179th Fighter Squadron
The 179th Fighter Squadron (179 FS) is a unit of the
History
World War II
Training in the United States
The
P-38 transition and combat operations from England
Having trained on single engine aircraft, the squadrons's pilots were surprised to find
On 9 May, the squadron flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over
On
By mid June
Operations on the European Continent
Starting on 19 July, the 367th Group's forward echelon crossed the
On 22 August the group attacked three
The 393d received a
As Allied forces moved forward across France the squadron began leap-frogging to new bases. In early September they relocated at
In late October, as Ninth Air Force brought its medium bombers to bases in France, the 393d was bumped from its station for the second time by the 387th Bombardment Group, when it moved to Juvincourt Airfield, north of Reims.[2][19] Juvincourt was a former Luftwaffe base with permanent facilities, in contrast to the advanced landing grounds where the squadron had been based since moving to France.[20] The squadron attacked German strong points to aid the Allied push against the Siegfried Line throughout the fall of 1944.[2]
The German
Transition to the P-47 Thunderbolt
Early in 1945 a desire to standardize the fighter-bombers in Ninth Air Force, the squadron transitioned into Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Pilots flew Lightnings on combat missions while training at the same time with the Thunderbolt. The 393d was the first squadron of the 367th Group to fly a combat missions with the P-47s. Using the Thunderbolt the squadron was again cited in a Belgium Army Order of the Day, earning the Belgian Fourragere.[7]
The 393d received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 19 March 1945. The 367th Group's target was the headquarters of Field Marshal Kesselring, the German Commander-ln-Chief, West,[note 3] at Ziegenburg near Bad Nauheim, Germany. Aircraft of the leading 394th Fighter Squadron would attack at low level to achieve surprise, carrying a 1,000-pound bomb under each wing. The P-47s of the 392d Fighter Squadron would be similarly armed, but would dive bomb from a higher altitude. The bombs were equipped with time-delay fuses intended to crack the concrete roofs of the bunker. The 393d carried napalm intended to seep into the bunkers and burn what remained. The attack was scheduled for a time that intelligence reports indicated would find senior staff and commanders at lunch, the only time they would not be in the reinforced tunnels underneath the castle that housed the headquarters. The target was located in mountainous terrain well defended by antiaircraft artillery. Moreover, to avoid alerting the Germans to the pending attack, photographic reconnaissance aircraft had avoided the area, so detailed target photography was not available. The day of the attack the castle was concealed by ground haze which caused the 394th Fighter Squadron to stray off course at the last minute, preventing them from executing the attack as planned and reducing the element of surprise.[21] Although senior German officers reached the underground bunkers and survived the attack, the group reduced the military complex to ruins, disrupting communications and the flow of intelligence at a critical time.[7]
The squadron struck tanks, trucks, flak positions, and other objectives in support of the assault across the Rhine late in March and the final allied operations in Germany.[2] It was commended by the commanding generals of XII Corps and the 11th Armored Division for the close air support the unit provided for their commands. On 10 April the squadron moved to Eschborn Airfield on the northwest side of Frankfurt, Germany. The 393d flew its last combat mission, a defensive patrol, one year after entering combat on 8 May.[22] During its combat tour, the squadron was credited with 22.5 air-to-air victories over enemy aircraft.[23]
Return to the United States and inactivation
All hostilities ceased
Minnesota Air National Guard
The wartime 393d Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 179th Fighter Squadron and was allotted to the
Korean War activation
On 1 March 1951, the 179th was federalized and brought to active duty due to the
Cold War
The unit was organized by 1 January 1953 and ADC became its gaining command upon call to active duty. It resumed its peacetime training mission. The squadron upgraded in 1954 to the radar equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire all-weather interceptor, armed with .50 caliber machine guns. With this new aircraft, the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron became an all-weather interceptor unit. In 1957, the 179th again upgraded to the improved Northrop F-89C Scorpion then in 1959, the unit converted to the F-89J model of the Scorpion, which was not only equipped with data link for interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system, but which carried the nuclear armed AIR-2 Genie.[26]
On 1 July 1960, the 179th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the
In 1967, the supersonic
In October 1983, the mission changed again and the 179th returned to air defense becoming the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The return to alert and air defense was accompanied by the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II tactical fighter,
Post-Cold War
On 10 March 1990, the 179th FIS received the first variants of the F-16A Fighting Falcon air defense fighter (ADF) to take over from the F-4D Phantom II. The early F-16 markings included "Duluth" on a tail stripe as well as an image of the Big Dipper. The last flight of a 179th FIS F-4D was under taken by 65-0608 on 17 April 1990.[30] On 17 March 1992, the 179th was renamed the 179th Fighter Squadron. A few years later, in October 1995, the unit was tasked with maintaining a detachment (Detachment 1, 148th Fighter Wing), which maintained alert status at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.[26]
To fit the needs of a shrinking air force, the squadron dropped the air superiority role and became a general purpose tactical fighter squadron. Already proficient in the air-to-air mission, the 179th had to be brought up to speed with both using guided and unguided bombs. Live bombs were dropped for the first time in March 2000 during a training exercise. Due to the role change, the squadron's base facilities also had to be renovated.[26]
On 11 September 2001, the squadron became very busy as a result of the attack on the two
Towards the end of 2003 the Bulldogs began conversion to the F-16C/D block 25. Most F-16A/Bs were retired straight to the
On 27 April 2010, the squadron began another conversion being the first Air National Guard unit to operate the block 50 F-16C/D when five aircraft arrived from
