449th 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 11th Air Division stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska 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...
. It was inactivated on August 25, 1960.
History
Organized in China and fought in the CBI, 1943–1945. Reactivated as part of Alaskan Air Command in 1947 and equipped with P-61 Black WidowP-61 Black Widow
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
Night Fighters, used as interceptors against Soviet Aircraft intruding into North American airspace.
Reequipped with F-82 Twin Mustang
F-82 Twin Mustang
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II; however, the war ended well before the first...
s in 1948, receiving additional aircraft from Far East Air Forces after model withdrawn from the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Modified to the F-82H model with the addition of cold weather equipment and additional de-icers. Many of these fighters operated with Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
where they served as escorts for the massive Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber during long flights over the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
.
The 449th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was the last USAF unit equipped with the F-82, retiring the model in 1953 when a lack of parts made it impossible to keep the aging airframes flying. The retirement of the F-82 marked the end of front-line use of USAF propeller driven fighter aircraft. Many were ultimately scrapped in Alaska.
Reassigned to Ladd AFB in 1949 and reequipped with jet F-94 Starfire
F-94 Starfire
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
s in 1952. Maintained air defense of Alaska until being inactivated in 1960 along with turnover of Ladd AFB to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as part of Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Lineage
- Constituted as the 449th Fighter Squadron on August 2, 1943
- Activated on August 26, 1943
- Inactivated on December 25, 1945
- Reactivated on September 1, 1947
- Redesignated: 449th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) on July 20, 1948
- Redesignated: 449th Fighter-All Weather Squadron on January 20, 1950
- Redesignated: 449th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on June 1, 1951
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on August 25, 1960
Assignments
- 1st Fighter Group, August 26, 1943 – December 13, 1945
- Attached to 23d Fighter Group23d Fighter GroupThe 23d Fighter Group is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Wing and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia....
, August 26 – October 1943- Alaskan Air CommandEleventh Air ForceThe Eleventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska....
, September 1, 1947
- Alaskan Air Command
- Personnel and aircraft assigned from 415th Night Fighter Squadron
- Attached to 5001st Composite Group, May 1, 1949
- 5001st Composite Wing5001st Composite WingThe 5001st Composite Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Throughout its existence, it was assigned to the Alaskan Air Command and stationed at Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska....
, July 1, 1949 - 11th Air Division, April 8, 1953
- 5001st Air Defense Group, September 20, 1954
- 11th Air Division, October 1, 1955 – August 25, 1960
Stations
- Kunming, China, August 26, 1943
- Lingling, China, August 26, 1943
- Detachments operated from Hengyang and Kweilin, China, September 1943
- Suichwan, China, February 1944
- Kweilin, China, June 1944
- Chengkung, China, July 16, 1944
- Detachment operated from: Yunnani, China, c. July 23, 1944 – March 1945
- Detachment operated from: Mengtsz, China, March 1945
- Detachment operated from: Posek, China, April 12 – May 1945
- Mengtsz, China, c. July 13, 1945
- India, September–November 1945
- Ft Lewis, Washington, December 19–25, 1945,
- AdakAdak, AlaskaAdak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
, 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...
, September 1, 1947 - Ladd 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...
, March 28, 1949 – August 25, 1960
Aircraft
- 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...
, 1943–1945 - P-61 Black WidowP-61 Black WidowThe Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
, 1947–1949 - F-82 Twin MustangF-82 Twin MustangThe North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II; however, the war ended well before the first...
, 1948–1953 - F-94 StarfireF-94 StarfireThe Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor aircraft. It was a development by Lockheed of the twin-seat T-33 Shooting Star trainer aircraft.-Design and development:...
, 1952–1954 - F-89 ScorpionF-89 ScorpionThe Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an early American jet-powered fighter designed from the outset as an all-weather interceptor. Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among the first USAF jet fighters with guided missiles, and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air...
, 1954–1960