402d Fighter-Day Group

402d Fighter-Day Group
Active	1943–1943; 1943-1944; 1957
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Day Fighter
Engagements	CBI Theater of World War II

The 402d Fighter-Day Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being inactivated at Greenville Air Force Base, Mississippi on 8 February 1957.

History

World War II

The 402d Bombardment Group was activated in China and assigned to Fourteenth Air Force in early 1943. Programmed for North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, however no aircraft or squadrons were assigned and its headquarters apparently was never fully manned. The unit was disbanded a few months later.^[1]

The 402d Fighter Group was first activated by I Fighter Command in October 1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts, with the 538th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 539th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and 540th Fighter Squadrons assigned.^[1][2][3][4] Less than two weeks later, the group moved to Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina. At Seymour Johnson, the 538th and 539th Squadrons were reassigned to the 326th Fighter Group, which transferred two of its squadrons to the 402d.^[3][5]

Cold War

The two World War II groups were reconstituted and consolidated as the 402d Fighter-Day Group and assigned to Tactical Air Command.^[1] Planned as an F-100 Super Sabre group, however decision was made to keep Greenville AFB as an Air Training Command base. As a result no aircraft were assigned and the unit was inactivated in 1957.

Lineage

402d Bombardment Group

• Constituted as the 402d Bombardment Group (Medium) on 20 April 1943

Activated on 19 May 1943

Disbanded on 31 July 1943

• Reconstituted and consolidated with the 402d Fighter Group on 3 October 1956^[1]

402d Fighter-Day Group

• Constituted as the 402d Fighter Group on 24 September 1943

Activated on 1 October 1943

Disbanded on 10 April 1944.

• Reconstituted as the 402d Fighter-Day Group on 4 October 1956

Activated on 15 October 1956^[1]

Inactivated on 8 February 1957

Assignments

• Fourteenth Air Force, 19 May – 31 July 1943
• I Fighter Command, 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944 (attached to New York Fighter Wing until 13 October 1943)
• Tactical Air Command, 15 October 1956 – 8 February 1957

Components

• 320th Fighter (later Fighter-Day) Squadron: 25 November 1943 – 10 April 1944; 15 October 1956 – 8 February 1957
• 442d Fighter (later Fighter-Day) Squadron: 25 November 1943 – 10 April 1944; 15 October 1956 – 8 February 1957
• 452d Fighter Squadron: 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944
• 538th Fighter Squadron: 1 October – 25 November 1943
• 539th Fighter Squadron: 1 October – 25 November 1943
• 540th Fighter (later Fighter-Day) Squadron: 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944; 15 October 1956 – 8 February 1957

Stations

• Kunming Airport, China, 19 May – 31 July 1943
• Westover Field, Massachusetts, 1 October 1943
• Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, c. 13 October 1943
• Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina, c. 9 December 1943
• Bradley Field, Connecticut, c. 11 February – 10 April 1944
• Greenville Air Force Base, Mississippi, 15 October 1956 – 8 February 1957^[1]

Aircraft

• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944^[1]

References

Notes

1. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 286-287
2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 644-645
3. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 645-646
4. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 646
5. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 208

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.