During World War II the Ninth Air Force comprised air-to-ground
aviators, charged with destroying the enemy close to the front and below
the clouds, often bringing them face to face with their German
opponents.
The 362nd Fighter Group, led by two very different leaders - the tough
disciplinarian Col. Morton Magoffin and later the beloved motivator Col.
Joe Laughlin - had one of the best track records in the Ninth Air Force.
It destroyed over 5000 trucks, 350 tanks, 275 artillery pieces, 45
barges, and 600 locomotives. But this score came at a cost, as over the
course of 15 months of combat in 1944 and 1945 more than 70 pilots were
killed in action and in June 1944 alone 30 of their P-47 Thunderbolts
were lost. The other groups jokingly referred to them as the "362nd
Suicide Outfit".
Thunderbolts Triumphant provides a narrative history of the group and
gives a glimpse at the fascinating men who flew these missions and
maintained the aircraft as they navigated Europe. Starting with the
D-Day invasion, the group was the aerial artillery support for U.S.
ground forces, first in Normandy, then in reducing the defenses around
Brest, then in supporting the U.S. Third Army as it drove across France
and Germany.
Special emphasis is given to its most spectacular missions such as the
breaching of the Dieuze Dam and its incredible performance during the
Battle of the Bulge where it demolished much of the Sixth Panzer Armee
as it tried to escape eastward.
Illustrated with 150 black and white photographs and 24 color aircraft
profiles, this is a fascinating and detailed history of a group that
played a significant part in winning the air war.
