506th Fighter Group, 457 Fighter Squadron, 458 Fighter Squadron, 462 Fighter Squadron Iwo To Japan Squadrons

The three Squadrons (457th: 458th: 462nd:) of the Group had similar markings in different colours and also had a different series of identification numbers (457th: 500-549, 458th: 550-599, and 462nd: 600-649). The squadron markings consisted of painting the fin, rear fuselage and tail all over in a colour. As shown here, the 457^th was green; the 458^th had dark blue diagonal stripes over the natural metal background, and the 462^th was yellow. Otherwise the finish was standard in natural metal, including propeller spinner, with Olive Drab anti-glare panel.

The 506th Fighter Group Constituted as 506th Fighter Group on 5 Oct 1944 and activated on 21 Oct. Equipped with P-51 aircraft. Moved to Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Feb - Apr 1945, the air echelon flying patrols from Tinian (Map)(Satellite View) before joining the rest of the group on Iwo Jima (Map)(Satellite View) . The group, assigned to the Twentieth AF, flew its first mission from Iwo on 18 May when it bombed and strafed an airfield in the Bonin Islands . Afterward attacked airfields, antiaircraft emplacements, shipping, barracks, radio & radar stations, railway cars, and other targets in the Bonin Islands or Japan. Also provided air defense for Iwo and escorted B-29 during bombardment missions from the Marianas (MAP) to Japan. Received a DUC for defending B-29's against attacks from fighter aircraft during the period 7-10 June 1945. Returned to the US in Dec 1945. Inactivated on 16 Dec 1945.

Missions
May/June		June	July/August

28 May - Fighter Strike against airfields in Tokyo area
1 June Black Friday - VLR Fighter Escort of XXI BomCom maximum effort against Osaka
7 June - VLR Fighter Escort of XXI BomCom maximum effort against Osaka
8 June - VLR Fighter Strike against airfields in the Nagoya area
9 June - VLR Fighter Strike against airfields in Nagoya area
10 June - Fighter Escort of B-29s against Tokyo area

11 June = VLR Fighter Strike against airfield
14 June - Bonin's mission
15 June - Escort of B-29s over Osaka area.
19 June - VLR Fighter Strike against Kagaraigahara and Meiji airfields
23 June - VLR Fighter Strike against airfields in Tokyo area
26 June - VLR Escort of B-29s over Nagoya and Kobe
27 June - Fighter Strike against Japanese airfields in the areas NE and E of Tokyo

3 July - Death at Chichi Jima - tale of the rescue attempt of a downed pilot
14 July - TSUKUBA primary target with the 462nd Fighter Squadron providing close escort for two photographic B-24's over the Yokosuka Naval Base
16 July - this is the mission in which Captain Benbow was lost over Nagoya, Japan.
28 July - stories from Jack K. Westbrook, Edwin Warfield III.
3 August - Ed Mikes rescued after being strafed by Jap Zeroes.

Missions