2/LT SAM JUNKIN - 31ST FG FIRST USAAF VICTORY OVER AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT IN EUROPE On January 30, 1942, the 31st Pursuit Group gained three new pursuit squadrons, the 307th, 308th, and 309th. The group moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 6, 1942. On April 18, the group was reassigned to the III Interceptor Command. It was redesignated as the 31st Fighter Group on May 15, 1942. At the same time, its three pursuit squadrons were redesignated fighter squadrons. The group and its squadrons trained with P-39 Airacobra aircraft expecting to be deployed to England for combat. In June, the group was assigned to the VIII Fighter Command of the Eighth Air Force and moved from Louisiana to England. The ground echelon sailed on the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth on June 4. The air echelon moved to Grenier Field, New Hampshire, where it left its P-39s before boarding a ship convoy heading to England on June 12. The group reunited at Atcham, England, and began training with British Spitfire fighter aircraft. It moved again to Westhampnett, England, on August 1, and that month became the first operationally-ready Army Air Forces fighter group in England, and the first American fighter group in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). It entered combat on August 19, 1942, supporting an Allied raid on Dieppe, France. During a fighter sweep across the English channel that day, one of the 31st Fighter Group pilots, The first taste of real action for the USAAF Spitfire groups came on 19 August, when the 31st FG formed part of the fighter cover for the large-scale raid on the French port of Dieppe, which was to see some of the heaviest air fighting of the war. Flying with Nos 130 and 131 Sqns of the RAF, a dozen Sptifires of the 309th left Westhampnett early that morning for Dieppe. Over the heach, they were attacked by a swarm of Fw 190s, and in the ensuing dogfight Lt. Samuel F. Junkin Jr managed to shoot one down to claim the first fighter victory for the USAAF in Europe. However, moments later he was attacked and wounded by a second Focke-Wulf and forced to bale out. Junkin was resuced by a torpedo boat. Junkin suffered a bullet wound in his right shoulder and was quoted as saying: I will be back with my squadron shortly to have another crack at them! The group continued to fly combat missions from England the rest of August and early September, 1942, escorting bombers and flying patrol and diversionary missions.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:27:45 +0000
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