103d Fighter Squadron

The 103d Fighter Squadron flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is a unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 111th Fighter Wing.

History

Lineage

• Activated in Pennsylvania National Guard as 103d Observation Squadron on 27 June 1924 : Ordered to active service on 17 February 1941

Redesignated: 103d Observation Squadron (Medium) on 13 January 1942

Redesignated: 103d Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942

Redesignated: 103d Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943

Redesignated: 103d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943

Redesignated: 40th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron on 21 October 1943

Inactivated on 2 November 1945

• Redesignated: 103d Bombardment Squadron (Light), and allotted to Pennsylvania Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946.

Redesignated: 103d Composite Squadron, 1950

Redesignated: 103d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 1951

Redesignated: 103d Composite Squadron, 1950

Redesignated: 103d Fighter Bomber Squadron, 1952

Redesignated: 103d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1955

Redesignated: 103d Air Transport Squadron, 1962

Redesignated: 103d Military Airlift Squadron, 1966

Redesignated: 103d Tactical Air Support Squadron, 1969

Redesignated: 103d Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1988

Redesignated: 103d Fighter Squadron, 1992–present

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Assignments

• Pennsylvania National Guard

Divisional aviation, 28th Division, 27 June 1924

• II Army Corps, 17 February 1941
• 59th Observation Group, 1 September 1941
• 26th Observation (later Reconnaissance; Tactical Reconnaissance) Group, 18 October 1942
• III Reconnaissance Command, 21 October 1943
• I (later III) Tactical Air Division, 18 April 1944
• AAF, India-Burma Sector, 3 June 1944
• Tenth Air Force, 5 July 1944
• 8th Photographic (later Reconnaissance) Group, 18 July 1944-2 November 1945
• Pennsylvania Air National Guard

Allocated to: Air Defense Command, 1946

Allocated to: Strategic Air Command, 1951

Allocated to: Air Defense Command, 1955

Allocated to: Military Air Transport Service, 1962

Allocated to: Military Airlift Command, 1966

Allocated to: Tactical Air Command, 1969

Allocated to: Air Combat Command, 1992–present

Stations

• Philadelphia Airport, Pennsylvania, 27 June 1924
• Olmsted AAF, Pennsylvania, 27 February 1941
• Hillsgrove AAF, Rhode Island, 23 December 1941
• Hyannis Airport, Massachusetts, 9 June 1942
• Ft Devens AAF, Massachusetts, 20 August 1942
• Reading AAF, Pennsylvania, 8 June 1943
• Birmingham AAF, Alabama, 20 November 1943
• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 11 February-11 May 1944
• Guskhara, India, 10 July 1944
• Alipore, India, 9 August 1944

Detachment at Cox's Bazar, India, after c. 10 December 1944

• Cox's Bazar, India, 18 January 1945
• Akyab, Burma, 14 February 1945
• Alipore, India, C. 15 May 1945
• Kanchrapara, India, September–c. 4 October 1945
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 1–2 November 1945.
• Philadelphia International Airport, (1946–1963)
• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pennsylvania (1963–present)

Aircraft

• C-27J Spartan (2010?)
• A-10 Thunderbolt II (1988–2010)
• OA-37B Dragonfly (1981–1988)
• O-2 Skymaster (197?–1981)
• U-3A Blue Canoe (1969-197?)
• C-97 Stratofreighter (1962–1969)
• F-89H Scorpion (1959–1962)
• F-94A/B/C Starfire (1956–1959)
• F-84 Thunderjet (1954–1956)
• T-33 Shooting Star (1953–1954)
• F-51 Mustang (1952–1953)
• RB-29 Superfortress (1951–1952)
• B-29 Superfortress (1951–1952)
• B-26 Marauder (1946–1951)
• Taylorcraft O-57 (1941–1942)
• O-49 Vigilant (1941–1942)
• O-47 (1941–1942)
• O-46 (1941–1942)

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Operations

Emergency operations while under state control included flood-relief in Pennsylvania, 19–22 March 1936. Antisubmarine patrols, 27 December 1941-19 August 1942; combat in CBI, 6 September 1944-10 May 1945. Pennsylvania Air National Guard, 1946–present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

External links

• 111th Fighter Wing