81st Fighter-Bomber Group
Encyclopedia
The 81st Fighter-Bomber Group (81 FBG) is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing, being assigned to RAF Bentwaters
, England. It was inactivated on 8 February 1955.
Moved overseas, October 1942 – February 1943, the ground echelon arriving in French Morocco
with the force that invaded North Africa on 8 November, and the air echelon, which had trained for a time in England, arriving in North Africa between late December 1942 and early February 1943.
Began combat with Twelfth Air Force in January 1943. Supported ground operations during the Allied drive against Axis forces in Tunisia
. Patrolled the coast of North Africa and protected Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea
, April–July 1943. Provided cover for the convoys that landed troops on Pantelleria
on 11 June and on Sicily on 10 July 1943. Supported the landings at Anzio
on 22 January 1944 and flew patrols in that area for a short time.
Moved to India
, February–March 1944, and began training with P-40 and P-47 aircraft. Moved to China in May and became part of Fourteenth Air Force
. Continued training and on occasion flew patrol and escort missions before returning to full-time combat duty in January 1945. Attacked enemy airfields and installations, flew escort missions, and aided the operations of Chinese ground forces by attacking troop concentrations, ammunition dumps, lines of communications, and other targets to hinder Japanese efforts to move men and materiel to the front.
Inactivated in China on 27 December 1945.
The 81st Fighter Group was reactivated at Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory on 15 October 1946. It was assigned to the 7th Fighter Wing of Seventh Air Force
. The mission of the group was to maintain daylight security of the Hawaiian Islands and to train fighter pilots to a state of combat readiness. The 81st FG was formed largely from the personnel and equipment of the 15th Fighter Group which was inactivated at Wheeler Field the same day.
The group comprised the 91st, 92d and 93d Fighter squadrons and assumed the P-51D Mustang aircraft of the former 15th FG. The 81st was faced with the arduous task of training personnel for the transition from a fully staffed wartime organization with an abundance of supplies and equipment (15th FG) into an effective peacetime fighter group with limited resources and facilities.
In 1948, the group completed conversion from the P-51 to the P-47D Thunderbolt aircraft. On 15 April 1948 the group was reassigned from the 7th Fighter Wing to the new 81st Fighter Wing under the Hobson Base-Wing Plan. The 81st FW commanded the functions of both the support groups as well as the flying combat 81st Fighter Group and the squadrons assigned to it. On 1 May 1948, the 7th Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 7th Air division, being moved to England under Strategic Air Command
. As a result, the 81st came under the direct control of Pacific Air Command.
As a result of limited defense budgets, Continental Air Command
(ConAC) was established on 1 December 1948 as a new major command. ConAC was the result of an effort by the new USAF to concentrate all fighter forces deployed within the continental United States to strengthen the air defense of the North American continent. With the establishment of ConAC, Tactical Air Command
and Air Defense Command were reduced from major commands to operating agencies under ConAC.
Operations at Wheeler were curtailed on 21 May 1949, the 81st being transferred to the Tactical Air Command
Twelfth Air Force and being stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. At Kirtland, the group was re-equipped with F-80C Shooting Star jet aircraft, and later faster F-86A Sabres, being the third group equipped with the Sabre Jet.
Under ConAC, the 81st was redesignated as the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing and was attached to the Air Defense Command Western Air Defense Force
on 19 January 1950. Shortly afterward, on 29 April, the 81st was reassigned to Moses Lake AFB, Washington and transferred to ADC's Fourth Air Force
, its mission changed from training for worldwide deployment under TAC to performing air defense of Eastern Washington, primarily the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
On 1 January 1951, ConAC was assigned to direct Air Force Reserve forces, with TAC and ADC being returned to major command status. The 81st was transferred formally to Air Defense Command on 1 January 1951. On 10 February, the 116th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from the Washington Air National Guard
was called to active federal service as a result of the Korean War
, and was assigned as one of the squadrons of the 81st FIG, replacing the 93d which had remained at Kirtland. The 116th remained at its home station, Geiger Field and was upgraded to F-86A Sabres. In addition the wing began receiving additional personnel though the activation of Air Force Reserve units, and the wing was brought up to its authorized strength for the first time since its activation.
and laid out in a decentralized or dispersed plan. One being RAF Bentwaters
, the other being RAF Shepherds Grove
, both located in East Anglia
about forty miles apart. The bulk of the ground station buildings were the metal Nissen hut
type, with some wood frame and tar paper buildings, and were grouped together in numbered "sites", widely separated to blend into natural, rustic surroundings for purposes of camouflage. The main administrative building and clubs were of the larger Quonset hut type.
