386th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 386th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 365th Fighter Group
, stationed at Camp Myles Standish
, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 22 September 1945
for training. They departed Richmond Army Air Base in December 4, 1943 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth along with 15,000 troops. They arrived at RAF Gosfield
, Essex on December 23, 1943. Their first combat air field training resumed for two months. On February 22, 1944, the squadron flew their first combat mission and over the next one to two months gradually converting from escorting Eighth Air Force
heavy bombers to their fighter-bomber mode under Ninth Air Force
that continued to the war's end.
The squadron was instrumental in determining the maximum bomb loads for the P-47. Two one-thousand pound bombs and an external fuel tank on the Billy Rack. They were the first group to fly a dive-bombing mission with that bomb load. Their fire power was eight fifty caliber machine guns and their total arsenal included rockets and napalm. This armament was standard for all thirteen P-47 fighter-bomber groups shortly after the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944.
Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command
, the squadron flew in direct support of General Hodges First Army. Their mission was two-fold. Protect the ground forces from enemy air attack and destroy any and all obstacles on the ground that prevented our forces from advancing. On two occasions to support Patton's Third Army. The first was shortly after August 1, 1944. The second was during the last months of the Battle of the Bulge. The squadron was active against specific targets on D-Day before, during and following. This was the first company breakthrough in the Battle of the Bulge
in taking Germany. The squadron was part of the first group to move into Germany on March 17, 1945 at Aachen and the first to fly a combat mission off a German soil.
The 386th Fighter Squadron flew combat from February 22, 1944 through May 4, 1945, totalling 14.5 months. They flew combat from eleven air fields or air strips moving more times than any other fighter-bomber group in the Ninth Air Force.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the 365th Fighter Group
365th Fighter Group
The 365th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 22 September 1945....
, stationed at Camp Myles Standish
Camp Myles Standish
Camp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 22 September 1945
History
Activated in May 1943 as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron, assigned to I Fighter CommandI Fighter Command
The I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
for training. They departed Richmond Army Air Base in December 4, 1943 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth along with 15,000 troops. They arrived at RAF Gosfield
RAF Gosfield
RAF Station Gosfield is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Braintree; about north-northeast of LondonOpened in 1943, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
, Essex on December 23, 1943. Their first combat air field training resumed for two months. On February 22, 1944, the squadron flew their first combat mission and over the next one to two months gradually converting from escorting Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
heavy bombers to their fighter-bomber mode under Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
that continued to the war's end.
The squadron was instrumental in determining the maximum bomb loads for the P-47. Two one-thousand pound bombs and an external fuel tank on the Billy Rack. They were the first group to fly a dive-bombing mission with that bomb load. Their fire power was eight fifty caliber machine guns and their total arsenal included rockets and napalm. This armament was standard for all thirteen P-47 fighter-bomber groups shortly after the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944.
Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command
IX Tactical Air Command
The IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, the squadron flew in direct support of General Hodges First Army. Their mission was two-fold. Protect the ground forces from enemy air attack and destroy any and all obstacles on the ground that prevented our forces from advancing. On two occasions to support Patton's Third Army. The first was shortly after August 1, 1944. The second was during the last months of the Battle of the Bulge. The squadron was active against specific targets on D-Day before, during and following. This was the first company breakthrough in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in taking Germany. The squadron was part of the first group to move into Germany on March 17, 1945 at Aachen and the first to fly a combat mission off a German soil.
The 386th Fighter Squadron flew combat from February 22, 1944 through May 4, 1945, totalling 14.5 months. They flew combat from eleven air fields or air strips moving more times than any other fighter-bomber group in the Ninth Air Force.
Lineage
- Constituted 386th Fighter Squadron on 27 Apr 1943
- Activated on 15 May 1943
- Inactivated on 22 Sep 1945
- Re-designated 174th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Iowa Air National GuardIowa Air National GuardThe Iowa Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Iowa. It is, along with the Iowa Army National Guard, an element of the Iowa National Guard.-Units:The Iowa Air National Guard consists of the following units:...
on 24 May 1946.
Stations
- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 15 May 1943
- Langley Field, Virginia, 19 Jul 1943
- Dover Army Airbase, Delaware, 12 Aug 1943
- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia,, 19 Nov-4 Dec 1943
- RAF GosfieldRAF GosfieldRAF Station Gosfield is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Braintree; about north-northeast of LondonOpened in 1943, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
(AAF-154), England, 23 Dec 1943 - RAF BeaulieuRAF BeaulieuRAF Station Beaulieu was a World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408...
(AAF-408), England, 5 Mar 1944 - Azeville AirfieldAzeville AirfieldAzeville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Azeville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-7), France, 27 Jun 1944 - Lignerolles AirfieldLignerolles AirfieldLignerolles Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Lignerolles in the Haute-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-12), France, c. 31 Aug 1944 - Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, 3 Sep 1944
- Juvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt AirfieldJuvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France....
(A_68), France, 11 Sep 1944
- Chièvres Airfield (A-84), Belgium, 4 Oct 1944
- Metz Airfield (Y-34), France, 29 Dec 1944
- Florennes/Juzaine AirfieldFlorennes Air BaseFlorennes Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located in Florennes, a municipality of Belgium. It is home to the 2nd Tactical Wing, operating F-16 Fighting Falcons. It also used to be the home to the Tactical Leadership Programme , a joint training program formed by 10 NATO members...
(A-78), Belgium, 30 Jan 1945 - Aachen AirfieldMerzbruck AirportMerzbrück Airport is an airfield located in Aachen, Germany. It is also known as Aachen-Merzbrück Airport .The airport primarily supports general aviation, and also has a very large sailplane facility....
(Y-46), Germany, 17 Mar 1945 - Fritzlar Airfield (Y-86) (later AAF Station Fritzlar)Fritzlar Air BaseFritzlar Air Base is a military air field of the German Army Aviation Corps. It is located near the town of Fritzlar in northern Hesse, Germany...
, Germany, 12 Apr 1945 - Suippes, France, c. 29 Jul 1945 (Ground echelon)
- Antwerp, Belgium, c. 22 Aug-11 Sep 1945 (Ground echelon, also POE for United States)
- Camp Myles StandishCamp Myles StandishCamp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, Massachusetts, 20-22 Sep 1945. (not manned or equipped)