85th Fighter Group

The 85th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Third Air Force, being stationed at Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia. It was inactivated on 1 May 1944.

Formed during World War II as a V-72 Vengeance then converted to an A-24 Dauntless dive-bomber unit. Participated in maneuvers in California during fall and winter of 1942–1943, then in Kentucky in April 1943. Never deployed to an overseas combat command, converted into a replacement training unit (RTU). Disbanded on 1 May 1944.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 85th Bombardment Group (Light) on 13 January 1942

Activated on 10 February 1942

Redesignated: 85th Bombardment Group (Dive) in July 1942

Redesignated: 85th Fighter-Bomber Group in August 1943

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

Assignments

• III Bomber Command, 10 February 1942; 9 April 1943 – 1 May 1944
• II Bomber Command, 2 November 1942

Components

• 499th (formerly 305th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 500th (formerly 306th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 501st (formerly 307th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944
• 502nd (formerly 308th) Bombardment Squadron: 1942–1944.

Stations

• Savannah AB, Georgia, 10 February 1942
• Bowman Field, Kentucky, c. 16 February 1942
• Hunter Field, Georgia, 9 June 1942
• Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia, 15 August 1942
• Gillespie Field, Tennessee, 3 October 1942
• Blythe Army Air Base, California, 2 November 1942^[1]
• Rice Army Airfield, California, c. 11 December 1942
• Harding Army Air Field, Louisiana, c. 9 April 1943
• Waycross Army Airfield, Georgia, c. 27 August 1943 – 1 May 1944

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

External links