The 425th's insignia (approved 4 May 45, but in use prior to that date) featured a jackrabbit riding a diving P-61 toward its prey. The jackrabbit symbolized the speed of the night fighter. The Black Widow is clutching two 20mm cannon, a sign of the awesome firepower of the plane. An hourglass shape adorns the Widow's starboard wing, letting everyone know it's a Black Widow, the deadliest hunter-killer in the sky. The official description reads: "On a yellow disc, edged light turquoise blue, a caricatured 'Black Widow' aircraft is depicted in flight toward dexter base, holding, with the legs, two light turquoise blue aerial machine guns with cartridge belts affixed thereto, proper, ridden by a caricatured, brown rabbit seated astride fuselage, steering with yellow reins held in the left forepaw, and holding a red flashlight in the right forepaw."

History at a Glance Constituted 425th Night Fighter Squadron on 23 Nov 43 Activated 1 Dec 43 Assignments: 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, 1 Dec 43; Ninth Air Force, 23 May 44; IX Air Defense Command, 10 Jun 44; 471st Fighter Wing, 20 Jun 44; IX Air Defense Command, 6 Aug 44; XIX Tactical Air Command, 7 Oct 44; Ninth Air Force, 7 Jul 45; Fourth Air Force, 9 Sep 45; Air Defense Command, 21 Mar 46; Fourth Air Force, 31 Jul 46 – 25 Aug 47 Deactivated 25 Aug 47 Received first P-61: 15 Jun 44 Operational aircraft: YP–61, 1944; A-20, 1944; P-70, 1944; P-61A/B, 1944-47 First enemy aircraft destroyed: 5 Aug 44 (V-1), 24 Dec 44 Total enemy aircraft destroyed: 14, including 4 V-1s Operating Locations Orlando Airbase, Florida, USA — 1 Dec 43 to 30 Jan 44 Hammer Field, California, USA — 30 Jan 44 to 25 Feb 44 Visalia Municipal Airport, California, USA — 25 Feb 44 to 1 May 44 Charmy Down, England — 26 May 44 to 12 Jun 44 Scorton, England — 12 Jun 44 to 12 Aug 44 Hurn Airdrome, England — 29 Jun 44 to Jul 44 Stoneman Park, England — 2 Aug 44 to 18 Aug 44 Vannes, France — 18 Aug 44 to 1 Sep 44 Le Moustoiris, France — 1 Sep 44 to 11 Sep 44 Coulommiers, France — 11 Sep 44 to 13 Oct 44 Prosnes, France — 13 Oct 44 to 19 Nov 44 Etain, France — 19 Nov 44 to 12 Apr 45 Frankfurt, Germany — 12 Apr 45 to 2 May 45 Fürth, Germany — 2 May 45 to 5 Jul 45 Crepy-en-Laommis, France — 5 Jul 45 St Victoret, France — 18–24 Aug 45 Lemoore Army Airfield, California, USA — 9 Sep 45 Camp Pinedale, California, USA — 23 Oct 45 March Field, California, USA — 8 Mar 46 McChord Field, Washington, USA — 1 Sep 46 to 25 Aug 47 Commanders Capt. Leon G. Lewis — 10 Dec 43 to 10 Feb 45 Capt. Russell Glasses — 10 Feb 45 to 7 May 45 Capt. Morra T. McDonald — 7 May 45 to ? Lt. Col. Leon G. Lewis — May 45 to Sep 45 Victories Peterson/Howet: 2 V-1s Thompson/Downey: 1 V-1 Ormsby/Howerton: 1 Do217s, 1 Me110, 1 Ju188 Andrews/Kleinheine: 1 Ju88, 1 Ju188 Slayton/Ferris: 1 Me110 Slayton/Robinson: 1 Ju188 Sortanowicz/Van Sickels: 1 Ju87, 1 V-1 Stacey/Mason: 1 Ju88 Gray/Robinson: 1 Ju188

Aircraft Assigned

Name	Serial No.	Type
Unknown	44-5537	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5539	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5542	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5545	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5546	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5549	P-61 A-5
Junkin' Judy	44-5550	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5560	P-61 A-5
Unknown	44-5565	P-61 A-5
Double Trouble	44-5566	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5568	P-61 A-10
Tabitha	44-5569	P-61 A-10
"Tabitha" as she looked when she was flown by Capt. Hardin Ross in France, 1944. She was one of the 425th's P-61s that met with an early fate, crashing on October 27, 1944. At the time it was being flown by Lt. Bruce Hefling and F/O Bill Broach, both of whom were killed in the crash.
Daisy Mae	44-5570	P-61 A-10
Mah Ideel	44-5571	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5574	P-61 A-10
Sleepy Time Gal	44-5576	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5578	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5579	P-61 A-10
Wabash Cannonball IV	44-5580	P-61 A-10
The "Wabash Cannon-Ball IV" is depicted as she looked at Advance Landing Ground A-58 (Coulommiers, France) in 1945. This ship was named after the train that ran between Detroit and St. Louis and for which that country song was written. It was flown by the 425th's Squadron Commander, Major Leon Lewis.
Little Nan	44-5581	P-61 A-10
Two O'Clock Jump	44-5582	P-61 A-10
Dangerous Dan	44-5583	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5584	P-61 A-10
Plenty Peed-Off Patootie III	44-5585	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5587(?)	XP-61D
Unknown	44-5588	P-61 A-10
Unknown	44-5589	P-61 A-10
Unknown	42-39395	P-61 A-10
Unknown	42-39397	P-61 A-10
Norma Dea	Unknown	P-61 ?
IITYWYBdd	Unknown	P-61 ?
Fearless Fosdic	Unknown	P-61 ?
Little Audrey	Unknown	P-61 ?
Midnight Menace	Unknown	P-61 ?
The Creep	Unknown	P-61 ?

Sources: Northrop P-61 Black Widow, Warren Thompson, Wings of Fame Volume 15; Black Widow, Warren E. Thompson, Combat Aircraft, November 1997; P-61 Black Widow in Action, Squadron-Signal Publications; P-61 drawings by Chris Banyai-Riepl.

The George Hoover Photo Collection George Hoover served with the 425th Night Fighter Squadron as a Crew Chief and kindly contributed these photos, which represent just a sampling of his collection. George's entire 425th Photo Album can be found here. Additional photos from George's collection taken during the WW II years are here and his WW II German postcards are here (coming soon). Changing a carbuerator on a 425th P-61, Advance Landing Ground A-82, Etain, France (click to enlarge in separate window). 425th workshop at Etain, France. Note the Cletrac tractor in the center (click to enlarge in separate window). A Quad 50 machine gun mount was part of the AAA defense of the airfield at Etain. (click to enlarge in separate window).

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