53d Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
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. It was last assigned to the 52d Operations Group
52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Overview:...
and stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
, Germany. It was inactivated on 31 March 1999.
World War II
Activated in early 1941 in the Panama Canal ZonePanama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. Initial mission was defense of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, was engaged in antisubmarine warfare in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and defensive patrols over the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
using a variety of second-line aircraft against a Japanese attack.
Transferred to III Fighter Command
III Fighter Command
The III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
in June 1943, began training for deployment to 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) as a P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
fighter-bomber squadron. Deployed to England
England
England 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...
in April 1944 as part of IX Fighter Command
IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
. Initial missions included strafing and dive-bombing armored vehicles, trains, bridges, buildings, factories, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, airfields, and other targets in preparation for the invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. The squadron also flew some escort missions with Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator strategic bombers.
On D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
the squadron patrolled the air over the landing zones and by flying close-support and interdiction missions. Moved to its Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
at Brucheville, France (A-16) in July, then eastward as ground forces advanced on the continent. Operations supported the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July and the thrust of U.S. Third Army toward Germany in August and September as part of the 303d Fighter Wing, XIX Tactical Air Command. In October, the squadron moved into Belgium to support U.S. Ninth Army.
Participated in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
during December 1944 and January 1945 by flying armed reconnaissance and close-support missions. Aided U.S. First Army's push across the Roer River
Rur
The Rur , — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse...
in February 1945. Supported operations at the Remagen bridgehead
Operation Lumberjack
Operation Lumberjack was a military operation conducted in the last stages of the war in Europe during World War II. It was launched by the First United States Army in March 1945 to capture strategic cities in Germany such as Cologne, and to give the Allies a foothold along the Rhine River.With the...
and during the airborne assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
in March.
By V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
, the squadron was based at Kassel/Rothwesten
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
airfield, Germany (ALG R-12), where it remained until February 1946 as 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. In February, the unit was transferred, without personnel or equipment to Bolling Field
Bolling Air Force Base
Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is a military installation, located in Southeast Washington, D.C., established on 1 October 2010 in accordance with congressional legislation implementing the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission...
, Washington, D.C where it was inactivated as a paper unit.
United States Air Force
Re-activated in October 1946 under Caribbean Air Command in the Canal Zone, returning to its prewar mission of the defense of the Panama Canal. The squadron conducted air defense training missions for the next two years initially with P-47's. The squadron upgraded to jet aircraft in December 1947 with the arrival of the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star.As a result of the Berlin Blockade
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied...
and other Cold War tensions in Europe, the squadron was deployed to 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...
and was reassigned to 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 August 1948, becoming part of the third F-80 jet group assigned to USAFE. At Fürstenfeldbruck AB tactical operations included air defense, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and photographic reconnaissance. Upgraded to new F-84E Thunderjets in 1950.
Remained at Fürstenfeldbruck until 1952 when it was reassigned to the new Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg Air Base
Bitburg Airport is a commercial airport serving Bitburg, a city in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. It is located 2 miles southeast of Bitburg, 20 miles north of Trier, and 135 miles west of Wiesbaden....
, west of the Rhine River near the French border in the Eifel mountains. In August 1953, the North American F-86F Sabre was introduced to the squadron, replacing the F-84s. In 1956, the squadron received the North American 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...
, marking the first time a wing in USAFE flew supersonic jets. On 15 May 1958, the squadron was redesignated as a Tactical Fighter Squadron because its missions had now grown to include delivery of tactical nuclear weapons.
In May 1961, received the Republic F-105 Thunderchief
F-105 Thunderchief
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
and continued to carry on its 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...
mission of tactical nuclear weapons delivery. Twice in the early 1960s when Cold War tensions were elevated due to the 1961 Berlin Wall crisis and 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
the squadron rose to a high level of alert. Was upgraded to the F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
in 1966.
The squadron was upgraded to the McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle in April 1976 In 1980 more advanced F-15Cs and F-15Ds would replace the original F-15As. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the squadron conducted routine training missions however the outbreak of the 1990–91 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
put the F-15s of Bitburg into the heart of the conflict. The squadron's pilots and aircraft engaged in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm. Not a single F-15 aircraft was lost in combat during the war. On 13 March 1991, the deployed squadron returned to Bitburg AB.
Bitburg Air Base was part of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) process that saw the drawdown of many military facilities in a series of post-Cold War force reductions. In July 1993, HQ USAFE announced the closure of Bitburg Air Base and the pending inactivation of the 36th Fighter Wing.
The 53d Fighter Squadron was relieved from assignment to the 36th Operations Group on 1 February 1994. It was in non-operations status until it was assigned to the 52d Operations Group
52d Operations Group
The 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Overview:...
(52d FW) at Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base is a United States Air Force base located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate.-Units:...
on 25 Feb 1994. At Spangdahlem the squadron supported no-fly zone operations over Bosnia and northern Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and other combat operations.
Inactivated in March 1999 as a result of an Air Force-wide reorganization to enlarge F-15 squadrons from 18 to 24 aircraft, it's Eagles being reassigned to other squadrons.
