Zemke's Wolfpack

The only US 8th Army Air Force fighter group to retain the mighty P-47 Thunderbolt throughout its combat tour in the European Theatre of Operations, the 56th Fighter Group justified its nickname of 'Zemke’s Wolfpack' by the aggressive attitude and tactics instilled by its original wartime commander Hub Zemke. This attitude continued through to VE-Day under the auspices of his successors Dave Schilling and Lucian Dade, and it became the top scoring 8th Air Force group for victories in air-air combat. Justifiably considered one of the greatest tacticians and leaders in VIII Fighter Command, Zemke’s leadership engendered an esprit de corps that was second to none. Fighting High Publishing brings together historians Nigel Julian and Peter Randall to tell the story of the ‘Wolfpack’, complimented by a foreword from the Group’s wartime leader’s son Hub Zemke Jnr. The two authors are the owners of the websites at 56thfightergroup.co.uk and littlefriends.co.uk respectively, universally