The 179th Fighter Squadron (179 FS) is a unit of the
Minnesota Air National Guard
The Minnesota Air National Guard (MN ANG) is the aerial militia of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Minnesota Army National Guard, an element of the Minnesota National Guard of the lar ...
148th Fighter Wing
The 148th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Minnesota Air National Guard located at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota. The 148th is unit equipped with the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon. If activated to federal service, the Wing ...
located at
Duluth Air National Guard Base
Duluth Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base located on the grounds of Duluth International Airport. It is home to the 148th Fighter Wing.
History
The City of Duluth purchased the original property for the airport ...
, Minnesota, United States. The 179th is equipped with the
General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolv ...
.
History
World War II
Training in the United States
The
squadron was first organized as the 393d Fighter Squadron at
Hamilton Field, California, on 15 July 1943, as one of the original squadrons of the
367th Fighter Group 367th may refer to:
* 367th Fighter Group, later the 133d Operations Group, the flying component of the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133d Airlift Wing
*367th Fighter Squadron Inactivated in 1945, then reactivated at Homestead Air Reserve Base in ...
.
[Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 252–254][Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 483] Several members of its initial
cadre were former
Flying Tigers
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States Ar ...
with prior combat experience. It was not until late August, however, that the group received its first
Bell P-39 Airacobra
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...
. After building up its strength, the squadron moved in October to
Santa Rosa Army Air Field
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring gifts during the ...
, California.
[ In December group headquarters and the squadron moved to ]Oakland Municipal Airport
Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States. The airport is located south of downtown Oakland and east of San Francisco, serving the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The airport is ...
,[ while the other squadrons of the group were at other locations in northern California. The squadron moved temporarily to ]Tonopah Army Air Field Tonopah may refer to:
* Tonopah, Arizona, a community
* Tonopah, Nevada, a community
* Tonopah Air Force Station, a Cold War radar station along with Las Vegas Air Force Station
* Tonopah Basin, Central Basin and Range ecoregions around the Tonopah ...
, Nevada, where it performed dive bombing
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
and gunnery training. Training accidents with the Bell P-39 Airacobra cost several pilots their lives. In January 1944, as it prepared for overseas movement, the 393d was further reinforced with personnel from the 328th and 368th Fighter Group 368th may refer to:
*368th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
*368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group
The 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group is a combat support unit of the United States Air Force. ...
s.[Chickering, p. 78] The squadron staged through Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks was a United States Army installation in the Orangeburg, New York area. Named after Major General David C. Shanks, it was situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River. The camp was the largest U.S. Army embark ...
, and sailed for England aboard the . The "Drunken Duchess"[Nicknamed for its unusual rolling motion in heavy weather. Groh, p. 23.] docked at Greenock
Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...
, Scotland on 3 April and the group was transported by train to its airfield at RAF Stoney Cross
Royal Air Force Stoney Cross or more simply RAF Stoney Cross is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton.
Opened in 1942 ...
, England.[
]
P-38 transition and combat operations from England
Having trained on single engine aircraft, the squadrons's pilots were surprised to find Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...
s sitting on Stoney Cross's dispersal pads.[Chickering, p. 79] Only members of the advance party had any experience flying the Lightning. These pilots had flown combat sorties with the 55th Fighter Group. The change from single engine to twin engine aircraft required considerable retraining for both pilots and ground crew. Although some pilots entered combat with as little as eight hours of flying time on the P-38, in late April the squadron was reinforced by pilots who had trained on the Lightning in the States and were more experienced on the type. However, the lack of instrument training in the P-38 took its toll on the 393d as weather, not enemy action, caused the loss of pilots and airplanes.
On 9 May, the squadron flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over Alençon
Alençon (, , ; ) is a commune in Normandy, France, and the capital of the Orne department. It is situated between Paris and Rennes (about west of Paris) and a little over north of Le Mans. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alen� ...
, France. For the remainer of the month, the unit flew fighter sweeps, bomber escort and dive bombing
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
, missions and suffered its first combat losses.
