3 August 1943
A P-40 Warhawk Group which in three months of operations in North Africa has acquired one of the most sensational fighter records in the entire war, celebrated their first birthday, having been activated one year ago today at a training field in the United States.
Commanded by Major Robert L. Baseler, Columbia Lake, Columbia, Conn., the Group recently completed its 100th mission on its 100th operational day, at which time five victories brought their total of enemy aircraft destroyed to 100.
In 59 escort missions, providing protection for medium bombers over targets in North Africa, Sicily, and Sardinia, more than 1000 bombers were escorted by the Group with the amazing record of not one bomber lost due to enemy aircraft action.
The first mission of the Group was a bomber escort mission on an enemy held field in Tunisia. After the close of the African campaign the field became the operational base of the Group.
In the Pantelleria Campaign the Group made thirty-two raids on the Island with twenty-eight performed in a five day period, and as many as six raids a day were accomplished by the Group.
Recently on a fighter sweep over Southern Sardinia twenty-five enemy aircraft attacked the Group: seventeen of the twenty-five were shot down. This record was topped last week when twenty planes of the Group shot down twenty-one enemy aircraft in another raid over Sardinia. In a period of eight days forty-six enemy aircraft were destroyed.
Although the motto of the Group is "We don’t have any heroes and we don’t want any’< the Group has three Aces: Major Robert L. Baseler, Columbia Lake, Columbia, Conn., Captain Ralph G. Taylor, 611 Holloway Street, Durham, N. C.; and Lieutenant Walter B. Walker, 23 Auldwood Road, Stamford, Conn.
The Group also boasts the Sergeant York of the Air Corps, 22 year old Flight Officer John Rauth of York, Nebraska. Shot down over Sicily, a prisoner and unarmed, he captured an Italian Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, two Captains, four Lieutenants, and twenty-seven enlisted men.