401st Fighter Squadron
 | This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (December 2012) ) |
| 401st Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 401st Fighter Squadron | |
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Fighter |
The 401st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
History
Established in mid-1943 at
P-38 Lightnings
upon arrival in the ETO.
From British airfields the squadron flew sweeps over
St. Lô
, France.
After the D-Day invasion, squadron moved to its
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Cardonville, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France and into Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance during the Battle of the Bulge
, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.
Converted to
P-51 Mustangs
during February – March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 March Supported operations of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945.
Returned to the United States during September–November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945. The unit was re-designated as the
173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Nebraska Air National Guard
on 24 May 1946.
Lineage
- Constituted 401st Fighter Squadron on 22 July 1943
- Activated on 25 July 1943
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945
- Redesignated 173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Nebraska Air National Guard on 24 May 1946.
Assignments
- 370th Fighter Group, 25 July 1943 – 7 November 1945
Stations
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Aircraft
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943–1945
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1945
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- 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.