56th Fighter Group
From Battleground Europe Wiki
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The 56th Fighter Group is one of the oldest Fighter Groups in the game. You can usually find them on fighter sweep missions, high above the front line providing CAS, or close to enemy airfields on CAP missions.
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About 56th Fighter Group - Zemke's Wolfpack
The group is broken up into 3 fighter squadrons; the 61st FS (Top Dogs) the 62nd FS (Bulldogs), and the 63rd FS (Gus' Gunners) Fighting proudly since June 2001, The 56th Fighter Group has an unbroken history of combat operations since the dawn of WWIIOL. We pride ourselves on discipline, command structure, training, organized and realistic flight. We try our best to mirror the image and procedures of the real 56th Fighter group and place a high value on our virtual lives. We have maintained our own voice server and and have had the same website since 2000. Our primary voice communication software is Ventrilo and we use the AHC Teamspeak server on occasion.
Squad History
The group is composed of virtual pilots from all over the world and these pilots have come from similar flight simulation environments. Some of those pilots have been flying together, for over 10 years, in the virtual skies in such games as Air warrior, Warbirds, IL-2 and Aces High just to name a few.
The Group itself traces its lineage to the original 56th FG that was active in iEN's WarBirds through 1998 to 2001, when its members carried the Wolfpack name to the new vista. Then as now, the Group conducts ops with a single-minded focus: to dominate a chaotic game environment by introducing structure that the casual hive mind is inadequately prepared to cope with. The Group flies in a strictly "military" style that relies heavily on real-life element and flight procedures, voice communications and disciplined aggression. To fly with the Wolfpack is to fly like your life matters.
Other information
The most celebrated fighter group in the ETO. 56th FG was activated on January 14, 1941, and spent its first year training, moving and suffering through various reorganisations. The group practised with P-36 (Curtiss H75 Hawk) and a handful of antiquated P-40s and P-39s, before being issued with the first few P-47 Thunderbolts to roll off the Farmingdale assembly line. 56th FG became the test flight unit for the Thunderbolt and contributed greatly to its development throughout the war. In September 1942 Major "Hub" Zemke arrived to assume Group command, and he brought 56th FG to the UK, landing in Gourock, January 12, 1943. Following a frenzied preparatory period 56th FG carried out its first combat sortie on April 13, 1943. From then on, the Group was in the thick of the fighting without pause until the end of hostilities in May 1945.
56th Fighter Group - The Ace Machine. The P-47 was arguably on the most potent and prominent fighters of the war. Initially derided for its size and bulbous appearance, the "Jug" soon proved formidable both at high altitude and on the deck. When piloted with cool calculating aggression and outstanding teamwork, the seven-ton monster was in a class of its own. The toughness and lethality of the Thunderbolt was one factor in the Group's success - more importantly however, was leadership, discipline and perseverance - "Hub" Zemke said: "I only break off combat when I am out of gas or bullets." As a consequence of his leadership, innovative spirit and aggressive attitude, 56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" ended the war as the highest scoring US fighter group in the European Theater of Operations.