Lineage
- Constituted 53d Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 22 Nov 1940
- Activated on 1 Jan 1941
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron, (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron on 28 Sep 1942
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943
- Inactivated on 31 Mar 1946
- Activated on 15 Oct 1946
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 27 Oct 1947
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 17 Jun 1948
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter-Day Squadron on 9 Aug 1954
- Re-designated: 53d Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 Jul 1958
- Re-designated: 53d Fighter Squadron on 1 Oct 1991.
- Inactivated on 31 March 1999
Assignments
- 32d Pursuit (later, 32d Fighter) Group, 1 Jan 1941
- 36th Fighter Group, 23 Jun 1943–31 Mar 1946
- 36th Fighter (later, 36th Fighter-Bomber; 36th Fighter-Day) Group36th Operations GroupThe 36th Operations Group is the operational component of the 36th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces. The group is stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam....
, 15 Oct 1946
- Attached to 36th Fighter-Day Wing, 1 Oct 1956–7 Dec 1957
- 36th Fighter-Day (later, 36th Tactical Fighter; 36th Fighter) Wing36th WingThe United States Air Force's 36th Wing is the host wing for Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. It is part of United States Pacific Air Forces Thirteenth Air Force...
, 8 Dec 1957
- 36th Fighter-Day (later, 36th Tactical Fighter; 36th Fighter) Wing
- Attached to: Tactical Fighter Wing Provisional, 4, 20 Dec 1990–20 Mar 1991
- Attached to: Tactical Fighter Wing Provisional, 4404, 20 Mar 1991–1 Jul 1991
- 36th Operations Group36th Operations GroupThe 36th Operations Group is the operational component of the 36th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces. The group is stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam....
, 31 Mar 1992-1 Feb 1994 - 52d Operations Group52d Operations GroupThe 52d Operations Group is the flying component of the 52d Fighter Wing, assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The group is stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.-Overview:...
, 25 Feb 1994–31 March 1999
- 36th Operations Group
Stations
- Rio Hato Air Base, Panama, 1 Jan 1941
- Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 1 Jan 1941
- Rio Hato Air Base, Panama, c. 21 Aug 1941
- France Field, Canal Zone, c. 12 Dec 1941
- La Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal....
, Panama, 7 Jan–8 Jun 1943 - Charleston Army Airfield, South Carolina, 23 Jun 1943
- Biggs Field, Texas, c. 15 Sep 1943
- Ainsworth Army AirfieldAinsworth Army AirfieldAinsworth Municipal Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Ainsworth, in Brown County, Nebraska, United States...
, Nebraska, 23 Nov 1943–11 Mar 1944 - RAF Kingsnorth (AAF-418), England, 5 Apr 1944
- Brucheville AirfieldBrucheville AirfieldBrucheville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Brucheville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-16), France, c. 7 Jul 1944 - Le Mans AirfieldLe Mans AirfieldLe Mans Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the City of Le Mans in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France.-History:...
(A-35), France, c. 29 Aug 1944 - Athis AirfieldAthis AirfieldAthis Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located approximately 1 km southeast of Athis, approximately 132 km east-northeast of Paris....
(A-76), France, c. 23 Sep 1944 - Juvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(A-68), France, 5 Oct 1944
- Le Culot AirfieldBeauvechain Air BaseBeauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located south of Beauvechain ; east-southeast of Brussels...
(A-89), Belgium, c. 23 Oct 1944 - Aachen Airfield (Y-46), Germany, 28 Mar 1945
- Niedermendig Airfield (Y-62), Germany, 8 Apr 1945
- Kassel-Rothwestern Airfield (R-12), Germany, 20 Apr 1945–15 Feb 1946
- Bolling Field, DC, 15 Feb–31 Mar 1946
- France Field, Canal Zone, 15 Oct 1946
- Howard Field (later, AFB), Canal Zone, 1 Dec 1947–21 Jul 1948
- Furstenfeldbruck AB, Germany (later West Germany), c. 13 Aug 1948
- Bitburg AB, West Germany, 22 Jul 1952
- Landstuhl (later, Ramstein) AB, West Germany, 17 Dec 1956
- Bitburg AB, West Germany (later Germany), 3 Oct 1961-1 Feb 1994
- Deployed at Al Kharj AB, Saudi Arabia, 20 Dec 1990–1 Jul 1991
- Spangdahlem AB, Germany, 25 Feb 1994–31 March 1999
Aircraft
- P-26 PeashooterP-26 PeashooterThe American Boeing P-26 Peashooter, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps...
(1941) - P-36 HawkP-36 HawkThe Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design...
(1941–1942) - P-40 Warhawk (1942–1943)
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
(1943–1946, 1946–1947) - F-80 Shooting Star (1947–1950)
- 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...
(1950–1953)
- 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...
(1953–1956) - 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...
(1956–1961) - F-105 ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
(1961–1966) - F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
(1966–1977) - F-15 EagleF-15 EagleThe 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...
(1977–1994;1994-1999)