| 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron | |
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Emblem of the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron |
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| Active | 1943–1947; 1957-1958; 1969-1976 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Engagements |
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The 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona on 1 October 1976.
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The squadron was activated on 1 April 1943 at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, Orlando AAF, Florida. After several months of training, the unit was deployed to the Pacific Theater, moving first to Camp Patrick Henry, near Newport News Virginia where they boarded the USS General John Pope, sailing through the Panama Canal to Milne Bay, New Guinea.
In New Guinea, the squadron was assigned to Fifth Air Force and initially stationed at Dobodura airfield in November 1943. Flying P-70 Havocs and P-38 Lightnings, the unit conducted night fighter defensive operations against intruding Japanese aircraft over New Guinea, moving to several advance airfields on the island throughout 1943 and 1944. In September 1944, the squadron was re-equipped with P-61 Black Widows and moved to Morotai Island in the Dutch East Indies where they engaged enemy aircraft. In the East Indies, additional B-25 Mitchells and P-38s were assigned, using the B-25s for night intruder operations, P-61s for night fighter operations and the P-38s for searchlight cooperation operations. In November the squadron moved to the Philippines, arriving on Leyte on 14 November.
The unit was attached frequently to different units throughout the war, and remained in the Philippines until July 1945 when it moved to Okinawa. From Kadena Airfield, the unit attacked a wide range of enemy targets on Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and along the east China coast. Its first mission against targets on the Japanese Home Islands took place on 28 July when it attacked targets on Kyūshū and also in the Shanghai area of enemy controlled China.
After V-J Day, the 418th NFS moved briefly to Atsugi Airfield, Japan during October 1945 where it was part of the occupying forces. It returned to Okinawa on 15 June 1946, conducting training operations until 20 February 1947 when the unit was inactivated. Its assigned personnel, aircraft and equipment were transferred to the 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather).
Activated by Pacific Air Forces as an F-100 Fighter-Day squadron at Clark AB, Philippines in late 1957. Never received aircraft or personnel; inactivated 1 July 1958.
On 1 October 1969 when the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing (TFTW) was activated, replacing the provisional 4510th CCTW as the host unit at Luke. Concurrently, the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS) and the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS) were activated as F-104G training units, replacing the provisional 4512th CCTS and 4518th CCTS to support Foreign Military Sales of the F-104. Pilots from Greece, Norway, Turkey, Denmark, and Spain were trained at Luke. In addition, many F-104Gs owned by the West German Luftwaffe actually operated with the 58th TFTW where they sported USAF insignia and carried USAF serial numbers.
The F-104G program ended with the delivery of the last example by MBB in 1973, the last foreign students graduated in the summer of 1976 and the squadron was inactivated on 1 October.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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