487th Fighter Squadron

487th Fighter Squadron
Emblem of the 487th Fighter Squadron
Active	1942–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Fighter
Commanders
Notable commanders	John C. Meyer

North American P-51D-10-NA Mustang Serial 44-14237 "Moonbeam McSwine" of the 487th Fighter Squadron.

The 487th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 352d Fighter Group stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

History

Activated in September 1942. Trained with P-47 Thunderbolts under First Air Force in northeast United States. Deployed to European Theater of Operations, July 1943 as heavy bomber fighter escort squadron. Replaced Thunderbolts with long-range P-51D Mustangs, July 1944, P-47s reassigned to IX Fighter Command for tactical fighter-bomber missions supporting ground forces in France. Deployed to Belgium in December 1944 to supplement IX Fighter Command tactical air forces during Battle of the Bulge, Returned to England, engaging in long-range escort missions until April 1945.

Squadron demobilized in England during the summer of 1945, personnel returning to the United States. Inactivated as a paper unit, November 1945.

Lineage

Constituted 487th Fighter Squadron on 29 September 1942

Activated on 1 October 1942

Inactivated on 10 November 1945

Assignments

352d Fighter Group, 1 October 1942 – 10 November 1945

Assigned Fuselage Code: HO

Stations

Mitchel Field, New York, 1 October 1942
Bradley Field, Connecticut, October 1942
Westover Field, Massachusetts, November 1942
Trumbull Field, Connecticut, c. 15 January 1943
Mitchel Field, New York, c. 8 March–June 1943

RAF Bodney, England, c. 7 July 1943

Detachment operated from Asch Airfield, Belgium, 23 December 1944-27 January 1945

Chievres Airfield, Belgium, 28 January 1945
RAF Bodney, England, c. 14 April-4 November 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 9–10 November 1945.

Aircraft

P-47 Thunderbolt, 1942–1944
P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945

References

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

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.

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