On D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
and the next three days the squadron flew missions maintaining air cover over shipping carrying invasion troops. These missions continued for the next three days. The 393d and other P-38 units stationed in England were selected for these missions with the expectation that the distinctive silhouette of the Lightning would prevent potential friendly fire incidents by anti-aircraft gunners mistaking them for enemy fighters. Shortly after the Normandy invasion, on 12 June, the 367th Group was selected to test the ability of the P-38 to carry a 2,000 lb bomb under each wing. The selected target was a railroad yard
A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or ...
, and results were mixed.[Groh, p. 43] However, on this mission, the squadron scored its first air-to-air victory when Lts James Pinkerton and James Mason combined to shoot down a Messerschmitt Me 410
The Messerschmitt Me 410 ''Hornisse'' (Hornet) is a heavy fighter and Schnellbomber ("Fast Bomber" in English) designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It was flown by the ''Luftwaffe'' during the latter half o ...
flying near the assigned target.
By mid June German ground forces had withdrawn to defend a perimeter around Cherbourg Harbour
Cherbourg Harbour (French: ''rade de Cherbourg''; literally, the "roadstead of Cherbourg") is a harbour situated at the northern end of the Cotentin Peninsula, on the English Channel coastline, in Normandy, northwestern France. With a surface ...
, a major port whose capture had become more important to the allies with the destruction of Mulberry
''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...
A, one of the artificial harbors constructed near the Normandy beachhead. An attack by VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to:
* VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I
* VII ...
on 22 June was to be preceded by low level bombing and strafing attack by IX Fighter Command
The IX Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 16 November 1945.
IX Fighter Command was the primary tactical fight ...
. Briefed by intelligence to expect a "milk run" The 394th flew at low altitude through what turned out to be a heavily defended area. Within two to three minutes after beginning the attack the squadron lost five pilots. Seven group pilots were killed in action. Nearly all surviving aircraft received battle damage and the entire 367th Group was out of action for several days.
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
moved its medium bomber forces to bases closer to the Continent in July, so they would be able to strike targets near the expanding front in France. The 387th Bombardment Group 387th may refer to:
*387th Air Expeditionary Group (387 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait
* 387th EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Company, part of the ...
was moved to Stoney Cross, forcing the 394th to vacate their station and move the short distance to RAF Ibsley
Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about north of Ringwood.
A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighte ...
. From Ibsley the group struck railroads, marshaling yards, and trains to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front during Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was an offensive launched by the First United States Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take advantage of the dis ...
, the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy.[English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...]
to take up stations in Normandy
Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy.
Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, France. Group headquarters shared Beuzeville Airfield with the 371st Fighter Group 371st may refer to:
*371st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
*371st Engineer Construction Battalion or 371st Engineer Battalion, activated as a Special Service Regiment in the United States Army in 1944
* 371st Fighter Gro ...
, while the 393d Squadron was at Cricqueville Airfield
Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Cricqueville-en-Bessin in the Normandy region of northern France.
Located just outside Cricqueville-en-Bessin, the United State ...
,[ advanced landing grounds made from ]pierced steel planking
Marston Mat, more properly called pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), is standardized, perforated steel matting material developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the r ...
. After the breakout of ground forces in the Saint-Lô area, the squadron concentrated on close air support of General Patton's Third Army. In late August, the squadron attacked German Seventh Army convoys which, to prevent being surrounded, were withdrawing eastward from the Falaise pocket
The Falaise pocket or battle of the Falaise pocket (; 12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. Allied forces formed a pocket around Falaise, Calvados, in which German Army Group B, c ...
. Five convoys and 100 Tiger Tanks were destroyed on one day.
On 22 August the group attacked three Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
airfields near Laon
Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
History
Early history
The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...
. The 392d Fighter Squadron
39 may refer to:
* 39 (number)
* one of the years:
** 39 BC
** AD 39
** 1939
** 2039
* ''39'' (album), a 2000 studio album by Mikuni Shimokawa
* '39", a 1975 song by Queen
* "Thirty Nine", a song by Karma to Burn from the album ''Almost Heathen'' ...
dive bombed and destroyed two hangars on one airfield but were jumped by twelve Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
s as they completed their attack. Eighteen Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
s and Fw 190s engaged the 393d as it reformed from its dive bomb run. After bombing its target, the 394th Fighter Squadron turned to reinforce the 392d. The squadrons of the 367th Group claimed fourteen enemy aircraft in total against a loss of one Lightning.
