Patch with 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Emblem (approved 21 September 1964)[1]
During World War II the squadron was a Lockheed P-38 Lightning replacement training unit on the west coast of the United States. It performed this mission until it was disbanded in 1944 in a major reorganization of Army Air Forces training and support units.
The squadron was reactivated in 1953 as part of the expansion on air defenses and served in this role from bases in New York until 1958, when it moved to Texas. In Texas it assumed the additional mission of combat crew training for Lockheed F-104 Starfighter pilots.
The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 331st Fighter Squadron,[1] one of the three original squadrons of the 329th Fighter Group.[2] The squadron served under IV Fighter Command as a Lockheed P-38 Lightning Replacement Training Unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.[3] It trained P-38 pilots in California and Washington State. However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.[4] This resulted in the 331st, along with other units at Ellensburg Army Airfield, being disbanded in the spring of 1944 and replaced by an Army Air Forces Base Unit.[1]
In 1958, the 331st returned to flying F-86Ds[7] and moved to Webb AFB, Texas for air defense of south central United States. It reequipped with Convair F-102 Delta Daggers in 1960.[1] At the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis on 22 October 1962, the squadron deployed eighteen F-102s to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida.[8] These planes were soon replaced by planes from the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Truax's F-102s were the only Delta Daggers in ADC that had not been modified to carry the nuclear armed GAR-11 Falcon and were more suited to the Homestead mission.[9]
4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron F-104s at Webb AFB
In 1963 the squadron received Lockheed F-104 Starfighters that had been assigned to the Air National Guard.[10][11] Although the F-104A had been withdrawn from active service in 1960 because its fire control system was not compatible with the SAGE system,[12] this did not affect the squadron while it operated from Webb, because the 4752d Air Defense Wing operated a manual NORAD Sector Combat Center. In addition to single-seat F-104As, the squadron received the two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer F-104B. The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably. The squadron served as the ADC combat crew training squadron for the F-104.
In May 1965, in connection with the United States intervention in the Dominican Civil War, the squadron deployed twelve F-104s to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico to help prevent Cuban intervention in the Dominican Republic.[13] The squadron continued to fly F-104s until it was inactivated in 1967 and its personnel and F-104s transferred to the 4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron, which assumed the F-104 training mission[14] for Royal Jordanian Air Force F-104 pilots.[15] The 4760th was discontinued on 1 October 1967 when the Jordanian pilots were recalled because of the war with Israel.
LineageEdit
Constituted as the 331st Fighter Squadron on 24 June 1942
Activated on 10 July 1942
Disbanded on 31 March 1944
Reconstituted and redesignated 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, on 3 February 1953
^ "Abstract, History 4760 Combat Crew Training Squadron Mar–Jun 1967". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
^"Abstract, History 331 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Jan–Feb 1967". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
BibliographyEdit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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)
Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657.
