366th Fighter Squadron
| 366th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
358th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt at Toul
|
|
| Active | 1943-1945 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Role | Fighter |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
| Insignia | |
| 366th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 6 September 1943)[1] | 165px |
| Fuselage code[2] | IP |
The 366th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 358th Fighter Group, IX Fighter Command, stationed at La Junta Army Airfield, Colorado. It was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
The squadron was first activated at the beginning of 1943. After training in the United States, it moved to England and entered combat in the European Theater of Operations. The squadron earned the Distinguished Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm during its combat missions. After VE Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Contents
History
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The 366th Fighter Squadron was activated on 1 January 1943 at Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia as one of the original squadrons of the 358th Fighter Group. The squadron initially began training with the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Later that year, the unit replaced its Warhawks with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, which it flew for the remainder of the war. The squadron left the United States in September 1943.[1][3]
The 366th arrived in England during October 1943, where it began operations with Eighth Air Force on 20 December 1943. The unit engaged primarily in missions escorting bombers attacking targets on the continent of Europe until April 1944. The squadron was transferred to Ninth Air Force. The squadron then dive bombed marshalling yards and airfields and attacked enemy communications during April and May to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy.[3]
The squadron escorted troop carrier formations on D Day and the following day as they dropped paratroopers on the Cotentin Peninsula. For the remainder of June, it attacked rail lines, troop concentrations, bridges and transport. The squadron moved to France in July and, from its base at Cretteville took part in operations that resulted in the Allied breakthrough at St Lo. The squadron continued to fly escort, interdiction and close air support missions during the Allied drive across France and into Germany.[3]
The squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions between 24 December 1944 and 2 January 1945, when it supported Seventh Army attacking railroads and rolling stock, other vehicles and enemy artillery formations. It also destroyed numerous Luftwaffe fighters while defending against Operation Bodenplatte, an attack concentrating on forward Allied air bases in an attempt by the Luftwaffe to attain air superiority in the area of the Battle of the Bulge. In March, the squadron attacked German forces attempting to withdraw across the Rhine River, destroying motor transport and hampering the withdrawal efforts, earning a second Distinguished Unit Citation. The following month, the squadron attacked enemy airfields near Munich and Ingolstadt, engaging aircraft and supporting the advance of ground forces in the area, earning a third award of the Distinguished Unit Citation. The squadron was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm by the Government of France for its assistance in the liberation of France.[3]
The squadron remained in Germany after VE Day until July 1945, when it returned to the United States, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.[3]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 366th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 20 December 1942
- Activated on 1 January 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945[1]
Assignments
- 358th Fighter Group: 1 February 1943 – 7 November 1945[1]
Stations
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- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 January 1943
- Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland, 20 April 1943
- Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, 29 May 1943
- Philadelphia Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, 16 June 1943
- Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 13 August 1943 – 25 September 1943
- RAF Goxhill (Station 345),[4] England, United Kingdom, 20 October 1943
- RAF Leiston (Station 373),[4] England, United Kingdom, 4 December 1943
- RAF Raydon (Station 157),[4] England, United Kingdom, 21 January 1944
- RAF High Halden (Station 411),[4] England, United Kingdom, 13 April 1944
- Cretteville (A-14),[5] France, 4 July 1944
- Pontorson (A-28),[5] France, 14 August 1944
- Vitry-le-François (A-67),[5] France, 15 September 1944
- Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield (A-80),[5] France, 16 October 1944
- Toul-Croix de Metz Airfield (A-90),[5] France, 20 November 1944
- Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield (Y-79),[5] Germany, 8 April 1945
- Reims-Champagne Airport (A-62),[5] France, 23 June 1945 – 10 July 1945
- La Junta Army Air Field, Colorado 3 Auguat 1945 – 7 November 1945[1]
Aircraft
- Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1943
- Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943-1945[1]
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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External links
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