. As Ohr turned back to retrieve the confused pilot, a German Me 109 appeared and attacked what he thought was a lone Mustang. Ohr, unseen by the German, came to the pilot’s aid, shooting down the German and escorting the pilot and his damaged plane back to base. By the end of his tour in December of 1944, Ohr had flown 155 missions and shot down a total of six German planes in aerial combat, in addition to destroying 17 planes on the ground. Among the decorations Ohr received are the Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, and the Air Medal with 18 Oak Leaf Clusters. | |
| Aircraft for : 2nd Fighter Squadron | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with 2nd Fighter Squadron. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Mustang 
Manufacturer : North American | Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. | |
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