The 393d received a Distinguished Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
when it returned to the Laon area three days later. That day, the 367th Group attacked Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
airfields at Clastres
Clastres () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 796 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The co ...
, Péronne and Rosières-en-Haye
Rosières-en-Haye () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
It hosted an important Air Base (the Toul-Rosières Air Base) that has been converted in 2012 in the largest photovoltaic power plant of Europe at t ...
through an intense flak
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...
barrage. The group then engaged more than thirty Focke-Wulf 190 fighters that had just taken off. Group claims were 25 enemy aircraft destroyed, one probably destroyed and 17 damaged against the loss of 6 group aircraft.[These claims were from an estimated 50 enemy aircraft engaged in the air and on the ground. Chickering, p. 79] Then, despite a low fuel supply, the unit strafe
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such a ...
d a train and convoy after leaving the scene of battle. Captain Larry Blumer of the 393d destroyed five enemy aircraft becoming an ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...
on one mission. In the afternoon the squadron conducted a long range fighter sweep of more than 800 miles to airfields in the Dijon
Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
-Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
area.
As Allied forces moved forward across France the squadron began leap-frogging to new bases. In early September they relocated at Peray Airfield, but moved again a week later to Clastres Airfield.[ From Clastres The 393d supported Operation Market-Garden by escorting troop carrier aircraft and attacking flak positions. For its attacks that Fall, the squadron was cited in the Order of the Day by the Belgium Army.]
In late October, as the Ninth Air Force brought its medium bombers to bases in France, the 393d was bumped from its station for the second time by the 387th Bombardment Group, when it moved to Juvincourt Airfield
Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Ju ...
, north of Reims
Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
.[ Juvincourt was a former Luftwaffe base with permanent facilities, in contrast to the advanced landing grounds where the squadron had been based since moving to France. The squadron attacked German strong points to aid the Allied push against the ]Siegfried Line
The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...
throughout the fall of 1944.[
The German ]Ardennes Offensive
The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France.
Geological ...
occurred as the holidays approached. A planned move to a field in Belgium was canceled. During the Battle of the Bulge, the 394th, after escorting C-47s on a resupply drop to encircled troops at Bastogne, conducted an armed reconnaissance of the Trier
Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
area. The group was engaged by Fw 190s and a 40-minute air battle ensued in which the group claimed eight destroyed, two probably destroyed and nine damaged.
Transition to the P-47 Thunderbolt
Early in 1945 a desire to standardize the fighter-bombers in Ninth Air Force, the squadron transitioned into Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
s. Pilots flew Lightnings on combat missions while training at the same time with the Thunderbolt. The 393d was the first squadron of the 367th Group to fly a combat missions with the P-47s. Using the Thunderbolt the squadron was again cited in a Belgium Army Order of the Day, earning the Belgian Fourragere
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...
.
The 393d received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 19 March 1945. The 367th Group's target was the headquarters of Field Marshal Kesselring, the German Commander-ln-Chief, West,[Kesselring assumed command the day of the attack. American intelligence believed Field Marshall von Rundstedt was still in command. Groh, p. 136.] at Ziegenburg near Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim () is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany.
As of 2020, Bad Nauheim has a population of 32,493. The town is approximately north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a w ...
, Germany. Aircraft of the leading 394th Fighter Squadron would attack at low level to achieve surprise, carrying a 1,000-pound bomb under each wing. The P-47s of the 392d Fighter Squadron would be similarly armed, but would dive bomb from a higher altitude. The bombs were equipped with time-delay fuses intended to crack the concrete roofs of the bunker. The 393d carried napalm
Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...
intended to seep into the bunkers and burn what remained. The attack was scheduled for a time that intelligence reports indicated would find senior staff and commanders at lunch, the only time they would not be in the reinforced tunnels underneath the castle that housed the headquarters. The target was located in mountainous terrain well defended by antiaircraft artillery. Moreover, to avoid alerting the Germans to the pending attack, photographic reconnaissance aircraft had avoided the area, so detailed target photography was not available. The day of the attack the castle was concealed by ground haze which caused the 394th Fighter Squadron to stray off course at the last minute, preventing them from executing the attack as planned and reducing the element of surprise. Although senior German officers reached the underground bunkers and survived the attack, the group reduced the military complex to ruins, disrupting communications and the flow of intelligence at a critical time.
