Established on 1 March 1943 at
Westover Field, Massachusetts as the 362d Fighter Group, equipped with
P-47 Thunderbolts. Deployed to the
European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in
England. Engaged in combat operations until May 1945. Reassigned back to the United States in August–September 1945, and assigned to
First Air Force at
Seymour Johnson Field,
North Carolina, being programmed for deployment to
Okinawa to take part in the planned
Invasion of Japan. As a result of the
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the sudden end of the
Pacific War, the deployment plans were canceled, however the unit was retained as part of the
Second Air Force under
Continental Air Forces and reassigned to
Biggs Field, Texas, being equipped with
P-51 Mustangs. Inactivated on 1 August due to postwar budget restrictions.
Lineage • Constituted
379th Fighter Squadron on 11 February 1943 : Activated on 1 March 1943 : Inactivated on 1 August 1946
Assignments •
362d Fighter Group, 1 March 1943 – 1 August 1946
Stations •
Westover Field,
Massachusetts, 1 March 1943 •
Bradley Field,
Connecticut, 22 June 1943 •
Groton Field,
Connecticut, 2 August 1943 •
Mitchel Field, New York, 19 October – 12 November 1943 •
RAF Wormingford (AAF-159), England, 30 November 1943 •
RAF Headcorn (AAF-412), England, 13 April 1944 •
Lignerolles Airfield (A-12), France, 2 July 1944 •
Rennes/St-Jacques Airfield (A-27), France, 10 August 1944 •
Prosnes Airfield (A-79), France, 19 September 1944 •
Verdun Airfield (A-82), France, 5 November 1944 •
Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Airfield (Y-73), Germany, 8 April 1945 • Furth/Industriehafen Airfield (R-30), Germany, 30 April 1945 •
Illesheim Airfield (R-10), Germany, 3 May 1945 •
AAF Station Straubing, Germany, 12 May–August 1945 •
Seymour Johnson Field,
North Carolina, 5 September 1945 •
Biggs Field, Texas, 3 December 1945 – 1 August 1946. • Joe Foss Field, aka
Sioux Falls Regional Airport, South Dakota, 2015 – present
Aircraft •
P-47D Thunderbolt, 1943–1945 •
P-51H Mustang, 1945–1946 == References==