477th Fighter Group

477th Fighter Group
Unit name	477th Fighter Group
Dates	1943–1947
Country	United States
Branch	United States, 1912
Type	Fighter
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	Group
Command structure	First Air Force
Garrison	Godman Field
Battles	World War II
Notable commanders	Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

477th Fighter Group. The 477th Fighter Group was a pioneering United States Army Air Forces unit, notable for being composed primarily of African American personnel during the Second World War. Though it never saw combat, its formation and the subsequent struggles of its members against racial segregation within the U.S. military were pivotal events in the Tuskegee Airmen story and the broader civil rights movement. The group's history is marked by the Freeman Field mutiny, a significant act of protest against discriminatory policies at Freeman Army Airfield.

History

The group was activated on **15 January 1944** at Selfridge Field, Michigan, under the command of Colonel Robert R. Selway, a white officer. Initially equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobra and later Bell P-63 Kingcobra aircraft, its training was hampered by the pervasive Jim Crow laws and the War Department's segregationist policies. The unit was transferred to Godman Field, Kentucky, and later to Freeman Army Airfield in Indiana, where tensions over segregated facilities culminated in the **Freeman Field mutiny** in April 1945. Over 100 African American officers, including future commander Benjamin O. Davis Jr., were arrested for refusing to sign a directive endorsing segregated officers' clubs, a direct challenge to Army Regulation 210-10. Following the mutiny and pressure from the NAACP and Black press, command was eventually given to then-Lieutenant Colonel Davis. The group was redesignated the **477th Composite Group** in 1945, briefly operating North American B-25 Mitchell bombers alongside its fighters, before inactivating on **1 July 1947**.

Aircraft

The group trained on and operated several key fighter aircraft of the era. Its primary initial aircraft was the Bell P-39 Airacobra, a fighter known for its central Allison V-1710 engine and 37mm cannon. It later transitioned to the improved Bell P-63 Kingcobra, which featured a more powerful version of the same engine and laminar flow wings. During its brief tenure as a composite unit, it also flew the twin-engine North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, a versatile aircraft made famous by the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.

Assignments

The group's operational assignments were within the continental United States for training and reorganization. It was assigned to the **XXI Fighter Command** of the First Air Force for much of its existence. Other higher headquarters included the **Fourth Air Force** and, following its redesignation, it fell under the **Strategic Air Command** as a composite group before inactivation. Its components, the **99th Fighter Squadron**, **100th Fighter Squadron**, **301st Fighter Squadron**, and **302nd Fighter Squadron**, were all historically significant Tuskegee Airmen units.

Stations

The group was stationed at several Army Air Fields across the midwestern and southern United States, each location reflecting the geographic reality of military segregation. It began at Selfridge Field, Michigan, before moving to Godman Field, Kentucky. A pivotal transfer to Freeman Army Airfield, Indiana, in 1945 set the stage for the mutiny. Later stations included Lockbourne Army Air Base (now Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base), Ohio, which became a key post-war base for African American air units under Colonel Davis's command.

Commanders

Leadership of the group was a central issue in its history. Its first commander was **Colonel Robert R. Selway**, whose enforcement of segregationist policies directly provoked the Freeman Field mutiny. Following the controversy, command was assumed by the distinguished **Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr.**, a United States Military Academy graduate and former commander of the 332nd Fighter Group (the "Red Tails") in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Davis provided experienced leadership and worked to improve the group's morale and training standards in its final years.

Notable personnel

The group included many individuals who later achieved prominence in military and civilian life. **Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr.** later became the first African American general in the United States Air Force. **Captain Coleman A. Young** later served as the first African American mayor of Detroit. Other notable officers included **Lieutenant William T. Mattison** and **Lieutenant Roger C. Terry**, who were among those arrested at Freeman Field; Terry was later court-martialed and convicted, though his record was eventually cleared. Many alumni, such as **Lieutenant John J. Suggs**, had previously served with distinction in the 332nd Fighter Group in combat overseas.

Category:United States Army Air Forces fighter groups Category:Tuskegee Airmen Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1947