The squadron struck tanks, trucks, flak positions, and other objectives in support of the assault across the Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
late in March and the final allied operations in Germany.[ It was commended by the commanding generals of ]XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ( ...
and the 11th Armored Division for the close air support the unit provided for their commands. On 10 April the squadron moved to Eschborn Airfield on the northwest side of Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, Germany. The 393d flew its last combat mission, a defensive patrol, one year after entering combat on 8 May. During its combat tour, the squadron was credited with 22.5 air-to-air victories over enemy aircraft.
Return to the United States and inactivation
All hostilities ceased the following day, exactly one year after the squadron became operational. On 4 June, the 367th Group led a flyby for General Weyland. On 1 July it was announced the 393d was to redeploy to the Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
after it was re-equipped with and trained with long range P-47Ns in preparation for Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the proposed Allied plan for the invasion of the Japanese home islands near the end of World War II. The planned operation was canceled when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ...
, the invasion of Japan.[ The squadron moved to Camp Detroit in France then to a staging area near ]Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
. Here it boarded two ships, the , and the . When Japan surrendered, the ''Morton'' was diverted to Newport News
Newport News () is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the fifth-most populous city in Virginia and 140th-most populous city i ...
, Virginia, while the ''Ericcson'' sailed for Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
, New York. Following leave for everyone, the few personnel that remained in the squadron after transfers and discharges reassembled at Seymour Johnson Field
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an F4F Wildcat crash near Norbeck, Maryla ...
, North Carolina, on 2 November and the 393d was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.
Minnesota Air National Guard
The wartime 393d Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 179th Fighter Squadron and was allotted to the National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Duluth Municipal Airport
: ''For the United States Air Force use of this facility, see Duluth Air National Guard Base.''
Duluth International Airport is a city-owned public-use joint civil-military airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the centr ...
and was extended federal recognition on 17 September 1948. The squadron was equipped with North American F-51D Mustang
Over twenty variants of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter were produced from 1940, when it first flew, to after World War II, some of which were employed also in the Korean War and in several other conflicts.
Allison-engined Mustangs
NA- ...
s and was assigned to the 133d Fighter Group at Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis.
Korean War activation
On 1 March 1951, the 179th was federalized and brought to active duty due to the Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. Shortly after activation it was redesignated the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and became part of Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
. On active duty it assumed an air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
mission and initially remained assigned to the 133d Fighter-Interceptor Group at Duluth Municipal Airport.[Cornett & Johnson, p. 124] However, ADC experienced difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage. As a result, in February 1952 the 133d Group was inactivated and the squadron was reassigned to the 31st Air Division
The 31st Air Division (31st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 3 ...
. The squadron was inactivated and returned to the control of the State of Minnesota on 1 December 1952.[
]
Cold War
The unit was organized by 1 January 1953 and ADC became its gaining command upon call to active duty. It resumed its peacetime training mission. The squadron upgraded in 1954 to the radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire is a first-generation jet powered all-weather day/night interceptor aircraft designed and produced by Lockheed Corporation. It was the first operational United States Air Force (USAF) fighter equipped with an afterbu ...
all-weather interceptor, armed with .50 caliber machine guns. With this new aircraft, the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron became an all-weather interceptor unit. In 1957, the 179th again upgraded to the improved Northrop F-89C Scorpion
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is an night fighter, all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the first jet propulsion, jet-powered aircraft to be design ...
then in 1959, the unit converted to the F-89J model of the Scorpion, which was not only equipped with data link
A data link is a means of telecommunications link, connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a t ...
for interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of mainframe computer, large computers and associated computer network, networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image ...
system, but which carried the nuclear armed AIR-2 Genie
The Douglas Aircraft Company, Douglas AIR-2 Genie (previous designation MB-1) was an unguided air-to-air rocket with a 1.5 kt W25 (nuclear warhead), W25 nuclear warhead. It was deployed by the United States Air Force (USAF 1957–1985) and Cana ...
