613th Tactical Fighter Squadron
613th Tactical Fighter Squadron | |
---|---|
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | |
Insignia | |
Patch with 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron emblem[b][1] | |
613th Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[c] |
The 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive
The
The squadron was redesignated the 613th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated in 1954 at
History
World War II
Organization and training for combat
The 613th Bombardment Squadron was activated March 1943 at
The ground echelon moved to
After completing training the ground echelon left for overseas on 19 October 1943. After staging at Camp Shanks, New York they embarked on the RMS Queen Mary and sailed on 27 October disembarking at Greenock on the Firth of Clyde on 3 November 1943. The air echelon staged for deployment at Scott Field, Illinois then flew to England under the control of Air Transport Command via Newfoundland, Iceland and Scotland.[5]
Combat in the European Theater
On arrival in England, half of the 401st Group's
On 26 November the 613th flew its first combat mission against
A little over a month later, on 20 February, the squadron earned its second DUC for an attack on the Erla Maschinenwerke aircraft manufacturing facilities in Leipzig, Germany. Despite fighter attacks and battle damage to the 613th's planes, 100% of the unit's bombs fell within 1000 feet of the aiming point.[2][9] Beginning in October 1944, the unit concentrated its attacks on Axis oil reserves.[2]
In addition to strategic missions, squadron operations included attacks on transportation, airfields, and fortifications prior to
The squadron flew its last combat mission on 20 April 1945 against
The unit was alerted for redeployment to the Pacific Theater and the last plane departed Deenethorpe in early June. The ground echelon sailed on the
Reserve operations
The squadron was activated at Brooks Field (later
Fighter operations
The squadron was redesignated the 613th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and activated at
In April 1966, the squadron moved to
Lineage
- Constituted as the 613th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 March 1943
- Activated on 1 April 1943
- Redesignated 613th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1 November 1943
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945
- Redesignated 613th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 27 December 1946
- Activated in the reserve on 10 January 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated 613th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 24 November 1953
- Activated on 8 February 1954
- Redesignated 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958[21]
- Inactivated on 28 June 1991
Assignments
- 401st Bombardment Group, 1 April 1943 – 28 August 1945
- Tenth Air Force, 10 January 1947
- 401st Bombardment Group, 30 September 1947 – 27 June 1949
- 401st Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 February 1954
- 401st Fighter-Bomber Wing (later Tactical Fighter Wing), 25 September 1957 – 28 June 1991[21]
Stations
|
|
Aircraft
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
- North American F-86 Sabre, 1954
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1955–1957
- North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1957–1971[21]
- McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1971–1983
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1983–1991
Awards and campaigns
Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Unit Citation |
11 January 1944 | Germany, 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Distinguished Unit Citation |
20 February 1944 | Germany, 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
13 September 1960–13 October 1960 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 January 1963–31 December 1963 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[1] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 11 November 1964–24 Mar 1965 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[23] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 15 November 1964–15 February 1965 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[23] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1983–30 June 1985 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[23] | |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 April 1989–31 March 1991 | 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron[23] |
Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Air Offensive, Europe | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | ||
Normandy | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | ||
Ardennes-Alsace | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | ||
Northern France | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | ||
Rhineland | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] | ||
Central Europe | 613th Bombardment Squadron[1] |
See also
- List of United States Air Force fighter squadrons
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
- List of F-4 Phantom II operators
- List of F-100 units of the United States Air Force
- List of F-86 Sabre units
- B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center on 28 December 2006. Baugher, Joe (21 April 2023). "1982 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 8 May 2023.. It later served with the Arizona Air National Guard.
- ^ Approved February 1955. Description: On a disc Air Force yellow bordered black,
a caricatured octopus of the second [color mentioned], with tentacles, markings and face features of the first [color mentioned], eyeballs red; grasping with three of his tentacles a rocket inflamed and with two of his tentacles twirling flashes of firepower all proper.
- ^ This emblem was designed for the squadron by the Disney Studios. Closway, p. 36.
- ^ The closest aircraft is Boeing B-17G-105-BO Flying Fortress, serial 43-39125, Der Grosse Arsch Vogel later You All Right, fuselage code IN-M. This plane was shot down on the squadron's last mission on 20 April 1945. Baugher, Joe (30 April 2023). "1943 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 8 May 2023., Missing Air Crew Report 14174.
- McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs. Baugher, Joe (6 May 2023). "1951 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ Aircraft is North American F-100D-85-NH Super Sabre, serial 56-3408. Taken about 1960.
- ^ Aircraft is McDonnell F-4C-21-MC, serial 66-7768. This plane was transferred to the Air National Guard in 1984 and sent to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center on 3 April 1990. It was sold for scrap on 12 August 1998. Baugher, Joe (29 April 2023). "1966 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 684–685
- ^ a b c d e f Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 285–286
- ^ Closway, p. 44
- ^ Closway, pp. 44–45
- ^ a b c Closway, p. 45
- ^ Closway, p. 46
- ^ Closway, p. 47
- ^ Closway, pp. 40, 47, 62 (reproducing War Department General Order 50, 17 June 1944)
- ^ Closway, pp. 40, 63 (reproducing War Department General Order 83, 2 October 1945)
- ^ Closway. p. 43
- ^ Closway, p. 55
- ^ Closway, p. 62
- ^ Closway, pp. 56–57
- ^ Closway, p. 58
- ^ Closway, p. 59
- ^ See Mueller, p. 54
- ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 684–685 (no aircraft listed as assigned to the squadron from 1947 to 1949)
- ^ "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index. 27 December 1961. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
- ^ Knaack, p. 25
- ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 214–215
- ^ a b c d Lineage information, including assignment, stations, and aircraft through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 684–685.
- ^ Station number in Anderson.
- ^ a b c d "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 6 August 2019. (search)
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 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- Closway, Gordon R., ed. (1946). Pictorial Record of the 401st Bomb Group. San Angelo, TX: Newsfoto Publishing Co. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems (PDF). Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- 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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- 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.