24th Fighter Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 24th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 6th Fighter Wing, based at France Field, Canal Zone
. It was inactivated on 6 February 1944.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with the 6th Fighter Wing, based at France Field, Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. It was inactivated on 6 February 1944.
Lineage
- Organized as 19th Aero Squadron in early June 1917
- Redesignated: 24th Aero Squadron on 14 June 1917
- Demobilized on 1 October 1919
- Reconstituted and consolidated (1924) with 24th Squadron which was authorized on 30 August 1921.
- Organized on 1 October 1921.
- Redesignated: 24th Pursuit Squadron on 25 January 1923
- Redesignated: 24th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 December 1939
- Redesignated: 24th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
- Inactivated on 15 October 1946.
Assignments
- Unknown, June 1917-September 1918
- First Army Observation Group, September 1918-April 1919
- Unknown, April-1 October 1919
- Second Corps Area, 1 October 1921
- Panama Canal Department, 30 April 1922
- 6th Observation (later Composite) Group6th Air Mobility WingThe United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....
, assigned on 27 May 1922, and attached on 8 May 1929 - 20th Pursuit Group20th Fighter WingThe 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
- Attached to 6th Composite Group)6th Air Mobility WingThe United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....
, 15 November 1930- 3d Attack Wing
- Attached to: 6th Composite Group6th Air Mobility WingThe United States Air Force's 6th Air Mobility Wing is the host wing for MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It is part of Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force....
, 16 June 1932 - Attached to: 16th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
, 1 December 1932- XXVI Fighter CommandXXVI Fighter CommandThe XXVI Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Albrook Field, Canal Zone...
, 1 November 1943 - 6th Fighter Wing, 25 August-15 October 1946.
- XXVI Fighter Command
Stations
- San Antonio, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, June-28 December 1917 - Wye, Kent, England, 31 January 1918 (flights at Sedgeford and Wyton; flight at London Colney to 7 March 1918 and thereafter at Croydon)
- Northborough, CambridgeshireNorthborough, CambridgeshireNorthborough is a small village near the city of Peterborough in the East of England.It has a pub, a shop, a school and a small castle.Northborough is around seven or eight miles practically due north of Peterborough....
, England, 1 May-ii July 1918 - St Maixent, France, 22 July 1918
- OurchesOurchesOurches is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:...
, France, 6 August 1918 - Gondreville-sur-Moselle, France, 22 August 1918
- VavincourtVavincourtVavincourt is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
, France, 22 September 1918 (detachment operated from Souilly, 9-18 October 1918, 27 October-6 November 1918) - Weissenthurm, Germany, 7 May-14 July 1919
- Mitchel Field, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, c. 2 August 1919
- Park Field, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, August-1 October 1919 - Mitchel Field, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1 October 1921-22 April 1922 - France Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 30 April 1922 - Albrook Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 26 October 1932 - La Chorrera FieldLa Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal....
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, 15 March 1942 - Albrook Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, September 1942 - La Chorrera FieldLa Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal....
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, 10 January 1943 - Albrook Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 28 May 1943 - Howard Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 9 June 1943 - Madden FieldMadden Army AirfieldMadden Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. The airfield was built to defend Madden Lake and Dam. The 24th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the station from 8 March to 15 August 1944 flying P-39...
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, 8 March 1944 - France Field, Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, 15 August 1944-15 October 1946.
Aircraft
- In addition to Salmson 2Salmson 2|-References:* Davilla, James J., & Soltan, Arthur M., French Aircraft of the First World War. Stratford, Connecticut: Flying Machines Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9637110-4-0...
, 1918–1919, included DH-4, 1918–1919, and Spad XIII, 1919 - Included Fokker D.VIIFokker D.VIIThe Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
during period 1921-1922 - Included DH-4, SE-5, MB-3, and PW-9, during period 1922-1930
- Boeing P-12Boeing P-12The Boeing P-12 or F4B was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Navy.-Design and development:...
, 1930–1939 - P-26 PeashooterP-26 PeashooterThe American Boeing P-26 Peashooter, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps...
, 1938–1939
- P-36 HawkP-36 HawkThe Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design...
, 1936–1942 - P-40 Warhawk, 1940–1944
- P-39 Aircobra, 1942–1943, 1944–1945
- P-70 (A-20 Havoc), 1942–1943
- P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, 1945–1946 - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
, 1946.
Operational history
Combat as observation unit with First Army, 12 September–10 November 1918; served with II Army Corps as part of occupation forces, May– July 1919. Good-will flight to Guatemala, 7-12 February 1938. Air defense for the Panama Canal, 1922-1946.See also
- List of American Aero Squadrons
- Samuel Reeves KeeslerSamuel Reeves KeeslerSamuel Reeves Keesler, Jr. was a member of the United States Army Air Service in World War I....