440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

The 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Erding Air Station, Germany, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1960. The squadron served as a NATO air defense unit from February 1953. The squadron was originally established as a Replacement Training Unit during World War II in February 1943, but was disbanded when the Army Air Forces reorganized its training units in 1944.

440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Active1943–1944; 1953–1960
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleFighter-Interceptor
Nickname(s)Mad Dogs
Insignia
Patch with 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem[note 2][1]

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated as the 440th Fighter Squadron at Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida in 1943 when the 337th Fighter Group expanded from three to four squadrons.[1][2] It served as a III Fighter Command North American P-51 Mustang Replacement Training Unit. The squadron was disbanded in May 1944[1] and its personnel and equipment transferred to the 341st AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter).

European air defense

Reactivated in 1953 as a North American F-86D Sabre interceptor squadron. Moved to West Germany, attached to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Landstuhl Air Base. The squadron moved to Erding Air Base in Bavaria, operating as a forward-deployed squadron near the Czech border until inactivated in January 1960[1] with the withdrawal of the F-86D from West Germany.

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 440th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine 12 February 1943
Activated on 24 February 1943
Disbanded on 1 May 1944
  • Reconstituted, and redesignated 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 3 February 1953
Activated on 18 February 1953
Inactivated on 1 January 1960[1]

Assignments

Stations

  • Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida, 24 February 1943
  • Pinellas Army Air Field, Florida, 15 April 1943 – 1 May 1944
  • Geiger Field, Washington, 18 February 1953
  • Landstuhl Air Base, Germany, 4 July 1954
  • Erding Air Base, Germany, 17 February 1956 – 31 December 1959[1]

Aircraft

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. Aircraft is North American F-86D-45-NA Sabre, serial 52-3900.
  2. Approved 9 July 1954.
Citations
  1. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 545
  2. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 215–216

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.