Formed in October 1943 as part of the last group of fighter units to be
sent into combat in northern Europe and the Pacific, the 479th FG wrote
for itself an impressive history whilst flying against the Luftwaffe
from RAF Wattisham in rural Suffolk. Despite the group's P-38s not being
highly regarded in the Eighth Air Force due to their unsuitability for
high-altitude combat, the 479th's pilots had a fierce pride of arms.
Their fighting spirit, which saw the group destroy hundreds of German
aircraft, earned the 479th a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation in
the late summer of 1944. The 479th transitioned to the P-51 Mustang in
the autumn of 1944, and by VE-Day, some 29 aces had been created by the
group, which had claimed more than 430 kills. Book jacket.
