520th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

History

World War II

The squadron was activated in April 1943 as the 638th Bombardment Squadron at Key Field, Mississippi, as one of the original squadrons of the 408th Bombardment Group. In August, along with several other Army Air Forces (AAF) single engine dive bomber units, it became a fighter-bomber unit, and was designated as the 520th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.

However, the AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each AAF base was organized into a separate numbered unit. In this reorganization the squadron was disbanded in 1944 as the AAF converted to the AAF Base Unit system

Cold War air defense

During the Cold War the squadron was reconstituted in December 1954. At this time, it was redesignated as the 520th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and activated at Geiger Field, Washington, where it was assigned to the 530th Air Defense Group. At Geiger, the squadron flew airborne intercept radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabre aircraft.

The 530th Group was inactivated and replaced by the 84th Fighter Group (Air Defense) in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow, which was designed to reestablish fighter units that had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. The squadron was inactivated along with the group and its equipment and personnel were transferred to the 498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 638th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 23 March 1943 : Activated on 5 April 1943 : Redesignated 520th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943 : Disbanded on 1 April 1944
• Reconstituted and redesignated 520th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 4 November 1954 : Activated on 8 December 1954 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Assignments

• 408th Bombardment Group (later 408th Fighter-Bomber Group), 5 April 1943 – 1 April 1944
• 530th Air Defense Group, 8 December 1954 – 18 August 1955

Stations

• Key Field, Mississippi, 5 April 1943
• Drew Field, Florida, 24 September 1943
• Abilene Army Air Field, Texas, 10 November 1943
• DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, 11 February 1944
• Woodward Army Air Field, Oklahoma, 26 March – 1 April 1944
• Geiger Field, Washington, 8 December 1954 – 18 August 1955

Aircraft

• Douglas A-24 Banshee, 1943–1944
• North American A-36 Apache, 1943–1944
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1943–1944
• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 1943–1944
• North American F-86D Sabre, 1954–1955

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)

::

; Further reading

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 624
2. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 294
3. operational training unit]] with various aircraft, providing [[en cadre. cadres]] to "satellite groups" and as a [[Operational - Replacement Training Units#Replacement Training Units
4. Goss, p. 75
5. Cornett & Johnson, p.128
6. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 150
7. Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6