.[
On 1 July 1960, the 179th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 148th Fighter Group (Air Defense) was established along with supporting squadrons.] The 179th became the new group's flying squadron. The other squadrons assigned to the group were the 148th Material Squadron, 148th Air Bse Squadron and the 148th USAF Dispensary. The same day, the squadron assumed a 24-hour air defense alert status
An alert state or state of alert is an indication of the state of readiness of the armed forces for military action or a state against natural disasters, terrorism or military attack. The term frequently used is "on high alert". Examples scales ...
at Duluth alongside the regular Air Force 11th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
The 11th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 343d Fighter Group at Duluth Airport, Minnesota, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1968.
History World War II
The squadron ( ...
.[
In 1967, the supersonic ]Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger is an interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Convair. A member of the Century Series, the F-102 was the first operational supersonic interceptor and delta-wing fighter ope ...
replaced the squadron's F-89J. The McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.
Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a penetration fighter) ...
came aboard in April 1971 and remained until January 1976 when the unit was redesignated, becoming the 179th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron with McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II Mach-2 unarmed reconnaissance aircraft. Its new mission entailed all weather, high or low altitude, day or night, reconnaissance. This mission also required the unit to have the capability to deploy to a wide variety of operating locations. The 179th TRS deployed seven RF-4Cs to Erding Air Base
Erding Air Base (German: ''Fliegerhorst Erding'', ICAO: ETSE) is a German Air Force airfield near the town of Erding, about northeast of central Munich in Bavaria. It is the home of the 5th Air Defense Missile Squadron and the 1st Air Force M ...
in West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
between 3 and 23 August 1979 as part of Exercise Coronet Bridle.
In October 1983, the mission changed again and the 179th returned to air defense becoming the 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The return to alert and air defense was accompanied by the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II tactical fighter,[ most of the unit's aircraft being veterans of the Vietnam War. Between 1 March 1986 and 6 April 1987, three F-4Ds (''65-0585'', ''65-0593'' and ''65-0648'') from the 179th FIS were deployed to ]Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
, West Germany, alongside Phantoms of the 178th FIS and 194th FIS as part of Exercise Creek Klaxon, which saw the ANG units take QRA responsibilities while the 526th TFS converted to the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolv ...
.
Post-Cold War
On 10 March 1990, the 179th FIS received the first variants of the F-16A Fighting Falcon air defense fighter (ADF) to take over from the F-4D Phantom II. The early F-16 markings included "Duluth" on a tail stripe as well as an image of the Big Dipper. The last flight of a 179th FIS F-4D was under taken by ''65-0608'' on 17 April 1990. On 17 March 1992, the 179th was renamed the 179th Fighter Squadron. A few years later, in October 1995, the unit was tasked with maintaining a detachment (Detachment 1, 148th Fighter Wing), which maintained alert status at Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing (3 ...
, Florida.[
To fit the needs of a shrinking air force, the squadron dropped the air superiority role and became a general purpose tactical fighter squadron. Already proficient in the air-to-air mission, the 179th had to be brought up to speed with both using guided and unguided bombs. Live bombs were dropped for the first time in March 2000 during a training exercise. Due to the role change, the squadron's base facilities also had to be renovated.][
On 11 September 2001, the squadron became very busy as a result of the attack on the two ]World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may also refer to:
Buildings
* World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
towers in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. As an immediate aftermath, the 148th was again tasked with air defense, providing combat air patrol
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
s over the capital and New York City, and with deploying personnel and aircraft back to its detached alert facility at Tyndall.[
Towards the end of 2003 the Bulldogs began conversion to the F-16C/D block 25. Most F-16A/Bs were retired straight to the . During the course of the conversion, Detachment 1 at Tyndall was discontinued. With the newer Fighting Falcons, the squadron began combat deployments, sometimes operating as an expeditionary fighter squadron. As part of ]Operation Iraqi Freedom
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
, the 179th was one of the first F-16 units to be based in Balad Air Base
Balad Air Base () , is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, Iraq.
