387th Tactical Fighter Squadron

The 387th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 312th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Cannon Air Force Base. New Mexico. It was inactivated on 18 February 1959.

387th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Active1942–1959
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
F-100D Super Sabre – 56-3460

History

Established in early 1942 as a light bomb squadron, equipped with A-24 Banshees, although equipped with export model A-31 Vengeance dive bombers for training. Trained under Third Air Force in the southeast United States, also used for antisubmarine patrols over the Atlantic southeast coast and then Gulf of Mexico.

Deployed to Southern California in early 1943 to the Desert Warfare Center, trained in light bombing while supporting Army maneuvers in the Mojave Desert until October.

Re-equipped with North American A-36 Apache dive bombers and deployed to New Guinea as part of Fifth Air Force. In the Southwest Pacific the squadron attacked Japanese strong points and tactical positions and targets of opportunity in support of MacArthur's campaign along the north coast of New Guinea; then advancing into the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines as part of the Island Hopping campaign. Re-equipped with P-40s; then later A-20 Havocs. Engaged in heavy fighting on Lete; Mindoro and Luzon in the Philippines during 1944–1945.

The squadron moved to Okinawa in mid-August and after the Atomic Bomb missions had been flown; remained on Okinawa until December until returning to the United States with most personnel demobilizing. It was inactivated as a paper unit on 6 January 1946.

The squadron was reactivated as a B-29 Superfortress unit in the reserves in 1947, but lack of funding and personnel led to rapid inactivation.

Transferred to Tactical Air Command in the mid-1950s and activated first with F-68 Sabres, then F-100 Super Sabres in 1958. Inactivated in 1959 when its parent 312th TFW was inactivated and re-designated as the 27th TFW. Personnel and equipment of the squadron were re-designated as the 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron.

Lineage

  • Constituted 387th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 15 March 1942
Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 27 July 1942
Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 6 December 1943
Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 July 1945
Inactivated on 18 December 1945
  • Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 14 July 1947
Activated in the reserve on 30 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated: 387th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 29 July 1954
Activated on 1 October 1954
Redesignated: 387th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 July 1958
Inactivated on 18 February 1959.

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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