On 1 August 1951, the 81st flew initially into RAF Shepherds Grove. The group's squadrons were directly attached to the 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing, and the 81st FEG was designated non-operational as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization. The 81st Fighter-Bomber Group was inactivated on 16 June 1952 when the group was considered redundant.
*Note: Became subordinate unit of the 81st Fighter Wing on 1 May 1948
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 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing, being assigned to RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
, England. It was inactivated on 8 February 1955.
World War II
The unit was constituted as the 81st Pursuit Group (Intercepter) on 13 January 1942, and activated on 9 February 1942. Redesignated 81st Fighter Group in May 1942. Trained with P-39's.Moved overseas, October 1942 – February 1943, the ground echelon arriving in French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
with the force that invaded North Africa on 8 November, and the air echelon, which had trained for a time in England, arriving in North Africa between late December 1942 and early February 1943.
Began combat with Twelfth Air Force in January 1943. Supported ground operations during the Allied drive against Axis forces in 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...
. Patrolled the coast of North Africa and protected Allied shipping in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, April–July 1943. Provided cover for the convoys that landed troops on Pantelleria
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
on 11 June and on Sicily on 10 July 1943. Supported the landings at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
on 22 January 1944 and flew patrols in that area for a short time.
Moved to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, February–March 1944, and began training with P-40 and P-47 aircraft. Moved to China in May and became part of Fourteenth Air Force
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
. Continued training and on occasion flew patrol and escort missions before returning to full-time combat duty in January 1945. Attacked enemy airfields and installations, flew escort missions, and aided the operations of Chinese ground forces by attacking troop concentrations, ammunition dumps, lines of communications, and other targets to hinder Japanese efforts to move men and materiel to the front.
Inactivated in China on 27 December 1945.
Pacific Air Command
The 81st Fighter Group was reactivated at Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory on 15 October 1946. It was assigned to the 7th Fighter Wing of Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
. The mission of the group was to maintain daylight security of the Hawaiian Islands and to train fighter pilots to a state of combat readiness. The 81st FG was formed largely from the personnel and equipment of the 15th Fighter Group which was inactivated at Wheeler Field the same day.
The group comprised the 91st, 92d and 93d Fighter squadrons and assumed the P-51D Mustang aircraft of the former 15th FG. The 81st was faced with the arduous task of training personnel for the transition from a fully staffed wartime organization with an abundance of supplies and equipment (15th FG) into an effective peacetime fighter group with limited resources and facilities.
In 1948, the group completed conversion from the P-51 to the P-47D Thunderbolt aircraft. On 15 April 1948 the group was reassigned from the 7th Fighter Wing to the new 81st Fighter Wing under the Hobson Base-Wing Plan. The 81st FW commanded the functions of both the support groups as well as the flying combat 81st Fighter Group and the squadrons assigned to it. On 1 May 1948, the 7th Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 7th Air division, being moved to England under Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
. As a result, the 81st came under the direct control of Pacific Air Command.
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command was a Major Command of the United States Air Force responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.-Lineage:...
(ConAC) was established on 1 December 1948 as a new major command. ConAC was the result of an effort by the new USAF to concentrate all fighter forces deployed within the continental United States to strengthen the air defense of the North American continent. With the establishment of ConAC, 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...
and Air Defense Command were reduced from major commands to operating agencies under ConAC.
Operations at Wheeler were curtailed on 21 May 1949, the 81st being transferred to the 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...
Twelfth Air Force and being stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, 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...
. At Kirtland, the group was re-equipped with F-80C Shooting Star jet aircraft, and later faster F-86A Sabres, being the third group equipped with the Sabre Jet.
