401st Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 401st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force
, stationed at Camp Myles Standish
, Massachusetts
. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945
The squadron was re-designated as the 172d Fighter Squadron, and allocated to the Michigan Air National Guard
on 24 May 1946.
s upon arrival in the ETO.
From British airfields the squadron flew sweeps over Occupied France, attacking radar installations and flak towers, and escorted bombers that attacked bridges and marshalling yards in France as the Allies prepared for the invasion of the Continent. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 June 1944, and flew armed reconnaissance missions over the Cotentin Peninsula until the end of the month. On July 17, 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time in war on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France.
After the D-Day invasion, squadron moved to its Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) at Cardonville, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France and into Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance during the Battle of the Bulge
, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.
Converted to P-51 Mustangs during February - March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 March Supported operations Of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945.
Returned to the United States during September-November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
It's ETO fuselage code was "9D"
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. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, 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....
, 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
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945
The squadron was re-designated as the 172d Fighter Squadron, and allocated to the Michigan Air National Guard
Michigan Air National Guard
The Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard...
on 24 May 1946.
History
Established in mid-1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts, equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Trained under I Fighter Command in New England, being deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England. Was converted from P-47s to P-38 LightningP-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s upon arrival in the ETO.
From British airfields the squadron flew sweeps over Occupied France, attacking radar installations and flak towers, and escorted bombers that attacked bridges and marshalling yards in France as the Allies prepared for the invasion of the Continent. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 June 1944, and flew armed reconnaissance missions over the Cotentin Peninsula until the end of the month. On July 17, 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time in war on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France.
After the D-Day invasion, squadron moved to its Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) at Cardonville, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France and into Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance during 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...
, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.
Converted to P-51 Mustangs during February - March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 March Supported operations Of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945.
Returned to the United States during September-November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
It's ETO fuselage code was "9D"
Lineage
- Constituted 401st Fighter Squadron on 22 Jul 1943
- Activated on 25 Jul 1943
- Inactivated on 10 Nov 1945
- Redesignated 173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Michigan Air National GuardMichigan Air National GuardThe Michigan Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard...
on 24 May 1946.
- Redesignated 173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Michigan Air National Guard
Stations
- Westover Field, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 1 July 1943 - Groton AAFldGroton-New London AirportGroton-New London Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Groton, a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States...
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, 19 October 1943 - Bradley FieldBradley International AirportBradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, 5-20 January 1944 - RAF AldermastonRAF AldermastonRAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
(AAF-467), England, 12 February 1944 467 - RAF AndoverRAF AndoverAndover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
(AAF-406), England, 29 February-19 July 1944 406 - Cardonville AirfieldCardonville AirfieldCardonville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located near the commune of Cardonville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-3), France, 24 July 1944 - La Vieille AirfieldLa Vieille AirfieldLa Vieille Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Pierre-la-Vieille in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-19), France, 15 August 1944 - Lonray AirfieldLonray AirfieldLonray Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Lonrai in the Orne region of northern France....
(A-45), France, 6 September 1944
- Roye-Amy AirfieldRoye-Amy AirfieldRoye-Amy Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located approximately 5 km south-southeast of Roye, approximately 98 km north-northeast of Paris....
(A-73), France, 11 September 1944 - Florennes/Juzaine Airfield (A-78), Belgium 26 September 1944
- Ophoven AirfieldOphoven AirfieldOphoven Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located west of Ophoven ; approximately 54 miles northeast of Brussels.-History:...
(Y-32), Belgium 27 January 1945 - Gütersloh Airfield (Y-99), Germany 20 April 1945
- AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen, Germany. 27 June 1945
- AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 6 August-September 1945
- Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts, 6-7 November 1945
Aircraft
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943–1945
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1945