495th Tactical Fighter Squadron

The 495th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing and stationed at RAF Lakenheath, England. The squadron motto "MALA IPSA NOVA" translates to "Bad News Itself".

History
Activated as a Southeastern Air District Army Air Corps training squadron, equipped with a variety of second-line aircraft, both single and twin engine, preparing its pilots and maintenance crews for eventual combat. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron flew antisubmarine patrols from, March–April 1942. Resumed aircrew training, many of the group's members went on to serve in squadrons stationed in Europe and the Pacific theaters.

Eventually coming under the AAF III Fighter Command in 1944, trained replacement pilots with P-47 Thunderbolts, inactivated in 1944 with the end of RTU training.

Reactivated in 1977 as a fourth tactical fighter squadron with the modern USAF 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated with the 48th TFW on 1 April 1977 with a squadron tail color of green. This was 33 years to the day since the squadron’s inactivation. The 495th mission was as a replacement training unit for F-111F pilots assigned to the other three fighter squadron.

Inactivated in December 1991 with the retirement of the F-111F at Lakenheath.

Lineage

 * Constituted 9th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940.
 * Activated on 15 January 1941
 * Redesignated: 88th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941
 * Redesignated: 88th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 August 1942
 * Redesignated: 495th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
 * Disbanded on 1 April 1944


 * Reconstituted, redesignated: 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 1 April 1977 (not operational until 29 July 1977)
 * Inactivated on 13 December 1991

Assignments

 * 48th Bombardment (later Fighter-Bomber) Group
 * Attached on 15 January 1941
 * Assigned on 14 August 1941


 * 407th Fighter-Bomber Group, Mar-1 April 1944
 * 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 April 1977 – 13 December 1991

Stations

 * Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia, 15 January 1941
 * Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma 26 May 1941
 * Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia. 7 February 1942
 * Key Field, Mississippi, 28 June 1942
 * William Northern Field, Tennessee, 20 August 1943
 * Galveston Army Airfield, Texas, Mar-1 April 1944
 * RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England, 1 April 1977 – 13 December 1991

Aircraft

 * B-18 Bolo, 1941
 * A-20 Havoc, 1941–1943
 * P-39 Aircobra, 1942–1944
 * P-40 Warhawk, 1942–1944


 * A-35 Vengeance, 1943
 * A-24 Banshee, 1943;
 * P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944
 * General Dynamics F-111F, 1977–1991