87th Fighter Wing (World War II)
Encyclopedia
The 87th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the XXII Tactical Air Command
, based at Florence, Italy. It was inactivated on 11 October 1950.
, December 1943 – January 1944, and operated with Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater, primarily directing tactical fighter groups in Italy
from April 1944 until the wing's groups were reassigned in September 1944 to XXII Tactical Air Command. Existed as a paper unit until inactivation in April 1945.
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 XXII Tactical Air Command
XXII Tactical Air Command
The 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...
, based at Florence, Italy. It was inactivated on 11 October 1950.
Lineage
- Constituted as 87th Fighter Wing on 14 October 1943
- Activated on 25 October 1943
- Disbanded in Italy on 1 April 1945
Assignments
- First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
, 25 October – 15 December 1943 - 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...
, 11 January 1944 – 1 April 1945
Stations
- Mitchel Field, New York, 25 October – 15 December 1943
- Nouvion AirfieldNouvion AirfieldNouvion Airfield was a pre-war airport and World War II military airfield in Algeria, located about 5 km west of Camp Militaire d' El Ghomri in Mascara province; about 76 km east of Oran.-History:...
, Algeria, 11 January 1944 - CasertaCasertaCaserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
(Naples), 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...
, February 1944 - BastiaBastiaBastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....
, Corsica, 28 March 1944 - VescovatoVescovato-Places:France*Vescovato, Haute-Corse, a commune in the Département of Haute-Corse, CorsicaItaly*Vescovato, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of Cremona...
, Corsica, 9 May 1944 - FurianiFurianiFuriani is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Population:-References:*...
, Corsica, 13 July 1944 - CasertaCasertaCaserta is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Campanian Subapennine mountain range...
, Italy, 22 September 1944 - Florence Airfield, Italy, 25 December 1944 – 1 April 1945.
Components
- 57th Fighter Group: 23 April – 10 September 1944
- 79th Fighter Group79th Fighter GroupThe 79th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Defense Command 30th Air Division, being assigned to Youngstown Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 1 March 1960.-World War II:...
: June-25 August 1944 - 86th Fighter Group: 9–15 September 1944
Operations
Formed at Mitchel Field, New York. Moved overseas to AlgeriaAlgeria
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...
, December 1943 – January 1944, and operated with Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater, primarily directing tactical fighter groups in Italy
Italy
Italy , 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...
from April 1944 until the wing's groups were reassigned in September 1944 to XXII Tactical Air Command. Existed as a paper unit until inactivation in April 1945.