The 85th Fighter Group is an inactive United States 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 Third Air Force

Third Air Force

The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....

, being stationed at Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. It was inactivated on 1 May 1944.

Formed 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...

 as a V-72 Vengeance then converted to an A-24 Dauntless dive-bomber unit. Participated in maneuvers in California during fall and winter of 1942–1943, then in Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 in April 1943. Never deployed to an overseas combat command, converted into a replacement training unit (RTU). Disbanded on 1 May 1944.

Lineage

• Constituted as 85th Bombardment Group (Light) on 13 January 1942

Activated on 10 February 1942

Redesignated: 85th Bombardment Group (Dive) in July 1942

Redesignated: 85th Fighter-Bomber Group in August 1943

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

Assignments

• III Bomber Command
  III Bomber Command
  The III Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
  
  , 10 February 1942; 9 April 1943 – 1 May 1944
• II Bomber Command
  II Bomber Command
  The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
  
  , 2 November 1942

Components

• 499th (formerly 305th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 500th (formerly 306th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 501st (formerly 307th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 502nd (formerly 308th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944.

Stations

• Savannah AB, Georgia
  Georgia (U.S. state)
  Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
  
  , 10 February 1942
• Bowman Field, Kentucky
  Kentucky
  The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
  
  , c. 16 February 1942
• Hunter Field, Georgia
  Georgia (U.S. state)
  Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
  
  , 9 June 1942
• Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia
  Georgia (U.S. state)
  Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
  
  , 15 August 1942
• Gillespie Field
  Gillespie Airport (Tennessee)
  Gillespie Airport is a former airport in Nashville, Tennessee. It was opened in 1941. During World War II, it was leased to the United States Army Air Forces as a training airfield.Known USAAF units which trained at Gillespie Field were:...
  
  , Tennessee
  Tennessee
  Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
  
  , 3 October 1942
• Blythe Army Air Base, California, 2 November 1942
• Rice Army Airfield
  Rice Army Airfield
  Rice Army Airfield is an abandoned World War II airfield located east-southeast of Rice, California, United States...
  
  , California, c. 11 December 1942
• Harding Army Air Field, Louisiana
  Louisiana
  Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
  
  , c. 9 April 1943
• Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia
  Georgia (U.S. state)
  Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
  
  , c. 27 August 1943 – 1 May 1944