301st Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 301st Fighter Squadron (301 FS) is part of the 44th Fighter Group at Holloman Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. It operates the F-22A Raptor conducting advanced fighter training as a reserve corollary unit to the 49th Fighter Wing.
to enter combat during World War II
.
One of the famous all-black squadrons of the 332nd Fighter Group
, activated on 19 February 1942 at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama
, but which remained largely unmanned until it arrived at Selfridge Field
, Michigan
, late in March 1943. There it received sufficient personnel and the squadron began operational training with the P-39 and P-40 aircraft. The 100th completed training in December 1943 and prepared to move overseas.
The squadron sailed in early January 1944 aboard the USS William Few and arrived in Italy in early February 1944, becoming part of the Twelfth Air Force, Mediterranean Theater of Operations
(MTO). The 301st flew its first combat mission on 19 February 1944. The squadron became engaged in various missions—harbor protection, point-to-point patrol, convoy escort, and armed reconnaissance. It also performed air rescue and strafing missions. In May 1944, the 301st was reassigned to the Fifteenth Air Force
and thereafter the squadron’s primary duty was providing escort for bombers striking enemy oil and industrial targets in central Europe
and the Balkans
. While initially equipped with P-39 and P-47 aircraft, in June 1944 the squadron received P-51 aircraft which they retained throughout the remainder of the war.
In August 1944, the unit attacked enemy positions on the French coast in preparation for the invasion of southern France. They escorted bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force in attacks on the assault beaches on 15 August 1944. After this they returned to escorting heavy bombers to targets in Germany
, Austria
, Czechoslovakia
, and Romania
. They also attacked targets of opportunity—enemy airdromes, troop concentrations, communications lines, and enemy aircraft—when the opportunity arose. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its performance during an escort to Berlin
on 23 March 1945. The squadron, along with other squadrons of the 332nd Group, fought off a large enemy force, including jets, allowing the bomber formation to complete their mission. The 301st flew its last mission in Europe on 30 April 1945. On 30 September 1945, the 301st sailed for the United States aboard the Levi Woodbury and arrived at Camp Kilmer, NJ, on 17 October 1945. The squadron was inactivated on 19 October 1945.
aircraft between 1947 and 1949 at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
. until the squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1949. On 19 September 19 September 1985, the Air Force consolidated the 301st Fighter Squadron with the 901st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy. The 901st ARS was activated at Columbus AFB, Mississippi on 1 August 1958, and was equipped with the KC-135 Stratotanker
. Assigned initially to the Strategic Air Command
provisional 4228th Strategic Wing, it provided air refueling to B-52 Stratofortress
es on a worldwide basis, and to Tactical Air Command
aircraft as required.
Reassigned to the 454th Bombardment Wing at Columbus on 1 February 1963, the squadron continued its worldwide mission supporting SAC B-52s combat aircraft with refueling over the Gulf of Tonkin
and South China Sea
. It was inactivated on 2 July 1969. Reactivated in provisional status 1972, at U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand during 1972-1974. Aircraft were used in combat operations at the end of the Vietnam War and during expeditionary combat operations over Cambodia and Laos, 1972-August 1973. Supported United States tactical forces in Thailand 1973-1975 including Operation EAGLE PULL, the evacuation of United States citizens from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 1975.
as an AETC F-16 Fighting Falcon
Flight Training squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona
, as part of the 944th Fighter Wing
. Sixty-four 64 Air Force Reserve Command pilots integrated with the 56th Operations Group
fighter squadrons providing instruction to teach and graduate the Combat Air Forces newest F-16 pilots. The 56th Fighter Wing was one of the first units to integrate Reservists into its flying operation in 2000.
As a tenant unit at Luke the 301st F-16s carried the 'LR' (Luke Reserve) tailcode as opposed to the 'LF' of the resident 56th Fighter Wing. The squadron operated Block 32 F-16C/D models and were operated in the air to ground role.