Greenberg, Maj Lawrence H. (1986). United States Army Unilateral and Coalition Operations in the 1965 Dominican Republic Intervention(PDF). Historical Analysis. Washington DC: United States Army Center of Military History. LCCN 86600416. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 210. ISBN0-912799-02-1.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
McMullen, Richard F. (1964) "The Fighter Interceptor Force 1962–1964" ADC Historical Study No. 27, Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, CO (Confidential, declassified 22 March 2000)
NORAD/CONAD Participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Historical Reference Paper No. 8, Directorate of Command History Continental Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1 Feb 63 (Top Secret NOFORN declassified 9 March 1996)
"ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor (January 1979) Aerospace Defense Command, (Volume 21, Number 1)
External linksEdit
October 22, 2023
331st, fighter, interceptor, squadron, inactive, united, states, force, unit, last, assignment, with, defense, command, webb, force, base, texas, where, inactivated, march, 1967, lockheed, starfighter, webb, texas, february, 1964active1942, 1967countryunited, . The 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Webb Air Force Base Texas where it was inactivated on 1 March 1967 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron Lockheed F 104 Starfighter 56 821 at Webb AFB Texas February 1964Active1942 1967CountryUnited StatesBranchUnited States Air ForceInsigniaPatch with 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron Emblem approved 21 September 1964 1 During World War II the squadron was a Lockheed P 38 Lightning replacement training unit on the west coast of the United States It performed this mission until it was disbanded in 1944 in a major reorganization of Army Air Forces training and support units The squadron was reactivated in 1953 as part of the expansion on air defenses and served in this role from bases in New York until 1958 when it moved to Texas In Texas it assumed the additional mission of combat crew training for Lockheed F 104 Starfighter pilots Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 2 Cold War Air Defense 2 Lineage 2 1 Assignments 2 2 Stations 2 3 Aircraft 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 Bibliography 5 External linksHistory EditWorld War II Edit The squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 331st Fighter Squadron 1 one of the three original squadrons of the 329th Fighter Group 2 The squadron served under IV Fighter Command as a Lockheed P 38 Lightning Replacement Training Unit Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters 3 It trained P 38 pilots in California and Washington State However the Army Air Forces found that standard military units based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission Accordingly a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit 4 This resulted in the 331st along with other units at Ellensburg Army Airfield being disbanded in the spring of 1944 and replaced by an Army Air Forces Base Unit 1 Cold War Air Defense Edit nbsp Convair F 102A 80 CO Delta Dagger 56 1466 1962The 331st was reconstituted as the 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron and activated in 1953 at Suffolk County Air Force Base as an Air Defense Command ADC interceptor squadron 1 The squadron was initially equipped with radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F 86D Sabres 5 In the summer of 1955 ADC implemented Project Arrow which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars 6 As part of this reorganization the 331st s World War II headquarters the 329th Fighter Group was reactivated at Stewart Air Force Base 2 The squadron moved to Stewart 1 on paper and assumed the mission personnel and F 86D aircraft of the 539th Fighter Interceptor Squadron In December 1956 the squadron began to receive upgraded F 86L Sabres equipped with data link communications equipment to interface with the Semi Automatic Ground Environment SAGE air defense system 5 In 1958 the 331st returned to flying F 86Ds 7 and moved to Webb AFB Texas for air defense of south central United States It reequipped with Convair F 102 Delta Daggers in 1960 1 At the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis on 22 October 1962 the squadron deployed eighteen F 102s to Homestead Air Force Base Florida 8 These planes were soon replaced by planes from the 325th Fighter Interceptor Squadron Truax s F 102s were the only Delta Daggers in ADC that had not been modified to carry the nuclear armed GAR 11 Falcon and were more suited to the Homestead mission 9 nbsp 4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron F 104s at Webb AFBIn 1963 the squadron received Lockheed F 104 Starfighters that had been assigned to the Air National Guard 10 11 Although the F 104A had been withdrawn from active service in 1960 because its fire control system was not compatible with the SAGE system 12 this did not affect the squadron