550th Fighter Squadron: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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The 550th Night Fighter Squadron was the last P-61 Black Widow squadron trained during World War II, receiving it's training in California rather than in Florida. Assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, arriving at Hollandia in the Dutch East Indies part of New Guinea in December 1944. Deployed to forward bases at Middleburg and Wama, but during 1945 aerial targets became increasingly rare, and the squadron turned to long range night-time intruding, carrying out the same mission as the aircraft they had originally been stalking, the P-61's long range enabled attacks on Japanese targets as far as the Philippines. Moved to newly-established bases in the Philippines in March, and the 550th NFS began flying a number of direct infantry support missions, helping with the battle on Negros. Combat ending by the end of July. Personnel largely demobilized after the end of the war in September, aircraft sent to Okinawa for reassignment. The squadron was inactivated as a paper unit in California in early 1946. |
The 550th Night Fighter Squadron was the last P-61 Black Widow squadron trained during World War II, receiving it's training in California rather than in Florida. Assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, arriving at Hollandia in the Dutch East Indies part of New Guinea in December 1944. Deployed to forward bases at Middleburg and Wama, but during 1945 aerial targets became increasingly rare, and the squadron turned to long range night-time intruding, carrying out the same mission as the aircraft they had originally been stalking, the P-61's long range enabled attacks on Japanese targets as far as the Philippines. |
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Moved to newly-established bases in the Philippines in March, and the 550th NFS began flying a number of direct infantry support missions, helping with the battle on Negros. Aircraft were modified in the field to accommodate 5-inch High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR). Rockets were used in the squadron's night intruder missions. Peformed joint operations with the 418th and 418th NFS during the invasion of Balikpapan on the east coast of Borneo in late June 1945; staging ou tof Sanga Sanga in the Sulu Archipelago. Performed pre-invasion intruder strikes, expending large numbers of 5-inch HVARS, and performing night air defense over the invasion Naval task force. |
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Combat ending by the end of July. Personnel largely demobilized after the end of the war in September, aircraft sent to Okinawa for reassignment. The squadron was inactivated as a paper unit in California in early 1946. |
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Reactivated in 1970 at Luke AFB, Arizona as an F-4C RTU Training Squadron. The task of the 550th was to take experienced pilots and WSO's and train them to fly the F-4. Re-equipped with F-15A/B Eagles in 1977. On May 12th 1989 the 550th also became operational as an F-15E RTU squadron. |
Reactivated in 1970 at Luke AFB, Arizona as an F-4C RTU Training Squadron. The task of the 550th was to take experienced pilots and WSO's and train them to fly the F-4. Re-equipped with F-15A/B Eagles in 1977. On May 12th 1989 the 550th also became operational as an F-15E RTU squadron. |
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Revision as of 01:07, 2 May 2010
| 550th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 550th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron | |
| Active | 1944-1946; 1970-1995 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Force |
| Type | Night Fighter Operations |
| Engagements |  
|
.
The 550th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 56th Fighter Wing, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona on 30 March 1995.
The units World War II predecessor unit, the 550th Night Fighter Squadron served with Thirteenth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific Theater, engaging in combat over the Dutch East Indies and Philippines in 1944 and 1945.
History
The 550th Night Fighter Squadron was the last P-61 Black Widow squadron trained during World War II, receiving it's training in California rather than in Florida. Assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, arriving at Hollandia in the Dutch East Indies part of New Guinea in December 1944. Deployed to forward bases at Middleburg and Wama, but during 1945 aerial targets became increasingly rare, and the squadron turned to long range night-time intruding, carrying out the same mission as the aircraft they had originally been stalking, the P-61's long range enabled attacks on Japanese targets as far as the Philippines.
Moved to newly-established bases in the Philippines in March, and the 550th NFS began flying a number of direct infantry support missions, helping with the battle on Negros. Aircraft were modified in the field to accommodate 5-inch High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVAR). Rockets were used in the squadron's night intruder missions. Peformed joint operations with the 418th and 418th NFS during the invasion of Balikpapan on the east coast of Borneo in late June 1945; staging ou tof Sanga Sanga in the Sulu Archipelago. Performed pre-invasion intruder strikes, expending large numbers of 5-inch HVARS, and performing night air defense over the invasion Naval task force.
Combat ending by the end of July. Personnel largely demobilized after the end of the war in September, aircraft sent to Okinawa for reassignment. The squadron was inactivated as a paper unit in California in early 1946.
Reactivated in 1970 at Luke AFB, Arizona as an F-4C RTU Training Squadron. The task of the 550th was to take experienced pilots and WSO's and train them to fly the F-4. Re-equipped with F-15A/B Eagles in 1977. On May 12th 1989 the 550th also became operational as an F-15E RTU squadron.
After the changes of the Wing structure in 1994 the 550th FS was the last F-15 unit at Luke AFB. In late 1994 the F-15E's from the 550th FS started leaving Luke AFB to the newly formed 333 FS (RTU) at Seymour-Johnson AFB. The last crews graduated at Luke AFB in February 1995 and the last F-15E left Luke AFB in March.
Lineage
- Constituted as 550th Night Fighter Squadron on 3 May 1944
- Activated on 1 Jun 1944
- Inactivated on 4 Jan 1946
- Redesignated as 550th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Jan 1970
- Activated on 18 Jan 1970 from the assets of the inactivated 4517th Combat Crew Training Squadron (Provisional)
- Inactivated on 30 March 1995
Assignments
- Fourth Air Force, 1 Jun 1944
- Attached to 319th Wing, 1 Jun - 2 Nov 1944
- Thirteenth Air Force, 2 Dec 1944
- XIII Fighter Command, 12 Dec 1944 - 4 Dec 1945
- Attached to XIII Bomber Command, 14 Feb 1945
- 85th Fighter Wing, 7 Apr-Jun 1945
- 58th Tactical Training Wing, 18 Jan 1970
- 405th Tactical Training Wing, 1 Jan 1981
- 56th Operations Group, 1 Oct 1991-30 Mar 1995
Stations
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Aircraft Operated
- BT-13, AT-10, 1944
- P-38 Lightning, 1945
- P-70, 1945
- Y/P-61 Black Widow, 1945
- F-4C Phantom II, 1970-1977
- F-15A/B Eagle, 1977-1989
- F-15E Strike Eagle, 1989-1995
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow--The Complete History and Combat Record, Garry R. Pape, John M. Campbell and Donna Campbell, Motorbooks International, 1991.
- Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975
- Wartime Service of Northrop P-61 Black Widow
See also
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