The 367th Fighter Squadron is a "reverse" associate

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit, stationed at

Homestead Air Reserve Base Homestead Air Reserve Base (Homestead ARB), previously known as Homestead Air Force Base (Homestead AFB) is located in Miami–Dade County, Florida to the northeast of the city of Homestead. It is home to the 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW) of th ...

, Florida, where it operates and maintains the

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...

s of the

482d Fighter Wing The 482nd Fighter Wing (482 FW) is an Air reserve component, Air Reserve Component (ARC) unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), stationed at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Flori ...

of the

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...

. Its parent is the 495th Fighter Group at

Shaw Air Force Base Shaw Air Force Base (Shaw AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located approximately west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, and is under the jurisdict ...

, South Carolina. The squadron was first activated at the beginning of 1943. After training in the United States, it moved to England and entered combat in the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

. The squadron earned the

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm during its combat missions. After

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945. The squadron was reactivated in October 2015.

History

World War II

The 367th Fighter Squadron was activated on 1 January 1943 at

Richmond Army Air Base Richmond International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Sandston, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community (in Henrico County, Virginia, Henrico County). The airport is about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown ...

, Virginia as one of the original squadrons of the 358th Fighter Group. The

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

initially began training with the

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, 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 an ...

. Later that year, the unit replaced its Warhawks with the

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

, which it flew for the remainder of the war. The squadron left Richmond in September 1943 for the port of embarkation.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 240–241 It sailed for England on the on 8 October. The 367th arrived in England during October 1943, where it began operations with

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

on 20 December 1943, but was transferred to

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

in February 1944. The unit engaged primarily in missions escorting bombers attacking targets on the continent of Europe until April 1944. The squadron dive bombed

marshalling yard A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...

s and

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

s and attacked enemy communications during April and May from its new station, an advanced landing ground at

RAF High Halden Royal Air Force High Halden or more simply RAF High Halden is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground in Kent, England. The airfield is located approximately west-southwest of Ashford; about southeast of London. Opened in 1944, ...

, to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy. The squadron escorted troop carrier formations on

D Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

and the following day as the formations dropped

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...

s on the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...

. For the remainder of June, it attacked rail lines, troop concentrations, bridges and transport. The squadron moved to France in July and, from its base at

Cretteville Cretteville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the commune of Picauville. World War II After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in 1944, engineers ...

, took part in operations that resulted in the Allied breakthrough at

St Lo ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

. The squadron continued to fly escort,

interdiction Interdiction is a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction. The former refers to operations whose ...

and

close air support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

missions during the Allied drive across France and into Germany. The squadron received a

for its actions between 24 December 1944 and 2 January 1945, when it supported Seventh Army, attacking railroads and rolling stock, other vehicles and enemy artillery formations. It also destroyed numerous

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

fighters while defending against

Operation Bodenplatte Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenplatte'' was to gain air superiority during th ...

, an attack concentrating on forward Allied air bases in an attempt by the ''Luftwaffe'' to attain air superiority in the area of the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

. In March, the squadron attacked German forces attempting to withdraw across the

Rhine River ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...

, destroying motor transport and hampering the withdrawal efforts, earning a second Distinguished Unit Citation. The following month, the squadron attacked enemy airfields near

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

and

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bav ...

, engaging aircraft and supporting the advance of ground forces in the area, earning a third award of the Distinguished Unit Citation. The squadron was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm by the Government of France for its assistance in the liberation of France. The squadron was credited with the destruction of 49.5 enemy aircraft during the war. The squadron remained in Germany after

until July 1945, when it returned to the United States, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

Associate unit

The 367th Fighter Squadron was reactivated at

during a ceremony on 23 October 2015, replacing Detachment 93 of the 495th Fighter Group. Under the "Total Force Integration" program, the squadron, a regular unit, will operate and maintain the

aircraft of the

as an associate unit.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 367th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 20 December 1942 : Activated on 1 January 1943 : Inactivated on 7 November 1945Lineage through 1945 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 455 * Redesignated 367th Fighter Squadron : Activated c. 23 October 2015

Assignments

* 358th Fighter Group: 1 January 1943 – 7 November 1945 * 495th Fighter Group: c. 23 October 2015 – present

Stations

* Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 January 1943 *

Camp Springs Army Air Field Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force. In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form Joint Bas ...

, Maryland, 20 April 1943 *

Millville Army Air Field Millville Executive Airport is in Millville, New Jersey, Millville, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, Cumberland County, New Jersey. The airport, southwest of the Millville city center, is owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) a ...

, New Jersey, 29 May 1943 *

Philadelphia Municipal Airport Philadelphia Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the City of Philadelphia and located two nautical miles (4 km) northwest of its central business district. This airpo ...

, Pennsylvania, 16 June 1943 * Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 13 August 1943 – 25 September 1943 *

RAF Goxhill Royal Air Force Goxhill or RAF Goxhill is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Goxhill, on the south bank of the Humber Estuary, opposite the city of Kingston upon Hull, in north Lincolnshire, England. Origins During the First World ...

(Station 345),Station number in Anderson. England, United Kingdom, 20 October 1943 *

RAF Leiston Royal Air Force Leiston or more simply RAF Leiston is a former Royal Air Force station located northwest of Leiston and south of Theberton, Suffolk, England. History USAAF use Originally intended as a fighter station for RAF Fighter Comman ...

(Station 373), England, United Kingdom, 4 December 1943 *

RAF Raydon The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(Station 157), England, United Kingdom, 21 January 1944 * RAF High Halden (Station 411), England, United Kingdom, 13 April 1944 * Cretteville (A-14),Station number in Johnson. France, 4 July 1944 *

Pontorson Pontorson () is a commune in the Manche department in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, the former communes of Macey and Vessey were merged into Pontorson. Geography Pontorson is situated about 10 kilometres from the Mont Saint-Michel, ...

(A-28), France, 14 August 1944 *

Vitry-le-François Vitry-le-François () is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. It is located on the river Marne and is the western terminus of the Marne–Rhine Canal. Vitry-le-François station has rail connections to Paris, Reims, Strasbour ...

(A-67), France, 15 September 1944 *

Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in France. It lies approximately 1 mile (2 km) east-southeast of Mourmelon-le-Grand and 93 miles (150 km) northeast of Paris. The airfield was a semi-permanent f ...

(A-80), France, 16 October 1944 *

Toul-Croix de Metz Airfield Toul-Croix De Metz Airfield is a former military airfield which is located approximately northeast of Toul (Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine); east of Paris. The airfield had its probable origins as early as 1912, as an ''Aéronau ...

(A-90), France, 20 November 1944 * Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield (Y-79), Germany, 8 April 1945 * Reims-Champagne Airport (A-62), France, 23 June 1945 – 10 July 1945 *

La Junta Army Air Field La Junta Municipal Airport is three miles north of La Junta, in Otero County, Colorado, United States. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''general aviation'' facility. Many U.S. airports use t ...

, Colorado 3 August 1945 – 7 November 1945Station names and dates from 1943 through 1945 in Maurer,m ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 455. Maurer does not include station identification numbers used in Europe during World War II. * Homestead Air Reserve Base, c. 23 October 2015 – present

Aircraft

* Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1943 * Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1945 * General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 2015–present

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

* {{USAAF 1st Air Force World War II Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations in Florida