William enlisted into the United States Army Air Corps on June 13, 1942 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. His fighter group, the 325th Fighter Group, was mobilized at Mitchel Field, New York in August 1942; the 317th, 318th, and 319th Fighter Squadrons were assigned to the 325th Fighter Group. After training at Hillsgrove Army Air Field with P-40s, the Squadron moved to North Africa by boat in January and February of 1943.
North Africa
In North Africa, the 325th Fighter Group first entered battle on April 17, 1943. The Group was tasked with flying strafing missions, escorting medium bombers, and making sea sweeps from their bases in Algeria and Tunisia. From April 17, 1943 until May 13, 1943—the day German General Von Arnim surrendered—the 319th Fighter Squadron flew eleven missions against the Mateur Airfield.
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Sardinia and Pantelleria
After this surrender, the 319th Squadron focused its attention on Sardinia and Pantelleria. During the height of the air war in Pantelleria, two to three flights a day were made, despite the intense heat and diarrhea epidemic. Over 100,000 pounds of bombs were dropped by the 319th Squadron in Tunisia and Pantelleria until June 11, 1943, the day the island surrendered. In 100 missions, the 325th Fighter Group had destroyed a total of 103 enemy planes—forty of these were shot down by 319th pilots.
Operations continued against Sardinia, with litter resistance encountered during the continual sweeps and bombing missions. On September 8, the Italian armistice was announced. Although Italy had surrender, it was not known which airdromes and localities remained in German control; this caused the Group not to fly for nearly two weeks. During this time, pilots and ground crews watched the news of the Salerno landing, which had began on September 9th. |
Training operations with P-47 aircraft began in October of 1943, the first P-47 flown to the Mateur Field on October 11th. Because of heavy rainfalls and intermittent interrupting the training schedule, the 319th Fighter Squadron moved to Soliman A/D, a base in Africa. The move began on November 4, 1943 and training resumed on November 7, 1943.
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Italy
The Group would start their move to Italy on November 30, 1943 after an advanced echelon left Soliman to prepare a bivouac area at Bizerte, Tunisia, where the ground echelon was to await transportation. An air echelon arrived at the Foggia Main Airfield in Italy on December 9, 1943 while the ground echelon were separated into two groups: one to leave Bizerte on December 12th and land at Taranto, Italy on the 17th; the other group to leave Bizerte on December 24th and dock at Naples on the 27th. From the disembarkation points, the two groups completed the move to Foggia Main by train and truck.
The first P-47 mission, on December 14, 1943, was escorting B-17s over Corfu, Greece. On December 30, 1943, the 319th Squadron moved from the Foggia Airfield to Celone, Italy, approximately seven miles northwest of Foggia. On March 25, 1944, a move to the Lesina A/D in Italy began when an advanced echelon left Celone Airfield to prepare a bivouac area at the new field; this move was completed on March 29, 1944. |
On June 2, 1944, the 319th Squadron participated in the Italy-to-Russia shuttle raid. Thirteen crew chiefs, armorers, and enlisted men were transported to Russian bases in B-17s to maintain the Squadron’s P-51s.
During July of 1944, missions were flown almost daily due to excellent weather. It was during this time that the 15th Army Air Force (AAF) opened a drive against the enemy’s vital oil refineries and storage facilities. The 325th Fighter Group took part in repeated attacks against Ploesti, Brux, and Blechhammer. On July 26, 1944, the Group destroyed thirteen enemy fighters over Austria; four of these fighters were destroyed by 319th pilots.
During July of 1944, missions were flown almost daily due to excellent weather. It was during this time that the 15th Army Air Force (AAF) opened a drive against the enemy’s vital oil refineries and storage facilities. The 325th Fighter Group took part in repeated attacks against Ploesti, Brux, and Blechhammer. On July 26, 1944, the Group destroyed thirteen enemy fighters over Austria; four of these fighters were destroyed by 319th pilots.
In August of 1944, the Group flew twenty-seven missions and only encountered resistance on six of them. On August 3rd, thirty-four German fighters attempted to drive off the B-24s attacking the Manzell Aircraft Factory. Out of the ten enemy aircraft destroyed, three were accredited to the 319th Squadron.
Twenty-two mission were flown during September of 1944. These missions were highly successful in strafing attacks against enemy airfields, troop concentrations, and rail communications. Twenty-one missions were completed in November of 1944. |
Because of the rising number of enemy rocket and jet propelled aircraft operation over Germany during December, it became necessary to provide escort for the planes making daily runs over enemy targets. During January of 1945, the weather conditions hampered combat operations and training missions. The Squadron participated in only eleven combat missions, most of which were high-altitude escorts in attacks on oil refineries in Austria and Germany.
The Squadron moved from Lesina on March 2, 1945 to Miramare, Italy, a small town four miles south of Rimini, Italy where the Squadron Headquarters and living area were to be located while operating from the Rimini A/D. A hotel and eleven building were requisitioned and used as sleeping quarters by 319th personnel. During March, the Squadron participated in thirty-three missions, one of which invaded the city of Berlin where heavy bombers attacked the Daimler Benz Tank Works. This mission marked the longest heavy bomber and flight ever flown over Europe; it was also the first attempt of the 15th AAF to attack targets in the German capital. |
The move from Miramare to Mondolfo, Italy was the tenth move in the 319th Squadron’s history. The Squadron combat operations reached an all-time high in April, participating in forty-two mission. Many of the missions were combined with strategic operations in direct support of ground troops. The destruction of the jet-propelled Me-262—the first destruction of a jet aircraft within the 325th Fighter Group—was credited to the 319th Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Major Johnson.
The collapse of Germany marked the breaking up of the 319th Fighter Squadron.
The collapse of Germany marked the breaking up of the 319th Fighter Squadron.