493rd Fighter Squadron
493rd Fighter Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 15 Jan 1941 – 7 Nov 1945 10 July 1952 – 18 Dec 1992 1 Jan 1994 – present |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Fighter |
Part of | United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa |
Garrison/HQ | |
Insignia | |
493d Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 20 August 2003)[3] | |
493d Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem | |
56th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 24 December 1941)[4] | |
Squadron tail codes | I7 (Jan 1941 – Nov 1945) LS (Mar 1970 – Dec 1971) LK (Dec 1971 – July 1972) LN (July 1972 – present) |
The 493rd Fighter Squadron (493rd FS), nicknamed the Grim Reapers, is part of the
History
World War II
Activated as a Southeastern Air District
Eventually coming under the AAF III Fighter Command in 1944, trained replacement pilots with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, Converted in January 1944 to an operational fighter squadron. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations, being assigned to the IX Fighter Command in England, March 1944.
Almost immediately after their arrival, the squadron began a rigorous training program, flying dive-bombing, glide bombing, night flying, low-level navigation, smoke laying, reconnaissance, and patrol convoy sorties. Over the next two months, the number of sorties steadily increased and the squadron flew its first combat mission on 20 April 1944, an uneventful fighter sweep of the occupied French coast.
Assisted the Normandy invasion by dropping bombs on bridges and gun positions, attacking rail lines and trains, and providing visual reconnaissance reports. Moved to France in mid-June 1944, supporting ground operations of Allied forces moving east across northern France throughout the war: primarily providing support for the
On 5 July 1945, the squadron arrived in
Two months later on 7 November 1945, the squadron inactivated as part of the massive postwar draw down.
Cold War
The squadron was reactivated in 1952 as a NATO Fighter-Bomber squadron stationed in France. Equipped initially with
Then in late 1956 the squadron upgraded to the
Between 1960 and 1972, the squadron's F-100 fleet maintained its readiness by participating in a number of USAFE and NATO exercises training to react to possible aggression from the Soviet Union. They underwent a series of NATO tactical evaluations. The squadron conducted several deployments to Turkey, Italy, Spain, and across the United Kingdom.
Beginning in late 1971, the squadron started its conversion to the
The F-4's service with squadron was short as Operation Ready Switch transferred the F-4Ds to the
The 48th Wing also participated in
The 493rd was redesignated as the 493rd Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991.[3] The 493rd FS was inactivated as a F-111F unit on 18 December 1992.[3]
Eagle (1993–2022)
The unit began working up as a McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagle squadron, receiving their first two jets, F-15C 86-0164 and F-15D 86-0182, on 15 November 1993 from Bitburg Air Base, Germany.[6] The change from the F-111F to the Eagle marked the first time that the squadron had flown a specifically air-to-air weapon system, after flying for more than 50 years with an air-to-ground mission. The squadron received the last production block of new F-15 Eagles. The 493rd Fighter Squadron was reactivated on 1 January 1994.[3] The Grim Reapers received the rest of their 18 assigned Eagles from Langley AFB and Eglin AFB, with the last one (86-0160) arriving on 22 July 1994.[6]
In 1998, the 493rd FS received another six F-15Cs, increasing the squadron size to 24 aircraft. These came from the 53rd Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, due to it being inactivated because of the USAF consolidating its squadrons.[6][7]
On 3 August 2000, F-15C 86-0173 was written off after crashing 13 miles NE of Rachel, Nevada, during a Green Flag Exercise – the pilot safely ejected.[8]
On 26 March 2001, two F-15Cs from the 493rd FS (86-0169 and 86-0180) crashed into Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms mountain range, both pilots died in the crash.[9][10][11]
Between 23 March and 10 April 2008, the 493rd participated in the Romanian-led Operation Noble Endeavor. It was deployed to the
In June 2008, the Grim Reapers were selected as the 2007 Raytheon Trophy winners, the first time in 10 years they had been recognised as the best fighter squadron in the USAF.[14]
The squadron participated in
In January 2015, the squadron was named the best fighter squadron in the Air Force, earning the Raytheon Trophy for 2014.[15]
On 13 May 2017, the 493rd FS were awarded the 2016 Raytheon Trophy at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.[16]
In April 2020, the Grim Reapers were awarded the 2019 Raytheon Trophy.[17] On 15 June 2020, F-15C 86-0176 crashed into the North Sea during a training mission, killing the pilot.[18]
During the
F-35A Lightning II (2023-present)
In 2022, the 493rd FS inactivated after its fleet of F-15Cs and Ds returned to the United States in preparation to re-equip and reactivate with the F-35A Lightning II.