Built in the early 1980s, it was originally named Al-Bakr Air Base. In 2003 the base was captured by the United States Armed Force ...
, Iraq. The 179th deployed more than 200 personnel between April and June 2005. The squadron was tasked with both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat operations. Another deployment to Balad was set up between September and December 2008.
On 27 April 2010, the squadron began another conversion being the first Air National Guard unit to operate the block 50 F-16C/D when five aircraft arrived from Spangdahlem Air Base
Spangdahlem Air Base (International Air Transport Association airport code, IATA: SPM, International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the United States Air Force as a tenant constru ...
, Germany when 22d and 23d Fighter Squadron
The 23d Electronic Warfare Squadron (23 EWS) is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 350th Spectrum Warfare Group and stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was most recently activated on 18 April 2025. The 23 ...
s at Spangdahlem were replaced by the 480th Fighter Squadron
The 480th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the "Warhawks", is an active United States Air Force unit operating the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. The 480th, assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdah ...
, with the surplus aircraft going to the 179th. The majority of the block 25s were sent to retirement at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Between April and July 2016, the 179th deployed to Osan Air Base
Osan Air Base (K-55; ; Hanja: ) is a United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) base located near Songtan station in the city of Pyeongtaek, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan C ...
, South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, as the 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, being replaced by the 157th Fighter Squadron
The 157th Fighter Squadron (157 FS) is a unit of the South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing located at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Columbia, South Carolina. The 157th FS is one of the few Air National Guard squadrons to ope ...
. The 179th EFS deployed to Southwest Asia as part of Operation Inherent Resolve
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Operation Inherent Resolve
, partof = the international military intervention against the Islamic State and the War on terror
, image =
, caption = U.S. Navy B ...
between April and August 2018, flying nearly 3,500 hours across over 600 sorties. From 1 to 12 April 2019, the 179th FS deployed to Leeuwarden Air Base
Leeuwarden Air Base () is a military airbase used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) - (''KLu''), . The airbase was formerly one of the two F-16 Fighting Falcon bases of the RNLAF. The airbase lies northwest of the capital of Friesla ...
in the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
to participate in Exercise Frisian Flag
Exercise Frisian Flag
Is a major NATO multinational aerial exercise, held annually at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands, over the North Sea and in the skies above the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
Missions flown during Frisian Flag included de ...
2019.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 393d Fighter Squadron on 26 May 1943
: Activated on 15 July 1943
: Inactivated on 7 November 1945
* Redesignated 179th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946[Lineage, including assignments through 1946 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 483]
: Extended federal recognition on 17 September 1948
: Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 March 1951[
: Redesignated 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 23 March 1951][
: Inactivated and returned to Minnesota state control on 1 December 1952][
: Activated on 1 December 1952
: Redesignated 179th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 10 January 1976
: Redesignated 179th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 15 November 1983
: Redesignated 179th Fighter Squadron on 17 March 1992
]
Assignments
* 367th Fighter Group 367th may refer to:
* 367th Fighter Group, later the 133d Operations Group, the flying component of the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133d Airlift Wing
*367th Fighter Squadron Inactivated in 1945, then reactivated at Homestead Air Reserve Base in ...
, 15 July 1943 – 7 November 1945[
* 133d Fighter Group (later 133d Fighter-Interceptor Group), 17 September 1948][
* ]31st Air Division
The 31st Air Division (31st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 3 ...
, 6 February 1952[
* 133d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 December 1952
* 133d Air Defense Wing, 1 April 1958
* 148th Fighter Group (later 148th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 148th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 148th Fighter Group), 1 July 1960
* 148th Operations Group, 11 October 1995 – Present
]
Stations
* Hamilton Field, California, 15 July 1943
* Santa Rosa Army Air Field
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring gifts during the ...
, California, 11 October 1943
* Oakland Municipal Airport
Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States. The airport is located south of downtown Oakland and east of San Francisco, serving the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The airport is ...
, California, 10 December 1943 – 8 March 1944
* RAF Stoney Cross
Royal Air Force Stoney Cross or more simply RAF Stoney Cross is a former Royal Air Force station in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Lyndhurst and west of Southampton.