On 9 March 2010, the pilots of the 301st Fighter Squadron changed their patch to the 69th Fighter Squadron during an inactivation ceremony on 5 March. The event marked the end of almost a decade of Tuskegee heritage at Luke AFB. The Air Force preserved the Tuskegee Airmen heritage with the 301st Fighter Squadron standing up Holloman AFB, New Mexico with the AFRC 44th Fighter Group on 9 April 2010.
Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It operates the F-22A Raptor conducting advanced fighter training as a reserve corollary unit to the 49th Fighter Wing.
World War II
The 301st was one of four African-American fighter squadronsTuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
to enter combat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
One of the famous all-black squadrons of the 332nd Fighter Group
332nd Fighter Group
The 332d Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 332d Fighter Wing at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was deactivated on 1 July 1949....
, activated on 19 February 1942 at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, but which remained largely unmanned until it arrived at Selfridge Field
Selfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, late in March 1943. There it received sufficient personnel and the squadron began operational training with the P-39 and P-40 aircraft. The 100th completed training in December 1943 and prepared to move overseas.
The squadron sailed in early January 1944 aboard the USS William Few and arrived in Italy in early February 1944, becoming part of the Twelfth Air Force, Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
(MTO). The 301st flew its first combat mission on 19 February 1944. The squadron became engaged in various missions—harbor protection, point-to-point patrol, convoy escort, and armed reconnaissance. It also performed air rescue and strafing missions. In May 1944, the 301st was reassigned to the Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
and thereafter the squadron’s primary duty was providing escort for bombers striking enemy oil and industrial targets in central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. While initially equipped with P-39 and P-47 aircraft, in June 1944 the squadron received P-51 aircraft which they retained throughout the remainder of the war.
In August 1944, the unit attacked enemy positions on the French coast in preparation for the invasion of southern France. They escorted bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force in attacks on the assault beaches on 15 August 1944. After this they returned to escorting heavy bombers to targets in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. They also attacked targets of opportunity—enemy airdromes, troop concentrations, communications lines, and enemy aircraft—when the opportunity arose. The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its performance during an escort to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 23 March 1945. The squadron, along with other squadrons of the 332nd Group, fought off a large enemy force, including jets, allowing the bomber formation to complete their mission. The 301st flew its last mission in Europe on 30 April 1945. On 30 September 1945, the 301st sailed for the United States aboard the Levi Woodbury and arrived at Camp Kilmer, NJ, on 17 October 1945. The squadron was inactivated on 19 October 1945.
Cold War
It trained in P-47 ThunderboltP-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
aircraft between 1947 and 1949 at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. until the squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1949. On 19 September 19 September 1985, the Air Force consolidated the 301st Fighter Squadron with the 901st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy. The 901st ARS was activated at Columbus AFB, Mississippi on 1 August 1958, and was equipped with the KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
. Assigned initially to the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
provisional 4228th Strategic Wing, it provided air refueling to B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es on a worldwide basis, and to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
aircraft as required.
Reassigned to the 454th Bombardment Wing at Columbus on 1 February 1963, the squadron continued its worldwide mission supporting SAC B-52s combat aircraft with refueling over the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
and South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. It was inactivated on 2 July 1969. Reactivated in provisional status 1972, at U-Tapao RTAFB, Thailand during 1972-1974. Aircraft were used in combat operations at the end of the Vietnam War and during expeditionary combat operations over Cambodia and Laos, 1972-August 1973. Supported United States tactical forces in Thailand 1973-1975 including Operation EAGLE PULL, the evacuation of United States citizens from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 1975.
Modern era
Reactivated by Air Force Reserve CommandAir Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
as an AETC F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
Flight Training squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, as part of the 944th Fighter Wing
944th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 944th Fighter Wing is an initial fighter training unit located at Luke AFB, Arizona.-Mission:The mission of the 944th Fighter Wing is to train F-16 pilots and provide combat ready fighter pilots for the Air Force....
