1945 Fourth Air Force Flyers football team

Last updated
1945 Fourth Air Force Flyers football
Legion Bowl, W 27–0 vs. Army Air Forces Training Command
Conference Army Air Forces League
Record6–3–1 (3–2–1 AAF League)
Head coach
Home stadium Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Seasons
←  1944
1946 →
1945 military service football records
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Army Air Forces League
Third Air Force + 4 –1 –17 –2 –1
AAF Training Command + 4 –1 –18 –3 –1
Fourth Air Force 3 –2 –16 –3 –1
First Air Force 2 –2 –23 –2 –3
Air Transport Command 2 –3 –16 –3 –2
Personnel Distribution Command 2 –4 –06 –5 –0
Second Air Force 1 –5 –03 –7 –0
Independents
Fleet City  – 11 –0 –1
Corpus Christi NAS  – 7 –1 –0
Jacksonville NAS  – 9 –2 –0
El Toro Marines  – 8 –2 –0
Great Lakes Navy  – 6 –4 –1
Atlantic City NAS  – 4 –2 –1
Fort Warren  – 5 –7 –0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight  – 2 –4 –1
Keesler Field  – 3 –6 –1
Fort Pierce  – 4 –9 –0
Pensacola NAS  – 2 –7 –1
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1945 Fourth Air Force Flyers football team represented the Fourth Air Force based at March Field, in Southern California, during the 1945 college football season. The Flyers competed in the Army Air Forces League (AAF League) with six others teams from the United States Army Air Forces. Led by head coach Johnny Baker, the team compiled an overall record of 6–3–1 with a mark of 3–2–1 in league play, placing third in the AAF League. [1] The Flyers ended the regular season with a win over the Third Air Force Gremlins, who earned a shared of the League title. The Flyers were recognized as the "most interesting" team in the league and selected to face the Army Air Forces Training Command Skymasters, the other co-champion of the league, in a postseason benefit game, the Legion Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. [2] The Skymasters had beaten the Flyers earlier in the season in Fort Worth, Texas, but the Flyers avenged the loss with a 27–0 victory in Memphis on December 16.

The Fourth Air Force Flyers were ranked 15th among the nation's college and service teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings. [3]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 88:00 p.m.vs. Fort Warren *
W 25–011,000 [4] [5] [6]
September 148:30 p.m. Second Air Force
W 17–1461,650 [7] [8]
September 30vs. Air Transport Command
W 21–145,000 [9]
October 142:30 p.m.at Saint Mary's Pre-Flight *
W 20–722,000 [10] [11]
October 2212:30 p.m.at Army Air Forces Training Command
L 7–1913,000 [12] [13]
October 2811:00 a.m.vs. First Air Force
T 6–67,000 [14] [15]
November 11 Personnel Distribution Command
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
L 7–915,000 [16]
November 252:00 p.m.at Fleet City *
  • Kezar Stadium
  • San Francisco, CA
L 10–2050,000 [17] [18]
December 22:00 p.m. Third Air Force
  • Los Angeles Memorial Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
W 10–710,000–12,000 [19] [20] [21] [22]
December 1611:00 a.m.vs. Army Air Forces Training Command*
W 27–06,000 [23] [24] [25]

[26]

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References

  1. ↑ Goodale, George (December 5, 1945). "Who's Kicking Who—Gremlins or Flyers". The Nashville Tennessean . Nashville, Tennessee. p. 15. Retrieved March 27, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  2. ↑ "4th Air Force Picked". Pasadena Star-News and Pasadena Post . Pasadena, California. December 8, 1945. p. 12. Retrieved March 27, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  3. ↑ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 19, 1945). "Litkenhouse Rates College, Service Teams of Nation". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph . Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  4. ↑ "Fort Warren Favored to Win in Season's Football Opener". Spokane Daily Chronicle . Spokane, Washington. September 8, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  5. ↑ "Fourth Air Force Humbles Fort Warren, 25 To 0". The Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington. September 9, 1945. p. 1, part 2. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  6. ↑ "Crowd Turns Out For Game (continued)". The Spokesman-Review . Spokane, Washington. September 9, 1945. p. 2, part 2. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  7. ↑ "Kick-off at 8:30 Tonight". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. September 14, 1945. p. 10, part I. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  8. ↑ Borba, Harry (September 16, 1945). "4th AAF Triumphs". San Francisco Examiner . San Francisco, California. p. 21. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  9. ↑ "4th AAF Edges Out ATC, 21-14". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. October 1, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  10. ↑ Sullivan, Prescott (October 14, 1945). "Flyer Speed Ready For Pre-Flight Test". San Francisco Examiner . San Francisco, California. p. 17. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  11. ↑ Newland, Russ (October 15, 1945). "4th Air Force Bops Airdevils". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. Associated Press. p. 10, part II. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  12. ↑ "Skymasters To Tangle With Fourth AAF". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal . Lubbock, Texas. United Press. October 22, 1945. p. 3. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  13. ↑ "4th Flyers Subdued by Skymasters". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. United Press. October 22, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  14. ↑ "Air Force Elevens To Clash In Stadium Today At 2 P.M." Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland. October 28, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  15. ↑ "1st, 4th Airmen Battle to 6-6 Tie". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. October 29, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  16. ↑ Wolf, Al (November 12, 1945). "Comets' Late Field Goal Nips Flyers, 9–7". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. p. 6, part II. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  17. ↑ Sullivan, Prescott (November 25, 1945). "Unbeaten Fleet City Plays Flyers Today". San Francisco Examiner . San Francisco, California. p. 17. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  18. ↑ Sullivan, Prescott (November 26, 1945). "Fleet City Rallies To Triumph, 20-10". San Francisco Examiner . San Francisco, California. p. 19. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  19. ↑ "Gremlins, Flyers Tangle in Coliseum at 2 P.M." Pasadena Star-News and Pasadena Post . Pasadena, California. December 2, 1945. p. 12. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  20. ↑ "Gremlins . . . . (continued)". Pasadena Star-News and Pasadena Post . Pasadena, California. December 2, 1945. p. 13. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  21. ↑ "Baker's Flyers Upset Gremlins, 10 to 7". Pasadena Star-News and Pasadena Post . Pasadena, California. December 3, 1945. p. 12. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  22. ↑ Wolf, Al (December 3, 1945). "Flyers Surprise Gremlin Grids by 10-7 Count". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. p. 8, part II. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  23. ↑ Bloom, David (December 16, 1945). "Air Force Grid Teams Clash In Legion Bowl Game Today". The Commercial Appeal . Memphis, Tennessee. p. 9, section II. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  24. ↑ Bloom, David (December 16, 1945). "Skymasters Will Collide With Flyers Today (continued)". The Commercial Appeal . Memphis, Tennessee. p. 10, section II. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  25. ↑ Carruthers, Will (December 16, 1945). "Flyers Defeat Skymasters, 27 To 0". Memphis Press-Scimitar . Memphis, Tennessee. p. 16. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  26. ↑ "Final Log For Nation's Top Football Teams". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. December 2, 1945. p. 14, part I. Retrieved March 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
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