416th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 416th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 49th Fighter Wing
at Holloman Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. The squadron was inactivated on July 1, 1993.
Air Base, Florida
for training. The 417th was the first USAAF dedicated night fighter squadron formed. Trained in the Douglas P-70, a modified A-20 Havoc bomber using a U.S. version of the British Mk IV radar. At the time the P-70 was the only American night fighter available.
Reassigned to Ninth Air Force
in the European Theater of Operations
(ETO), May 1943 and equipped with RAF Bristol Beaufighter
s through a "reverse Lend-Lease" program until an American aircraft could be produced. Upon arrival in England the squadron received additional training with Royal Air Force
night fighter units at several bases in early 1943 achieving the first victory on July 24. Through the summer, they conducted daytime convoy escort and strike missions, but thereafter flew primarily at night.
Was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force, being deployed to Algeria
in August 1943. Carried out defensive night patrols over Allied held territory during the North African campaign
, also conducted night interdiction raids on German positions in Algeria
and Tunisia
. After German collapse in North Africa, continued defensive patrols and offensive night attacks on Axis positions on Sardinia
, Corsica
, and in Southern France
.
Moved into Austria
and Germany
after the end of combat, becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
army of occupation, inactivated in 1946.
Fighter-Bomber Squadron. Spent about a year under Tactical Air Command
training, deploying to France
in 1954 as part of the NATO buildup of the United States Air Forces in Europe
during the early years of the Cold War
. Operated from several bases in France during the 1950s, inactivated in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization.
Became part of PACAF in 1958, operated F-100 Super Sabre
s from Misawa AB, Japan as an air defense squadron. Inactivated in 1964. Reactivated as a Tactical Fighter squadron in South Vietnam
, 1967, flying F-100s from Phu Cat Air Base
engaging in combat operations, primarily over South Vietnam supporting United States and friendly ground forces. Inactivated in 1969 as part of the drawdown of USAF forces in Southeast Asia.
Reactivated in 1979 at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. Performed LIFT training for new F-15 Eagle
pilots with T-38
s during late 1970s-early 1980s.
, 1989, assuming aircraft from provisional 4450th Tactical Group
4451st Tactical Squadron (P-Unit). Operated from Tonopah until 1993, performing transition from the development phase to operational readiness of the F-117. Deployed the Stealth Fighter to Southwest Asia at King Khalid International Airport
, Saudi Arabia
during operation Desert Storm. Upon reassignment of F-117As to Holloman AFB in 1993, squadron transferred F-117s to permanent 49th Fighter Wing
9th FS and was inactivated.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with the 49th Fighter Wing
49th Fighter Wing
The 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....
at Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The squadron was inactivated on July 1, 1993.
World War II
Established in February 1943 as the 416th Night Fighter Squadron, assigned to the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
Air Base, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for training. The 417th was the first USAAF dedicated night fighter squadron formed. Trained in the Douglas P-70, a modified A-20 Havoc bomber using a U.S. version of the British Mk IV radar. At the time the P-70 was the only American night fighter available.
Reassigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO), May 1943 and equipped with RAF Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s through a "reverse Lend-Lease" program until an American aircraft could be produced. Upon arrival in England the squadron received additional training with Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
night fighter units at several bases in early 1943 achieving the first victory on July 24. Through the summer, they conducted daytime convoy escort and strike missions, but thereafter flew primarily at night.
Was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force, being deployed to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in August 1943. Carried out defensive night patrols over Allied held territory during the North African campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, also conducted night interdiction raids on German positions in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. After German collapse in North Africa, continued defensive patrols and offensive night attacks on Axis positions on Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, and in Southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Moved into Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after the end of combat, becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
army of occupation, inactivated in 1946.
Cold War
Reactivated in 1953 at George AFB, California as an F-86 SabreF-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
Fighter-Bomber Squadron. Spent about a year under Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
training, deploying to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1954 as part of the NATO buildup of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
during the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Operated from several bases in France during the 1950s, inactivated in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization.
Became part of PACAF in 1958, operated F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
s from Misawa AB, Japan as an air defense squadron. Inactivated in 1964. Reactivated as a Tactical Fighter squadron in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, 1967, flying F-100s from Phu Cat Air Base
Phu Cat Air Base
Phu Cat Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. It is located northwest of Qui Nhon in Binh Dinh Province....
engaging in combat operations, primarily over South Vietnam supporting United States and friendly ground forces. Inactivated in 1969 as part of the drawdown of USAF forces in Southeast Asia.
Reactivated in 1979 at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. Performed LIFT training for new F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
pilots with T-38
T-38
The T-38 amphibious scout tank was a Soviet amphibious light tank that saw service in World War II.-History:Designed in 1934–36 by N. Astrov's bureau at Factory No. 37 in Moscow, the T-38 was a development of the earlier T-37, based in turn on the French AMR 33 light reconnaissance tank. The tank...
s during late 1970s-early 1980s.