Under ConAC, the 81st was redesignated as the 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing and was attached to the Air Defense Command Western Air Defense Force
Western Air Defense Force
The Western Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.- History :...
on 19 January 1950. Shortly afterward, on 29 April, the 81st was reassigned to Moses Lake AFB, Washington and transferred to ADC's Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, its mission changed from training for worldwide deployment under TAC to performing air defense of Eastern Washington, primarily the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
On 1 January 1951, ConAC was assigned to direct Air Force Reserve forces, with TAC and ADC being returned to major command status. The 81st was transferred formally to Air Defense Command on 1 January 1951. On 10 February, the 116th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from the Washington Air National Guard
Washington Air National Guard
The Washington Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Washington. It is, along with the Washington Army National Guard, an element of the Washington National Guard...
was called to active federal service as a result of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and was assigned as one of the squadrons of the 81st FIG, replacing the 93d which had remained at Kirtland. The 116th remained at its home station, Geiger Field and was upgraded to F-86A Sabres. In addition the wing began receiving additional personnel though the activation of Air Force Reserve units, and the wing was brought up to its authorized strength for the first time since its activation.
United States Air Forces in Europe
After fourteen months at now redesignated Larson Air Force Base, the 81st received movement orders to deploy to England. The 81st deployed two two former RAF Stations, built for use during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and laid out in a decentralized or dispersed plan. One being RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
, the other being RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Shepherds Grove is a former Royal Air Force base in Suffolk England 9 miles NE of Bury St Edmunds.The base was built for the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force during World War II. However the facility was not used by the USAAF and was opened by 3 Group, RAF on 3 April 1944...
, both located in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
about forty miles apart. The bulk of the ground station buildings were the metal Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
type, with some wood frame and tar paper buildings, and were grouped together in numbered "sites", widely separated to blend into natural, rustic surroundings for purposes of camouflage. The main administrative building and clubs were of the larger Quonset hut type.
On 1 August 1951, the 81st flew initially into RAF Shepherds Grove. The group's squadrons were directly attached to the 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing, and the 81st FEG was designated non-operational as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization. The 81st Fighter-Bomber Group was inactivated on 16 June 1952 when the group was considered redundant.
Lineage
- Constituted as 81st Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942
- Activated on 9 February 1942
- Redesignated: 81st Fighter Group in May 1942
- Inactivated on 27 December 1945
- Activated on 15 October 1946 from the personnel and equipment of the inactivated 15th Fighter Group*
- Redesignated: 81st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 January 1950
- Redesignated: 81st Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 April 1954
- Inactivated on 8 February 1955
- Redesignated 81st Tactical Fighter Group, 31 July 1985 (remained inactive).
*Note: Became subordinate unit of the 81st Fighter Wing on 1 May 1948
Assignments
- III Fighter CommandIII Fighter CommandThe 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:...
, 9 February 1942 - IV Fighter CommandIV Fighter CommandThe IV Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at Oakland Airport, California...
, 28 June 1942 - 7th Fighter Wing47th Air Division (United States)- History :The 47th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, based at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 27 February 1987....
: 27 September 1942 - Twelfth Air Force, 5 January 1943
- Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 2 March 1944
- Attached to Fourteenth Air ForceFourteenth Air ForceThe Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
, 2 March – 12 May 1944 - Attached to 312th Fighter Wing312th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 312th Fighter Wing was a United States Army Air Forces organization. It was a command and control organization of Fourteenth Air Force that fought in the China Burma India Theater of World War II.-Lineage:...
, 12 May 1944 – 1 October 1945- Seventh Air ForceSeventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
15 October 1946 - 7th Air Division, 1 May 1946
- Pacific Air Command, 3 September 1948
- Seventh Air Force
- Twelfth Air Force, 21 May 1949
- Attached to Western Air Defense ForceWestern Air Defense ForceThe Western Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.- History :...
, 10 November 1949–- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 1 April 1950
- Fourth Air Force
- Remained attached to Western Air Defense ForceWestern Air Defense ForceThe Western Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.- History :...
to 1 August 1950- Western Air Defense ForceWestern Air Defense ForceThe Western Air Defense Force is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.- History :...
, 1 August 1950 – 5 September 1951
- Western Air Defense Force
- Attached to Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 5–8 September 1951- Third Air ForceThird Air ForceThe Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
, 9 September 1951
- Third Air Force
- Attached to 49th Air Division49th Air DivisionThe 49th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, based at RAF Sculthorpe, England. It was inactivated on 1 July 1956.-History:...
