31st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Encyclopedia
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 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing stationed at Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It was inactivated on 18 February 1971
History
Activated under Caribbean Air Force in 1940 initially with obsolete P-26s, later equipped with P-40 Warhawks for the defense of the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Remained under Sixth Air Force in the Panama 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...
, primarily engaged in antisubmarine patrols.
Returned to the United States in April 1944, initially being a single-engine fighter Replacement Training Unit for Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
in Nebraska. Reassigned to Muroc Army Airfield, California, becoming a testing unit for the Bell P-59 Airacomet
P-59 Airacomet
The Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first American jet fighter aircraft, designed and built during World War II. The United States Army Air Forces was not impressed by its performance and cancelled the contract when fewer than half of the aircraft ordered had been produced. Although no P-59s went...
and P-80 Shooting Star
P-80 Shooting Star
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
Jet Aircraft under the Fourth Air Force
Fourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
412th Fighter Group where they served in the training role. The squadron provided USAAF pilots and ground crews with valuable data about the difficulties and pitfalls involved in converting to jet aircraft. This information proved quite useful when more advanced jet fighters finally became available in quantity. Inactivated in July 1946.
Reactivated by Air Defense Command in early 1953. Equipped with F-86D Sabre interceptors, engaged in air defense of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
at Larson AFB, Washington. Reassigned to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan where the squadron was re-equipped with F-102 Delta Dagger
F-102 Delta Dagger
The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
s, then deployed to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska Territory performing intercepts of intruding aircraft as part of Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command
Alaskan Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command. Established in 1945 under the United States Army Air Forces, its mission was to organize and administer the air defense system of Alaska, exercise direct control of all active measures, and coordinate all passive means of...
, arriving in Alaska on 16 September 1957. Inactivated due to budget restraints, October 1958, aircraft reassigned to the 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron
The 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Aerospace Defense Command, being stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. The squadron was inactivated on December 31, 1969.-World War II:...
.
Reactivated by Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
at Shaw AFB, SC in 1969 as an RF-4C Phantom II training squadron for aerial reconnaissance pilots. Inactivated in 1971 due to budget reductions, aircraft assigned to 33d Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron.
Lineage
- Constituted 31st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on December 22, 1939
- Activated on February 1, 1940
- Redesignated 31st Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942
- Inactivated on May 25, 1944
- Activated on August 19, 1944
- Inactivated on July 3, 1946
- Redesignated 31st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on February 11, 1953.
- Activated on April 20, 1953
- Inactivated on August 18, 1955, assets re-designated 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron322d Fighter-Interceptor SquadronThe 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command stationed at Kingsley Field, Oregon. It was inactivated on 1 July 1968.-History:...
IAW ADC "Project Arrow".- Activated on June 8, 1956
- Inactivated on October 8, 1958.
- Re-designated 31st Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron and activated on 16 October 1969
- Inactivated on 18 February 1971
Note: "Project Arrow" was an Air Defense imitative in 1955 to reactivate and re-designate notable World War II units.
Assignments
- 37th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group37th Training WingThe 37th Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.The 37th TRW provides basic military, professional and technical skills, and English language training for the Air Force, other military services, government agencies, and...
, 1 February 1940 - 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 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 8 April-25 May 1944 - 412th Fighter Group412th Test WingThe 412th Test Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.-Overview:...
, 19 August 1944-3 July 1946 - 4702d Defense Wing, 20 April 1953
- 9th Air Division, 8 October 1954-18 August 1955
- 412th Fighter Group412th Test WingThe 412th Test Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force, assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.-Overview:...
, 8 June 1956 - 10th Air Division, 20 August 1957-8 October 1958.
- 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 16 October 1969-18 February 1971
Stations
- 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...
, February 1, 1940 - Rio Hato AABRio Hato AirportRío Hato Airport is an airport and former Panamanian Defense Base in Panama, Río Hato.-International Airport:In 2011 the Government of Panama gave the order to proceed for the project to rebuild the airport...
, 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...
, October 5, 1940 - 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...
, November 13, 1940 - La Chorrera AAFLa 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...
, December 9, 1941 - 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...
, December 23, 1941 - La Chorrera AAFLa 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...
, February 3, 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...
, May 19, 1942 - 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...
, September 30, 1942 – March 25, 1944
- Lincoln AAFLincoln Air Force BaseLincoln Air National Guard Base, previously Lincoln Air Force Base, is a Nebraska Air National Guard installation located approximately northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. The facility is a joint use civil airport/military base with the Lincoln Airport which provides airline, charter and general...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, April 8 – May 25, 1944 - Palmdale AAF, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, August 19, 1944 - Santa Maria AAFSanta Maria Public Airport-References:-External links:*...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, July 10, 1945 - March Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, December 6, 1945 – July 3, 1946 - Larson AFB, Washington, April 20, 1953 – August 18, 1955
- Wurtsmith AFB, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, June 8, 1956 - Elmendorf AFB, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, August 20, 1957 – October 8, 1958 - Shaw AFB, South Carolina, 16 October 1969-18 February 1971
Aircraft
- 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...
, 1940–1942 - Curtiss P-40Curtiss P-40The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
, 1941–1944 - P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1944
- A-25 Helldiver, 1944
- 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...
, 1944 - A-24 Banshee, 1944–1945
- P-63 KingcobraP-63 KingcobraThe Bell P-63 Kingcobra was a United States fighter aircraft developed in World War II from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies...
, 1944–1945
- YP/P-59A AiracometP-59 AiracometThe Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first American jet fighter aircraft, designed and built during World War II. The United States Army Air Forces was not impressed by its performance and cancelled the contract when fewer than half of the aircraft ordered had been produced. Although no P-59s went...
, 1944–1945 - XP-80 Shooting Star, 1944–1945
- P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, 1945–1946 - P-80 Shooting StarP-80 Shooting StarThe Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter, and delivered in just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying but...
, 1945–1946 - F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1953–1955
- F-102 Delta DaggerF-102 Delta DaggerThe Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a US interceptor aircraft built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet bomber fleets...
, 1956–1968 - RF-4C Phantom II, 1969-1971