Opened in 1942 ...
(AAF-452),[Station number in Anderson] England, 5 April 1944
* RAF Ibsley
Royal Air Force Ibsley or more simply RAF Ibsley is a former Royal Air Force station in Hampshire, England. The airfield is near the village of Ibsley, about north of Ringwood.
A perimeter track with three runways were laid out and 18 fighte ...
(AAF-347), England,[ 6 July 1944
* Beuzeville Airfield (A-6),][Station number in Johnson] France, 22 July 1944
* Cricqueville Airfield
Cricqueville en Bessin Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Cricqueville-en-Bessin in the Normandy region of northern France.
Located just outside Cricqueville-en-Bessin, the United State ...
(A-2),[ France, 14 August 1944
* Peray Airfield (A-44),][ France, 4 September 1944
* Clastres Airfield (A-71),][ France, 8 September 1944
* ]Juvincourt Airfield
Juvincourt Airfield is an abandoned military airfield, which is located near the commune of Juvincourt-et-Damary in the Aisne department of northern France.
Built originally as a grass airfield by the French Air Force before World War II, Ju ...
(A-68), France,[ 28 October 1944
* St-Dizier Airfield (A-64), France,][ 1 February 1945
* ]Conflans Airfield
Conflans may refer to:
Communes
Conflans is the name or part of the name of ten communes of France:
*Conflans-en-Jarnisy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle ''département''
*Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the Yvelines ''département'', in the north-wester ...
(A-94), France,[ 14 March 1945
* Eschborn Airfield (Y-74), Germany,][ 20 April – July 1945
* ]Seymour Johnson Field
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The base is named for U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour A. Johnson, a test pilot from Goldsboro who died in an F4F Wildcat crash near Norbeck, Maryla ...
, North Carolina, September-7 November 1945[
* ]Duluth Municipal Airport
: ''For the United States Air Force use of this facility, see Duluth Air National Guard Base.''
Duluth International Airport is a city-owned public-use joint civil-military airport located five nautical miles (9 km) northwest of the centr ...
(later Duluth International Airport, Duluth Air National Guard Base), Minnesota, 17 September 1948 – present[
]
Aircraft
* Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944
* Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1944–1945
* Republic P-47N Thunderbolt, 1945
* North American F-51D Mustang, 1948–1954
* Lockheed F-94B Starfire, 1954–1957
* Northrop F-89C Scorpion, 1957–1959
* Northrop F-89J Scorpion, 1959–1966
* Convair F-102A Delta Dagger, 1966–1971
* McDonnell F-101B Voodoo, 1971–1976
* McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II, 1976–1983
* McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II, 1983–17 April 1990
* General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, 10 March 1990 – 2002
* General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 2002 – present
Awards
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award (ASOUA) is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force. It was established in 1954 as the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and was the first independent Air Force ...
[
* Winston P. Wilson Award (Outstanding Air National Guard All Weather Interceptor Unit): 1957][
* Ricks Trophy for excellence: 1967][
* First place in the William Tell Weapons Competition: 1970][
* Raytheon Trophy (formerly the Hughes Trophy) Best Fighter Unit in the ]United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
: Four times, most recently 2009[
]
See also
* F-89 Scorpion units of the United States Air Force
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was a subsonic second-generation jet interceptor of the United States Air Force. After a long development during the postwar era of the late 1940s, it began reaching operational units in the early 1950s. A stablemate ...
* F-94 Starfire units of the United States Air Force
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the first United States Air Force jet-powered day/night all-weather interceptor. It was also the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an afterburner. Introduced in February 1950, its primary user was the Ai ...
* General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operators
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Onlin ...
* List of United States Air Force fighter squadrons
* List of United States Air National Guard Squadrons
The List of Air National Guard Squadrons is sorted by squadron number with unit emblem, location, command, and aircraft type. Flying squadrons means that they are currently flying or were flying in their past. The other squadrons are not flying, ...
* McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II non-U.S. operators
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
*
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*
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*
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*
External links
*
{{Minnesota
Squadrons of the United States Air National Guard
Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War
Military units and formations in Minnesota
Military units and formations established in 1943