553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron

553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron
Emblem of the 553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron
Active	1942-1945; 1955-1957
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter-Bomber

A-26C-2-DL Invader 41-39199 553rd BS, 386th BG, 9th AF Beaumont-sur-Oise Airfield (A-60), France, 2 December 1944

The 553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 386th Fighter-Bomber Group, stationed at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. It was inactivated on 8 July 1957.

History

Activated as a B-26 Marauder Medium Bomber squadron in late 1942; trained under Third Air Force in southeastern United States. Reassigned to European Theater of Operations in June 1943, first being assigned to VIII Air Support Command; then to IX Bomber Command in 1944. Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe initially from stations in England, then after D-Day, moved to Advanced Landing Grounds in France and Belgium; advancing eastward as Allied ground forces advanced. Supported Eighth Air Force strategic bombardment missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe; striking enemy airfields to obtain maximum interference in Luftwaffe day interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations returning to England. Also participated in Western Allied Invasion of Germany, March–April 1945, combat ending with German Capitation in May 1945.

Squadron demobilized personnel in Europe during Summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States for re-equipping with A-26 Invader and prepared for tactical operations over Japan as part of planned invasion force. Inactivated in November 1945 after Japanese Capitulation and end of World War II.

Reactivated in 1955 as a Tactical Air Command F-100 Super Sabre squadron; inactivated in 1955 due to budget reductions.

Lineage

• Constituted 553d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 November 1942

Activated on 1 December 1942

Redesignated 553d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 23 June 1945

Inactivated on 7 November 1945

• Redesignated 553d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 31 October 1955

Activated on 8 April 1956

Inactivated on 8 July 1957

Assignments

• 386th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942 – 7 November 1945
• 386th Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 April 1956 – 8 July 1957

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 1 December 1942 Lake Charles AAB, Louisiana, 9 February-8 May 1943 RAF Snetterton Heath (AAF-138), England, 3 June 1943 RAF Boxted (AAF-150), England, 10 June 1943 RAF Great Dunmow (AAF-164), England, 24 September 1943

Beaumont-sur-Oise Airfield (A-60), France 2 October 1944 Sint-Truiden Airfield (A-92), Belgium, 9 April – 27 July 1945 Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, 7 August 1945 Westover Field, Massachusetts, 30 September – 7 November 1945 Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, 8 April 1956 – 8 July 1957

Aircraft

• Martin B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
• North American F-86F/H Sabre, 1956–1957
• North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1957

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.