531st Fighter Squadron

531st Fighter Squadron

Emblem of the 531st Fighter Squadron
Active 1941-1970
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Squadron
Role Fighter

The 531st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam. The squadron was inactivated on 31 July 1970.

Contents

History

World War II

Activated in Hawaii in 1941 as a light Bombardment/Reconnaissance squadron, being equipped with a mixture of B-18 Bolos, second-line P-26s, and A-20 Havocs. Was part of the air defense forces of Hawaii, many aircraft being destroyed during the Pearl Harbor Attack at Hickam Field. Re-equipped with A-24 Dauntless dive bombers in 1942, remained in Hawaii as an air defense squadron until 1943.

Re-designated as a fighter-bomber squadron in mid 1943, deploying to the Central Pacific in 1944 as part of the 21st Fighter Group. Returned to Hawaii and re-equipped with long-range P-38 Lightnings and returned to combat operations in the Central Pacific, operating from Iwo Jima beginning in early 1945 until the end of the war in August. Remained as part of Twentieth Air Force in the Marianas until inactivated in October 1946.

Cold War

Reactivated in 1953 at George AFB, California as an F-86 Sabre Fighter-Bomber Squadron. Spent about a year under Tactical Air Command training, deploying to France in 1954 as part of the NATO buildup of the United States Air Forces in Europe during the early years of the Cold War. Operated from several bases in France during the 1950s, inactivated in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization.

Became part of PACAF in 1958, operated F-100 Super Sabres from Misawa AB, Japan as an air defense squadron. Deployed to South Vietnam, 1965 and carried out combat operations until inactivated in 1970.

Lineage

Activated on 1 January 1941
Re-designated: 58th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on ig Oct 1942
Re-designated: 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 14 Aug 1943
Re-designated: 531st Fighter Squadron on 18 Feb 1944.
Inactivated on 10 Oct 1946
Activated on 1 Jan 1953.
Inactivated on 8 Feb 1958
Activated on 1 Jul 1958
Inactivated 16 June 1964

Assignments

Stations

Deployed to: Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, 1 February-13 July 1965

Aircraft

References

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal
World War II portal

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