while it operated from Webb because the 4752d Air Defense Wing operated a manual NORAD Sector Combat Center In addition to single seat F 104As the squadron received the two seat dual control combat trainer F 104B The performance of the F 104B was almost identical to that of the F 104A but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably The squadron served as the ADC combat crew training squadron for the F 104 In May 1965 in connection with the United States intervention in the Dominican Civil War the squadron deployed twelve F 104s to Ramey Air Force Base Puerto Rico to help prevent Cuban intervention in the Dominican Republic 13 The squadron continued to fly F 104s until it was inactivated in 1967 and its personnel and F 104s transferred to the 4760th Combat Crew Training Squadron which assumed the F 104 training mission 14 for Royal Jordanian Air Force F 104 pilots 15 The 4760th was discontinued on 1 October 1967 when the Jordanian pilots were recalled because of the war with Israel Lineage EditConstituted as the 331st Fighter Squadron on 24 June 1942Activated on 10 July 1942 Disbanded on 31 March 1944Reconstituted and redesignated 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron on 3 February 1953Activated on 24 February 1953 Inactivated 1 March 1967Assignments Edit 329th Fighter Group 10 July 1942 31 March 1944 519th Air Defense Group 24 February 1953 329th Fighter Group 18 August 1955 33d Air Division 15 August 1958 Albuquerque Air Defense Sector 1 January 1960 Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector 15 September 1960 4752d Air Defense Wing 1 September 1961 1 March 1967Stations Edit Hamilton Field California 10 July 1942 Paine Field Washington 14 July 1942 Mines Field California 10 September 1942 Van Nuys Army Air Field California 4 November 1942 Olympia Army Air Field Washington 13 August 1943 Ellensburg Army Airfield Washington 1 November 1943 Ontario Army Air Field California 27 December 1943 31 March 1944 Suffolk County AFB New York 24 February 1953 Stewart AFB New York 18 August 1955 Webb AFB Texas 15 August 1958 1 March 1967 Aircraft Edit Lockheed P 38 Lightning 1942 1944 North American F 51 Mustang 1953 North American F 86D Sabre 1953 1956 1958 1960 North American F 86L Sabre 1956 1958 Convair F 102 Delta Dagger 1960 1963 Lockheed F 104 Starfighter 1963 1967See also Edit nbsp World War II portalList of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons List of F 86 Sabre units List of Lockheed F 104 Starfighter operatorsReferences EditNotes Edit a b c d e f Maurer Combat Squadrons p 408 a b Maurer Combat Units p 210 Craven amp Cate Introduction p xxxvi Craven amp Cate p 7 a b Cornett amp Johnson p 126 Buss et al p 6 Abstract History 26 Air Division Jan Jun 1958 Air Force History Index Retrieved 1 November 2013 NORAD CONAD Participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis p 10 McMullen p 12 Abstract History 4752 Air Defense Wing Jan Mar 1963 Air Force History Index Retrieved 1 November 2013 McMullen p 18 McMullen p 6 Greenberg p 44 Abstract History 4760 Combat Crew Training Squadron Mar Jun 1967 Air Force History Index Retrieved 1 November 2013 Abstract History 331 Fighter Interceptor Squadron Jan Feb 1967 Air Force History Index Retrieved 1 November 2013 Bibliography Edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency 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 Cornett Lloyd H Johnson Mildred W 1980 A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 1980 PDF Peterson AFB CO Office of History Aerospace Defense Center Archived from the original PDF on 13 February 2016 Retrieved 1 November 2013 Craven Wesley F Cate James L eds 1955 The Army Air Forces in World War II Vol VI Men amp Planes Chicago Illinois University of Chicago Press LCCN 48003657 Greenberg Maj Lawrence H 1986 United States Army Unilateral and Coalition Operations in the 1965 Dominican Republic Intervention PDF Historical Analysis Washington DC United States Army Center of Military History LCCN 86600416 Retrieved 25 August 2018 Maurer Maurer ed 1983 1961 Air Force Combat Units of World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History p 210 ISBN 0 912799 02 1 Maurer Maurer ed 1982 1969 Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II PDF reprint ed Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 405 12194 6 LCCN 70605402 OCLC 72556 McMullen Richard F 1964 The Fighter Interceptor Force 1962 1964 ADC Historical Study No 27 Air Defense Command Ent Air Force Base CO Confidential declassified 22 March 2000 NORAD CONAD Participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis Historical Reference Paper No 8 Directorate of Command History Continental Air Defense Command Ent AFB CO 1 Feb 63 Top Secret NOFORN declassified 9 March 1996 ADCOM s Fighter Interceptor Squadrons The Interceptor January 1979 Aerospace Defense Command Volume 21 Number 1 External links Edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 331st Fighter Interceptor Squadron amp oldid 1166440528, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