, Operational [later, 49 Air Division (Operational)], 1 March 1954 – 8 February 1955
Components
- 78th Fighter-Interceptor (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron: 1 November 1952 – 8 February 1955
- 91st Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber) Squadron91st Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at RAF Bentwaters, England. It was inactivated on 14 August 1992.-World War II:...
: 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946-8 February 1955 - 92d Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber) Squadron92d Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 92d Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at RAF Bentwaters, England. It was inactivated on 31 March 1993.-World War II:...
: 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946-8 February 1955 - 93d Pursuit (later Fighter-Interceptor, Fighter Bomber) Squadron93d Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Albuquerque Air Defense Sector, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was de-activated on 8 July 1960.-World War II:...
: 9 February 1942 – 27 December 1945; 15 October 1946-1 May 1950 - 116th Fighter (later, 116th Fighter-Interceptor) Squadron: 10 February 1951 – 1 November 1952
- Federalized Washington Air National GuardAir National GuardThe Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
Stations
- Morris Field, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, February 1942 - Dale Mabry FieldDale Mabry FieldDale Mabry Field was an early airfield located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States established in 1928 and replaced by Tallahassee Regional Airport. It was located at what is now Appleyard Drive and W...
, Florida, c. 1 May 1942 - Muroc Army Air Field, California, c. 28 June – 4 October 1942
- Mediouna AirfieldMédiouna AirfieldMédiouna Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Morocco, located in the Casablanca area.-History:Established as a French military airfield in French Morocco during the 1920s, after the Fall of France in June, 1940, the reconstituted Vichy Air Force established a military airfield at the...
, French MoroccoFrench MoroccoFrench Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, c. 5 January 1943 - Thelepte AirfieldThelepte AirfieldThelepte Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located about 20 km southwest of Kasserine. It currently is active and in use.It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps...
, Tunisia, 22 January 1943 - Le Kouif AirfieldLe Kouif AirfieldLe Kouif Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located near the town of El Kouif, in Annaba province, approximately 180 km southeast of Constantine...
, Algeria, 17 February 1943 - Youks-les-Bains AirfieldYouks-les-Bains AirfieldYouks-les-Bains Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 20 km northwest of Tebessa. The airfield today consists of several agricultural fields, with the faint remains of its main runway, parts of a taxiway and a few aircraft dispersal hardstands visible in aerial...
, Algeria, 22 February 1943 - Le Kouif AirfieldLe Kouif AirfieldLe Kouif Airfield was a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located near the town of El Kouif, in Annaba province, approximately 180 km southeast of Constantine...
, Algeria, 24 February 1943 - Thelepte AirfieldThelepte AirfieldThelepte Airfield is an airfield in Tunisia, located about 20 km southwest of Kasserine. It currently is active and in use.It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force in 1943 during the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Korps...
, Tunisia, c. March 1943 - 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. 3 April 1943 - Monastir Airfield, Tunisia, c. 26 May 1943
- Sidi Ahmed Airfield, Tunisia, 10 August 1943
- Castelvetrano AirfieldCastelvetrano AirfieldOmbrene Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Sicily, which is located approximately 1 km southwest of Castelvetrano...
, Sicily, 12 October 1943 - Montecorvino Airfield, Italy, c. February 1944
- Karachi Airport, India, c. 2 March 1944
- Kwanghan AirfieldKwanghan AirfieldKwanghan Airfield , was the World War II name for a military airfield located in Sichuan province, in the People’s Republic of China. It is located southeast of Guanghan, and is a working airfield today.-History:...
, China, 12 May 1944 - Fungwansham Airfield, China, February 1945
- Huhsien Airfield, China, August–December 1945
- Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 15 October 1946 – 21 May 1949
- Kirtland 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...
, 17 June 1949 - Moses Lake AFB, Washington, c. 1 May 1950 – 21 August 1951
- RAF BentwatersRAF BentwatersRAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
, England, 3 September 1951 – 8 February 1955.
Aircraft assigned
- P-39 Aircobra, 1942–1944
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1943–1944 - P-40 Warhawk, 1944
- P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1946–1948
- P (later, F)-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1945; 1948–1949
- F-80 Shooting Star, 1949
- 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...
, 1949–1951