387th Tactical Fighter Squadron

387th Tactical Fighter Squadron
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Active	1942–1959
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force

File:523d Tactical Fighter Squadron - North American F-100D-85-NH Super Sabre - 56-3460.jpg

F-100D Super Sabre - 56-3460

The 387th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 312th Tactical Fighter Wing, based at Cannon Air Force Base. New Mexico. It was inactivated on February 18, 1959.

History

Established in early 1942 as a light bomb squadron, equipped with A-24 Banshees, although equipped with export model A-31 Vengeance dive bombers for training. Trained under Third Air Force in the southeast United States, also used for antisubmarine patrols over the Atlantic southeast coast and then Gulf of Mexico.

Deployed to Southern California in early 1943 to the Desert Warfare Center, trained in light bombing while supporting Army maneuvers in the Mojave Desert until October.

Re-equipped with North American A-36 Apache dive bombers and deployed to New Guinea as part of Fifth Air Force. In the Southwest Pacific the squadron attacked Japanese strong points and tactical positions and targets of opportunity in support of MacArthur's campaign along the north coast of New Guinea; then advancing into the Netherlands East Indies and Philippines as part of the Island Hopping campaign. Re-equipped with P-40s; then later A-20 Havocs. Engaged in heavy fighting on Lete; Mindoro and Luzon in the Philippines during 1944-1945.

The squadron moved to Okinawa in mid-August and after the Atomic Bomb missions had been flown; remained on Okinawa until December until returning to the United States with most personnel demobilizing. It was inactivated as a paper unit on January 6, 1946.

The squadron was reactivated as a B-29 Superfortress unit in the reserves in 1947, but lack of funding and personnel led to rapid inactivation.

Transferred to Tactical Air Command in the mid-1950s and activated first with F-68 Sabres, then F-100 Super Sabres in 1958. Inactivated in 1959 when its parent 312th TFW was inactivated and re-designated as the 27th TFW. Personnel and equipment of the squadron were re-designated as the 523d Tactical Fighter Squadron.

Lineage

• Constituted 387th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on January 28, 1942

Activated on March 15, 1942

Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on July 27, 1942

Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on December 6, 1943

Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on July 19, 1945

Inactivated on December 18, 1945

• Redesignated: 387th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on July 14, 1947

Activated in the reserve on July 30, 1947

Inactivated on June 27, 1949

• Redesignated: 387th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on July 29, 1954

Activated on October 1, 1954

Redesignated: 387th Tactical Fighter Squadron on July 1, 1958

Inactivated on February 18, 1959.

Assignments

• 312th Bombardment Group, March 15, 1942 – December 18, 1945
• Tenth Air Force, July 30, 1947
• 312th Bombardment Group, August 13, 1947 – June 27, 1949
• 312th Fighter-Bomber Group, October 1954
• 312th Fighter-Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing, October 8, 1957 – February 18, 1959.

Stations

• Bowman Field, Kentucky, March 15, 1942
• Will Rogers Airport, Oklahoma, June 12, 1942
• Hunter Field, Georgia, August 18, 1942
• DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, February 18, 1943
• Rice Army Airfield, California, April 13, 1943
• Salinas Army Air Base, California, August 13 – October 24, 1943
• Jackson Airfield (7 Mile Drome), Port Moresby, New Guinea, December 1, 1943
• Gusap Airfield, New Guinea, c. December 25, 1943
• Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, June 10, 1944
• Hollandia Airfield Complex, Netherlands East Indies, July 10, 1944

• Tanauan Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, November 19, 1944
• McGuire Field, San Jose, Mindoro, Philippines Commonwealth, January 25, 1945
• Mangaldan Airfield, Luzon, Philippines Commonwealth, c. February 10, 1945
• Floridablanca Airfield (Basa Air Base), Luzon, Philippines Commonwealth, April 16, 1945
• Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, C. August 12 – December 13, 1945
• Vancouver, Washington, January 3–6, 1946
• Ellington Field, Texas, July 1947 – June 27, 1949
• Clovis (Later Cannon) AFB, New Mexico, October 1, 1954 – February 18, 1959

Aircraft

• A-31 Vengeance, 1942–1943
• A-24 Banshee, 1942–1943
• North American A-36, 1943
• P-40 Warhawk, 1943–1944
• A-20 Havoc, 1944–1945
• F-86 Sabre, 1955–1956
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1959.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.