487th Fighter Squadron

History

Formation and training in the United States

The Adjutant General directed the activation of the 352nd Fighter Group on 1 October 1942. Among its components was the 34th Fighter Squadron, formed by redesignating the 34th Pursuit Squadron as the 34th Fighter Squadron. The squadron began training under that designation. Just before the squadron shipped overseas, headquarters became aware that the 34th Pursuit Squadron, whose personnel were all in Japanese POW camps, was still being maintained on the rolls of the United States Army as an active unit: that there were two 34th Pursuit or Fighter Squadrons. As a result, the designation as the 34th Fighter Squadron was revoked and the squadron was retroactively activated as the 487th Fighter Squadron. However, because the original directive was revoked, the 34th Pursuit Squadron and the 487th Fighter Squadron are not related under U.S. Army lineage rules.

The squadron was activated at Mitchel Field, New York, although its formation occurred at Bradley Field, Connecticut. and it trained with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts at various bases in the northeast United States. While training, the squadron also served in the air defense of the northeast as part of the New York Fighter Wing. In mid-June 1943, the squadron moved to Camp Kilmer and sailed on the for England on 1 July.

Combat in the European Theater

The squadron arrived at its combat station, RAF Bodney, in early July 1943. It flew its first combat mission on 9 September 1943.Preddy was killed in action after transferring to command the group's 328th Fighter Squadron; Meyer remained in the Air Force and retired as a General and commander of Strategic Air Command; Whisner was also an ace in the Korean War and retired as a colonel. Freeman, pp. 273-274, 279-280

In April 1944 the squadron began to replace its Thunderbolts with longer range North American P-51D Mustangs. On 8 May, the squadron was escorting bombers on a raid on Braunschweig. It routed an attack by a numerically superior force of German interceptors, continuing the fight until most planes had used all their ammunition and were running short on fuel, requiring the unit to return to base. For this action, the squadron was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. In addition to escort missions, the squadron flew counter air missions. Returning from its escort missions, it often engaged in air interdiction attacks.

As the German Army launched the counteroffensive known as the Battle of the Bulge, a detachment of the squadron that included all of its air echelon deployed to Asch Airfield on 23 December 1944 to reinforce Ninth Air Force flying air support missions. On 1 January the detachment earned the squadron the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, when its airfield was attacked by 50 Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, just as its planes were taking off for an area patrol. In the ensuing aerial battle, about half the attacking German aircraft were destroyed with no loss to the squadron. The squadron also earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation in this action for destroying 23 of the attackers. This was the only time during the war that a squadron in Eighth Air Force received this award independently of its group. The detachment moved to Chievres Airfield, Belgium in late January 1945, where it was joined by the rest of the squadron, coming under the control of Eighth Air Force again. From Chievres, it provided cover for Operation Varsity, the airborne assault to establish a bridgehead across the Rhine.

In April 1945, the squadron returned to England, flying its last mission on 3 May. Following V-E Day, many of the squadron personnel transferred for early return to the United States. The remaining personnel sailed on the on 4 November 1945. After arriving in the United States, the squadron inactivated on 10 November 1945.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 487th Fighter Squadron on 29 September 1942 : Activated on 1 October 1942 : Inactivated on 10 November 1945

Assignments

• 352d Fighter Group, 1 October 1942 – 10 November 1945

Stations

• Mitchel Field, New York, 1 October 1942
• Bradley Field, Connecticut, October 1942
• Westover Field, Massachusetts, November 1942
• Trumbull Field, Connecticut, c. 15 January 1943
• Mitchel Field, New York, c. 8 March – June 1943
• RAF Bodney (Sta 141), England, c. 7 July 1943 (detachment operated from Asch Airfield (Y-29), Belgium after 23 December 1944)
• Chievres Airfield (A-84), Belgium, 28 January 1945
• RAF Bodney (Sta 141), England, c. 14 April – 4 November 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 9–10 November 1945

Aircraft

• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1942–1944
• North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 585-586
2. Watkins, p. 56
3. ''See'' Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 232 (listing "487th [formerly 34th]" as a component of the 352nd Group)
4. No byline. "Abstract, 487 Fighter Squadron History, Sep 1942-May 1945". Air Force History Index.
5. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 166 (34th Pursuit Squadron), 585-585 (487th Fighter Squadron).
6. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 231-233
7. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 427
8. Freeman, p. 250
9. It concentrated on flying escort missions for [[VIII Bomber Command]] heavy bombers participating in the [[strategic bombing during World War II#US bombing in Europe. aces]] in [[United States Air Forces Europe. Eighth Air Force]] were squadron members. [[George E. Preddy]] was credited with 26.83 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air, [[John C. Meyer]] was credited with 24, and [[William T. Whisner]] with 15.5.Freeman, pp. 273-274, 279-280
10. Station number in Anderson, p. 21.
11. Station number in Johnson, p. 28.
12. Station number in Johnson, p. 23.