. Sixty-four 64 Air Force Reserve Command pilots integrated with the 56th Operations Group
56th Operations Group
The 56th Operations Group is a unit of the United States Air Force, and the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing.The group is the direct descendant of the World War II 56th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces...
fighter squadrons providing instruction to teach and graduate the Combat Air Forces newest F-16 pilots. The 56th Fighter Wing was one of the first units to integrate Reservists into its flying operation in 2000.
As a tenant unit at Luke the 301st F-16s carried the 'LR' (Luke Reserve) tailcode as opposed to the 'LF' of the resident 56th Fighter Wing. The squadron operated Block 32 F-16C/D models and were operated in the air to ground role.
On 9 March 2010, the pilots of the 301st Fighter Squadron changed their patch to the 69th Fighter Squadron during an inactivation ceremony on 5 March. The event marked the end of almost a decade of Tuskegee heritage at Luke AFB. The Air Force preserved the Tuskegee Airmen heritage with the 301st Fighter Squadron standing up Holloman AFB, New Mexico with the AFRC 44th Fighter Group on 9 April 2010.
Lineage
- Constituted 301st Fighter Squadron on 4 Jul 1942
- Activated on 13 Oct 1942
- Redesignated 301st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, c. 21 Aug 1944
- Inactivated on 19 Oct 1945
- Activated on 1 Jul 1947
- Inactivated on 1 Jul 1949
- Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 901st Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy
- Constituted on 7 Apr 1958
- Activated on 1 Aug 1958
- Inactivated on 2 Jul 1969
- Established in a Provisional Status as the (901st Air Refueling Squadron, Provisional) on 1 Jun 1972
- Disestablished on 30 September 1974
- Redesignated 301st Fighter Squadron on 1 Dec 1999
- Activated in the Reserve on 1 Jan 2000.
Assignments
- 332d Fighter Group, 13 Oct 1942-19 Oct 1945; 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949
- 4228th Strategic Wing, 1 Aug 1958
- 454th Bombardment Wing454th Bombardment WingThe 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Strategic Air Command 42d Air Division, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968....
, 1 Feb 1963-2 Jul 1969
- Attached to 4252d Strategic Wing, Dec 1965-Mar 1966 and Jul-Dec 1967
- Assigned in Provisional Status, to the 3101st Strategic Wing, Provisional, on 1 June 1972
- 307th Strategic Wing, 1 July 1974 - 30 Sep 1974
- 944th Operations Group, 1 Jan 2000
- 44th Fighter Group, 9 April 2010 – Present
Stations
- Tuskegee Army Air Field, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 13 Oct 1942 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 29 Mar 1943 - Oscoda Army Air Field, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 9 Nov 1943 - Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, 19 Nov 1943-23 Dec 1943 - Torretto Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 29 Jan 1944 - Montecorvino Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 8 Feb 1944 - Capodichino Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 15 Apr 1944 - Ramitelli Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 30 May 1944
- Cattolica AirfieldCattolica AirfieldCattolica Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which was located in the vicinity of Cattolica ; about 230 km north-northeast of Rome...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. 4 May 1945 - Lucera Airfield, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. 18 Jul-30 Sep 1945 - Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 17-19 Oct 1945 - Lockbourne AAB (later, AFB), OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 1 Jul 1947-1 Jul 1949 - Columbus AFB, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 1 Aug 1958-2 Jul 1969 - U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy AirfieldU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy AirfieldU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy located approximately southeast of Bangkok, near Sattahip on the Gulf of Siam...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, 1 June 1972 - 30 Sep 1974 - Luke AFB, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 1 Jan 2000-9 April 2010 - Holloman AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 9 April 2010=Present
Aircraft
- P-39 Airacobra (1943–1944)
- P-40 Warhawk (1943–1944)
- P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
(1944, 1947–1949) - F-51 Mustang (1944–1945)
- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
(1958–1969. 1972-1974) - F-16 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
(2000–2010) - F-22A Raptor, 2010–Present