485th Fighter Squadron

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485th Fighter Squadron
Emblem of the 485th Fighter Squadron
Active1943–1945
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
TypeFighter

The 485th 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 Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945.

History

P-38 Lightning, "Spirit of Oak Ridge", 485th Fighter Squadron, at Lonray Airfield (A-45), France, October 1944.
P-38 Lightning, "Spirit of Oak Ridge", 485th Fighter Squadron, at Lonray Airfield (A-45), France, October 1944.

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.

Lineage

  • Constituted 485th Fighter Squadron on 22 July 1943
Activated on 25 July 1943
Inactivated on 10 November 1945

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

  • Lockheed P-38 Lightning
    , 1943–1945
  • North American P-51 Mustang
    , 1945

References

Public Domain 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
    .