This incredibly rare 1944 WWII ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ typed and signed combat report accredits 2nd Lt. Robert Longley with one confirmed German FW-190 destroyed and one FW-190 damaged. Written on October 22nd, 1944 these two original pages very accurately account the combat mission on October 21st, 1944 at 1615 hours over Monthaur and Zehnhausen. What makes this report even more interesting is the squadrons encounter of 50 to 60 FW-190’s and 1 ME-109. The end of the combat report is hand signed by Lt. Robert Longley.

Robert P. Longley did not survive the war and was reported KIA on February 25, 1945 near Buir, Germany. During its tour of duty until May 15, 1945, the Hell Hawks lost 70 men, killed in action or killed in accidents.

365th Fighter Group:

The Group moved to England in December 1943 as part of the Ninth Air Force. Flying P-47s, the Group took part in missions over northern France designed to weaken Germany's ability to repulse the planned Allied invasion of summer 1944. After the successful beach landings, the Group supported the Allies as they fought to break out at St. Lo and push further westwards. They supported the airborne assault into Holland and during the autumn of 1944, flew to aid the seizure of Aachen. The Group received a DUC for taking out a large number of enemy aircraft over the Bonn-Dusseldorf area in Germany on 21 Oct 1944. The 365th was one of the Ninth Air Force fighter groups to win a DUC for action in southern Germany, knocking out airfields and aircraft to help speed the American advance.

Deployed to England aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth and served in combat as part of VIII Fighter Command from October 1943 to May 1945, participating in operations that prepared for the invasion of the Continent, and supporting the landings in Normandy and the subsequent Allied drive across France and Germany. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts until they were replaced by P-51 Mustangs in November 1944. Aircraft of the 356th were identified by a magenta/blue diamond pattern around their cowling.