F-117 development
Reassigned as an F-117A Nighthawk Squadron at Tonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range Airport
Tonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
, 1989, assuming aircraft from provisional 4450th Tactical Group
4450th Tactical Group
The 4450th Tactical Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and operationally located at Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada. It was inactivated on 5 October 1989.-History:...
4451st Tactical Squadron (P-Unit). Operated from Tonopah until 1993, performing transition from the development phase to operational readiness of the F-117. Deployed the Stealth Fighter to Southwest Asia at King Khalid International Airport
King Khalid International Airport
King Khalid International Airport is located north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each long...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
during operation Desert Storm. Upon reassignment of F-117As to Holloman AFB in 1993, squadron transferred F-117s to permanent 49th Fighter Wing
49th Fighter Wing
The 49th Wing is an air combat unit of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49 WG is part of the Air Combat Command Twelfth Air Force....
9th FS and was inactivated.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 416th Night Fighter Squadron on February 17, 1943
- Activated on February 20, 1943
- Inactivated on November 9, 1946
- Redesignated as: 416th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on November 15, 1952
- Activated on January 1, 1953
- Inactivated on February 8, 1958
- Activated on March 25, 1958.
- Redesignated as: 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron on July 1, 1958
- Inactivated on: June 16, 1964
- Activated on: April 15, 1967
- Inactivated on: May 27, 1969
- Redesignated as: 416th Tactical Training Squadron on March 15, 1979 and activated
- Inactivated on: September 1, 1983
- Redesignated as: 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron on September 15, 1989
- Activated on: October 5, 1989
- Redesignated as: 416th Fighter Squadron November 1, 1991
- Inactivated on July 1, 1993
Assignments
- Air Defense Department, Army Air Force School of Applied TacticsArmy Air Force School of Applied TacticsThe Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics was a military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II...
, February 20, 1943 - VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
(attached to RAF), May 11, 1943 - Twelfth Air Force, August 8, 1943
- Attached to: Northwest African Coastal Air Force, August 8, 1943
- Attached to: Tunis Fighter Sector, August 9, 1943;
- Attached to: Bone Fighter Sector, August 17 – September 15, 1943
- Attached to: 286 Wing, RAF, September 28, 1943
- 62d Fighter Wing62d Fighter Wing (World War II)The 62d Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.-History:...
, January 28, 1944 - Detachments attached to: 6505th Fighter Control Area [Prov], June 27 – September 4, 1944
- Detachments attached to: 63d Fighter Wing63d Fighter Wing (World War II)The 63d Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Texas Air National Guard, based at Ellington Field, Texas...
, August 14–23, 1944 - Detachments attached to: 6504th Fighter Control Area [Prov], September 1–13, 1944
- Detachments attached to: 6502d Fighter Control Area [Prov], September 1–14, 1944,
- Detachments attached to: 425th Night Fighter Squadron, January 4 – February 20, 1945
- XXII Tactical Air CommandXXII Tactical Air CommandThe XXII Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based at Pomigliano Airfield, Italy...
, April 1, 1945- 70th Fighter Wing70th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
, August 17, 1945
- 70th Fighter Wing
- 64th Fighter Wing
- Attached to: 64th All-Weather Group [Prov], 64th Fighter Wing, August 15 – November 9, 1946
- Upon inactivation, personnel, equipment and aircraft assigned to 2d Fighter Squadron (All Weather)2d Fighter SquadronThe 2d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force Unit. It was last part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida...
.- 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, January 1, 1953 – December 12, 1953; December 12, 1953 – February 8, 1958
- Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, March 25, 1958 - 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, July 1, 1958
- 39th Air Division, June 18, 1960
- 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, June 16, 1964
- 6250th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 November 1965
- 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 June 1966
- 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, April 15, 1967 – May 27, 1969
- 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, 28 May 1969-26 September 1970 (Non-Operational 5-26 September 1970)
- 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, March 17, 1979 – September 1, 1983
- 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, October 5, 1989 – November 1, 1991
- 37th Operations Group37th Training WingThe 37th Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.The 37th TRW provides basic military, professional and technical skills, and English language training for the Air Force, other military services, government agencies, and...
, November 1, 1991 – July 1, 1993
Stations
- Orlando AABOrlando Executive AirportOrlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, February 20 – April 26, 1943 - RAF HonileyRAF HonileyRAF Honiley is a former Royal Air Force station located in Wroxall, Warwickshire seven miles southwest of Coventry, England. The station closed in March 1958, and after being used as a motor vehicle test track, is presently subject to planning permission from the Prodrive Formula One team for...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, May 13, 1943
- Detachment at: RAF Cranfield, England, May 13 – June 10, 1943
- Detachment at: RAF Usworth, England, May 13 – June 10, 1943
- Detachment at: RAF Bath (AAF-380), England, May 13 – June 10, 1943
- Detachment at: RAF Bristol (AAF-473), England, May 14 – June 4, 1943
- RAF AcklingtonRAF AcklingtonThe former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, June 11 – c. August 4, 1943 - Maison Blanche Airport, AlgiersAlgiers' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, c. August 8, 1943 - Bone Airfield, AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, August 17, 1943 - Bizerte Airfield, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, September 15, 1943 - Catania Airport, SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, September 21, 1943 - Lecce AirfieldLecce AirfieldLecce Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 5 km southeast of Lecce in the Salentine Peninsula. Built in 1943 by United States Army Engineers, the airfield was primarily a Fifteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator heavy bomber base used in...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, September 27, 1943 - Grottaglie Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, September 30, 1943
- RAF Acklington
- Detachment at: Rerhaia AirfieldRerhaia AirfieldRerhaia Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located approximately 3 km northwest of Boudouaou, about 32 km east-southeast of Algiers...
, AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, December 27, 1943 – January 25, 1944- Pomigliano AirfieldPomigliano AirfieldPomigliano Airfield was a military airfield and base in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. January 28, 1944
- Pomigliano Airfield
- Detachment at: Tre Cancello Landing StripTre Cancello Landing StripTre Cancello Landing Strip is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 11 km east-northeast of Anzio; about 50 km south-southeast of Rome...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, June 14 – July 8, 1944 - Detachment at: Tarquinia AirfieldTarquinia AirfieldTarquinia Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in the Lazio region of central Italy, about 6 km South-Southwest of Tarquinia....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, July 8 – September 4, 1944 - Detachment at: Alghero AirfieldFertilia AirportAlghero Airport is an international airport situated north-northwest of the city of Alghero, in northern Sardinia, Italy. It is also known as Fertilia Airport or Alghero-Fertilia Airport, named for the nearby village of Fertilia...
, SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, August 14–22, 1944 - Detachment at: Borgo Airfield, CorsicaCorsicaCorsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, August 14–23, 1944- Rosignano AirfieldRosignano AirfieldRosignano Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, located near the comune of Rosignano Marittimo in the Province of Livorno in Tuscany....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. September 1, 1944
- Rosignano Airfield
- Detachment at: Pomigliano AirfieldPomigliano AirfieldPomigliano Airfield was a military airfield and base in Pomigliano d'Arco, southern Italy. It was attacked on several occasions by the United States Army Air Force...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, September 1–9, 1944
- Pisa Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. October 1, 1944
- Detachment at: Verdun-Étain AirfieldEtain-Rouvres Air BaseÉtain - Rouvres Air Base is a former USAF base in France. It is located on the Lorraine Plateau in northeastern France, 1 mile to the west of Étain; on the west side of the Départemental 906 road, adjacent to the village of Rouvres-en-Woevre in the Meuse département about 12 miles east of...
(A-82), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, January 4 – February 20, 1945- Pontedera AirfieldPontedera AirfieldPontedera Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Italy, located within the town of Pontedera, in Tuscany in the administrative province of Pisa....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, March 27, 1945 - AAF Station Hörsching, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, August 13, 1945 - AAF Station Schweinfurt, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, c. August 20 – November 9, 1946 - George AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, January 1, 1953 - Toul-Rosières Air BaseToul-Rosieres Air BaseToul-Rosières Air Base is a reserve French Air Force base. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, 10 miles northeast of the city of Toul, on the west side of the Route nationale 411 Highway about one mile southeast of Rosières-en-Haye.Toul Air Base was used by American...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, December 12, 1953 - Chambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussieres Air BaseChambley-Bussières Air Base is a former United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France, about ten miles west of the French city of Metz, and about one mile southwest of Chambley-Bussières, on the south side of the Départemental 901 ...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, June 14, 1955 – February 8, 1958 - Misawa AB, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, March 25, 1958 – June 16, 1964 - England AFB, Louisiana, June 16, 1964
- Pontedera Airfield
- Deployed to: Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, 31 March-15 June 1965
- Deployed to: Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, 15 June-15 July 1965
- Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, 1 November 1965
- Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, 1 June 1966
- Phu Cat AB, South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, April 15, 1967 – May 27, 1969 - Holloman AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, March 15, 1979 – September 1, 1983 - Tonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, October 3, 1989 – May 9, 1992
- Operated from King Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International Airport is located north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each long...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, August 19, 1990 – April 1, 1991- Holloman AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, May 9, 1992 – July 1, 1993
- Holloman AFB, New Mexico
Aircraft
- A-20 Havoc, 1943
- P-70 Havoc, 1943
- Bristol BeaufighterBristol BeaufighterThe Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
, 1943–1944 - de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland MosquitoThe de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
, 1944–1945 - A-36 Apache, 1945
- P-61 Black WidowP-61 Black WidowThe Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
, 1945–1946 - A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1946
- F-51 Mustang, 1953
- F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1953–1958 - F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
, 1958–1959 - F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, 1959–1964, 1967–1969 - A T-38 TalonT-38 TalonThe Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
, 1979–1981 - F-117 NighthawkF-117 NighthawkThe Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
, 1989–1993