Between April and July 2016, the 179th deployed to Osan Air Base, South Korea, as the 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron,[32] being replaced by the 157th Fighter Squadron.[33] The 179th EFS deployed to Southwest Asia as part of Operation Inherent Resolve between April and August 2018, flying nearly 3,500 hours across over 600 sorties.[34][35] From 1 to 12 April 2019, the 179th FS deployed to Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands to participate in Exercise Frisian Flag 2019.[36]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 393d Fighter Squadron on 26 May 1943
- Activated on 15 July 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Redesignated 179th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946[37]
- Extended federal recognition on 17 September 1948
- Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 March 1951[24]
- Redesignated 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 23 March 1951[24]
- Inactivated and returned to Minnesota state control on 1 December 1952[24]
- Activated on 1 December 1952
- Redesignated 179th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 10 January 1976
- Redesignated 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 15 November 1983
- Redesignated 179th Fighter Squadron on 17 March 1992
Assignments
- 367th Fighter Group, 15 July 1943 – 7 November 1945[37]
- 133d Fighter Group (later 133d Fighter-Interceptor Group), 17 September 1948[3]
- 31st Air Division, 6 February 1952[24]
- 133d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 December 1952
- 133d Air Defense Wing, 1 April 1958
- 148th Fighter Group (later 148th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 148th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 148th Fighter Group), 1 July 1960
- 148th Operations Group, 11 October 1995 – Present
Stations
|
|
Aircraft
- Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1944–1945
- Republic P-47N Thunderbolt, 1945
- North American F-51D Mustang, 1948–1954
- Lockheed F-94B Starfire, 1954–1957
- Northrop F-89C Scorpion, 1957–1959
- Northrop F-89J Scorpion, 1959–1966
- Convair F-102A Delta Dagger, 1966–1971
- McDonnell F-101B Voodoo, 1971–1976
- McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II, 1976–1983
- McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, 1983–17 April 1990
- General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, 10 March 1990 – 2002
- General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 2002 – present
Awards
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[26]
- Winston P. Wilson Award (Outstanding Air National Guard All Weather Interceptor Unit): 1957[26]
- Ricks Trophy for excellence: 1967[26]
- First place in the William Tell Weapons Competition: 1970[26]
- Raytheon Trophy (formerly the Hughes Trophy) Best Fighter Unit in the United States Air Force: Four times, most recently 2009[26]
See also
- F-89 Scorpion units of the United States Air Force
- F-94 Starfire units of the United States Air Force
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
- List of United States Air Force fighter squadrons
- List of United States Air National Guard Squadrons
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators
References
Notes
- ^ Nicknamed for its unusual rolling motion in heavy weather. Groh, p. 23.
- ^ These claims were from an estimated 50 enemy aircraft engaged in the air and on the ground. Chickering, p. 79
- ^ Kesselring assumed command the day of the attack. American intelligence believed Field Marshall von Rundstedt was still in command. Groh, p. 136.
Citations
- ^ "179th Fighter Squadron (USAF ANG)". f-16.net. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 252–254
- ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 483
- ^ Groh, p. 12
- ^ a b Chickering, p. 78
- ^ Groh, pp. 23–24
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Chickering, p. 79
- ^ Groh, p. 26
- ^ Groh, p. 31
- ^ Groh, pp. 50–51
- ^ Groh. p. 32
- ^ Groh. pp. 32–37
- ^ Groh, p. 42
- ^ a b Groh, p. 43
- ^ Groh, p. 46
- ^ Groh, p. 52
- ^ Groh, p. 59
- ^ Groh, p. 72
- ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 274
- ^ Groh, pp. 98–99
- ^ Groh, p. 136
- ^ Groh, p. 158
- ^ Newton & Senning, pp. 645–646
- ^ a b c d e f g Cornett & Johnson, p. 124
- ^ Grant, p. 33
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "149th Fighter Wing History". 148th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ "Deployments - 1979". Sharpshooter - Military Aviation Journal. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "Deployments - 1986". Sharpshooter - Military Aviation Journal. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Annual Review of the Chief National Guard Bureau. National Guard Bureau. 1986. p. 38.
- ^ "Last F-4D Flight at 148th Fighter Wing 30-years Ago Today". 148th Fighter Wing. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Kiminski, 2 Lt Jodi (30 April 2010). "New F-16s arrive at the 148th Fighter Wing". 148th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 148th Fighter Wing to support stability operations in South Korea, Minnesota National Guard, 2 April 2016, retrieved 18 April 2020
- ^ "U.S. to deploy 12 F-16 fighter jets to Osan, S. Korea". The Dong-a Ilbo. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Cable, Dana (21 April 2018). "407th AEG welcomes Vipers". U.S. AIR FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ Cable, Dana (20 July 2018). "179th EFS redeploys to Minnesota". U.S. AIR FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Air Force Airmen participate in Frisian Flag 2019". U.S. AIR FORCES IN EUROPE & AIR FORCES AFRICA. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d Lineage, including assignments through 1946 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 483
- ^ a b Station number in Anderson
- ^ a b c d e f g h Station number in Johnson
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- Chickering, Edwin S. (1998). "367th Fighter Group". Air Force Fifty. Air Force Association (compiler). Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1563114090.
- Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- Grant, C. L. "The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126" (PDF). Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- Groh, Richard (1983). The Dynamite Gang: The 367th Fighter Group in World War II. World War II. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers. LCCN 83007241.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Newton, Wesely P. Jr.; Senning, Calvin F. (1963). "USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II, USAF Historical Study No. 85" (PDF). Research Studies Institute, USAF Historical Division, Air University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
External links
- "Minnesota Air National Guard Units". Minnesota National Guard. 24 August 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2015.