495th Tactical Fighter Squadron
The 495th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, operating the General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark. In 2021 the 495th Fighter Squadron will be reactivated and equipped with the F-35A Lightning II. It will be the USAF’s first overseas F-35A unit.
| 495th Fighter Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron | |
| Active | 15 January 1941 – 1 April 1944 1 April 1977 – 13 December 1991 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Motto(s) | Mala Ipsa Nova (Latin for 'Bad News Itself') |
| Colors | Green |
| Insignia | |
| Squadron code | LN (Apr 1977 – Dec 1991) |
History
World War II
Activated as a Southeastern Air District Army Air Corps training squadron, equipped with a variety of second-line aircraft, both single and twin engine, preparing its pilots and maintenance crews for eventual combat. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron flew antisubmarine patrols[1] from, March–April 1942. Resumed aircrew training, many of the group's members went on to serve in squadrons stationed in Europe and the Pacific theaters.
Eventually coming under the AAF III Fighter Command in 1944, trained replacement pilots with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, inactivated in 1944 with the end of RTU training.
Cold War
The 495th was reactivated on 1st April 1977 as the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron, becoming the fourth tactical fighter squadron with the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. This was 33 years to the day since the squadron’s inactivation. The 495th mission was as a replacement training unit for General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark pilots and Weapon Systems Officers (WSO) assigned to the other three fighter squadron.
The 495th TFS participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon on 15 April 1986, the air raid against Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan government due to its involvement in the West Berlin discotheque bombing ten days prior.[2] The mission was successful, however one of the squadron's F-111Fs (70-2389), callsign 'Karma 52', was shot down over the Gulf of Sidra, killing pilot Capt. Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci and WSO Capt. Paul F. Lorence.[3]
In 1990, the 495th TFS deployed to Taif Air Base, Saudi Arabia, as part of Operation Desert Shield which was in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.[4] The squadron suffered a loss on 15 October 1990, when F-111F 74-0183 crashed during a night time training mission, killing pilot Capt. Art Reid and WSO Capt. Thomas Caldwell.[5][6] The 495th later participated in Operation Desert Storm.[2]
On 1 October 1991, the unit was redesignated as the 495th Fighter Squadron. The 495th was inactivated on 13 December 1991, shortly before retirement of the F-111F Aardvark at RAF Lakenheath.[2]
Modern era
On the 15 September 2020 it was announced that the 495th Fighter Squadron will be reactivated as part of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath as the wing's first F-35A unit. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive in late 2021.[7]
Lineage
- Constituted 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940.
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Redesignated: 88th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941
- Redesignated: 88th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 August 1942
- Redesignated: 495th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
- Disbanded on 1 April 1944[1]
- Reconstituted, redesignated: 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 1 April 1977 (not operational until 29 July 1977)[8]
- Redesignated: 495th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991
- Inactivated on 13 December 1991
Assignments
- Attached on 15 January 1941
- Assigned on 14 August 1941
- 407th Fighter-Bomber Group, March 1944 – 1 April 1944
- 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 April 1977 – 13 December 1991
Stations
- Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia, 15 January 1941
- Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma 26 May 1941
- Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia. 7 February 1942
- Key Field, Mississippi, 28 June 1942
- William Northern Field, Tennessee, 20 August 1943
- Galveston Army Airfield, Texas, March 1944 – 1 April 1944[1]
- RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England, 1 April 1977 – 13 December 1991
Aircraft
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References
Notes
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 597. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
- "The History, Heritage and Heraldry of the 48th Fighter Wing" (PDF). RAF Lakenheath. 2 October 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Leone, Dario (14 April 2019). "The sad story of 'Karma 52', the only F-111 lost during Operation El Dorado Canyon". The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "1990s". RAF Lakenheath. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "Accident General Dynamics F-111F 74-0183, 10 Oct 1990". Aviation Safety. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- O'Shea, Erin (25 June 2015). "Memorial restored". RAF Lakenheath. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "The Air Force's First Overseas-Based F-35A Unit Is Revealed And Now It Needs A Name". thedrive.com. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- See Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 77–78. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.