MVMT Ace Non-Polarized Aviator Sunglasses - Tortoise 56mm

In the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations, American pilots of the 325th Fighter Group flew P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang fighters over Noth Africa, Sicily, and Italy. The group was activated under General Order number 50 on 30 July 1942, then set up training operations at Theodore F Greene Field in Providence, Rhode Island. By mid-December 1942, the group was considered ready for combat and received the alert for overseas duty on 2 January 1943.

The pilots and their P-40s departed on the carrier USS Ranger on 8 January and flew their aircraft off the vessel into Cazes airfield, near Casablanca, on 19 January 1943. The remaining personnel arrived in late February, and the group prepared for combat, flying its first mission on 17 April 1943 as part of the Twelfth Air Force. Over the next four months, the 325th FG participated in the North African campaign and operations against enemy-held islands in the Mediterranean Sea. By 17 August, the group had achieved 128 aerial victories during the Sicilian campaign and was the first P-40 unit to deliver 1000-lb bombs against enemy targets. It also escorted 1100 bombers without losing a single one to enemy action.

In September 1943, the 325th began its conversion to the P-47 Thunderbolt and headed for its new base in Italy in late December. Over the next six months, the 325th flew escort missions over Italy and the Balkan countries as part of the Fifteenth Air Force, claiming 153 aerial victories during its P-47 period. In May 1944, the group began converting to the P-51 Mustang, which it flew with great success for the remainder of the war. Thirteen of its 27 aces achieved this status while flying the Mustang. By VE Day, the 325th FG had destroyed 537 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and 281 on the ground, as well as numerous ground targets such as locomotives and trucks. The group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, and its pilots earned numerous medals, including four Distinguished Service Crosses, for individual bravery in combat.

However, the cost was high, as 148 pilots were lost in action, either being killed or becoming prisoners of war.

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