In March 2023, three F-35A Lightning IIs were delivered to the 493rd FS (20-5594, 20-5595, 20-5596). The 493rd FS currently has 6 F-35A’s delivered. [21][22] The 493rd's future F-35A flagship (19-5493) was delivered to RAF Lakenheath on 15 April 2022.[23]
In June 2023, the 748th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron was inactivated including its subordinate elements the 493rd and 495th AMUs. On June 9, the 493rd Fighter Generation Squadron and the 495th Fighter Generation Squadron were activated as separate squadrons.[citation needed]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 56th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Redesignated 56th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 August 1942
- Redesignated 493d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
- Redesignated 493d Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Redesignated 493d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 25 June 1952
- Activated on 10 July 1952
- Redesignated 493d Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1958
- Redesignated 493d Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991
- Inactivated on 18 December 1992
- Activated on 1 January 1994[3]
Assignments
- 48th Bombardment Group(later 48th Fighter-Bomber Group, 48th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 7 November 1945
- 48th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 July 1952
- 48th Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, 48th Fighter Wing), 8 December 1957 – 18 December 1992
- Attached to 48th Fighter Wing (Provisional), 2 September 1990 – 15 March 1991; 7440th Composite Wing, September – December 1991
- 48th Operations Group, 1 January 1994 – present[3]
Stations
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Aircraft
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Operations
- World War II
- Operation El Dorado Canyon
- Operation Desert Storm
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- Citations
- ^ Bradley, Capt Kevin (19 June 2008). "493rd FS awarded Raytheon Trophy". U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "48th Fighter Bomber Wing 1956-1958 / 48th Tactical Fighter Wing 1956-1972". North American F-100 Super Sabre. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dollman, TSG David (21 October 2016). "Factsheet 493 Fighter Squadron (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 594-595
- ^ No byline (7 May 2011). "493rd Fighter Squadron (493rd FS)". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "493rd F.S." final-approach.nl. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "NSIAD-96-82 Air Force Aircraft: Consolidating Fighter Squadrons Could Reduce Costs" (PDF). United States General Accounting Office. May 1996. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Incident McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle 86-0173, 03 Aug 2000". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Accident McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle 86-0169, 26 Mar 2001". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Accident McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle 86-0180, 26 Mar 2001". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Crash controller 'partly blamed'". BBC News. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Randall Haskin (23 July 2008). "Bolar Spring Break 2008". lakenheath.af.mil.
- ^ Sean Kimmons (3 April 2008). "American fighter jets secure the skies above NATO summit". Stars and Stripes.
- ^ Bradley, Kevin (18 June 2008). "493rd FS awarded Raytheon Trophy". Royal Air Force Lakenheath. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ O'Shea, SRA Erin (29 January 2015). "Lakenheath's 493rd FS awarded 2014 Raytheon Trophy". 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ Mayfield, Malcolm (16 May 2017). "Reapers receive Raytheon Trophy". Royal Air Force Lakenheath. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ Everstine, Brian W. (20 April 2020). "Lakenheath Eagles Take Home Raytheon Trophy, Again". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "North Sea US jet crash: Pilot found dead". BBC News. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Worldwide movements by USAF fighters and bombers". Scramble.nl. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "The 493rd Fighter Squadron Completes It's [sic] Last NATO Mission With F-15's". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ ""Just a nice Picture...!"". Scramble. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "493rd Celebrates Last F-15C DCC Ceremony". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Cenciotti, David (19 April 2022). "493rd and 495th Fighter Squadrons Have Received Their Flagship F-35A Aircraft". The Aviationist. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Station number in Anderson.
- ^ a b c d e f g 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 28 June 2017.
- Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 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.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.