316th Fighter Squadron

The 316th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last active with the 324th Fighter Group, being based at Camp Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

History
Activated in mid-1942 under I Fighter Command. Trained in Virginia, deployed to Egypt with Ninth Air Force, being assigned to support the British Desert Air Force in the Western Desert Campaign. Engaged Nazi forces in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army.

Transferred to Twelfth Air Force and reassigned to Italy in the fall of 1943, supporting the United States Fifth Army in the Italian Campaign. Moved to Corsica for staging then participated in the Invasion of southern France, August 1944. Supported United States Seventh Army in Rhone Valley Campaign and engaging Nazi Forces through Lyon and meeting with United States Third Army in Alsace-Lorraine during the late fall of 1944.

Participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany, January–May 1944, later performing occupation duty at Stuttgart Airport. Returned to the United States and demobilized, fall 1945 and inactivated in November.

Lineage

 * Constituted 316th Fighter Squadron on 24 Jun 1942
 * Activated on 6 Jul 1942
 * Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.

Assignments

 * 324th Fighter Group, 6 Jul 1942-7 Nov 1945
 * Attached to: 79th Fighter Group, 15 Mar-21 May 1943

Stations

 * Mitchel Field, New York, 6 Jul 1942
 * Byrd Field, Norfolk, Virginia, 6 Jul-28 Oct 1942
 * RAF El Amiriya, Egypt, 23 Dec 1942
 * RAF Kabrit, Egypt, 3 Feb 1943
 * Libya, 15 Mar 1943 (undetermined locations)
 * Tunisia, Apr 1943; (undetermined locations)
 * Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia, 2 Jun 1943
 * El Haouaria Airfield, Tunisia, c. 18 Jun 1943
 * Menzel Heurr Airfield, Tunisia, 3 Oct 1943
 * Cercola Airfield, Italy, 27 Oct 1943
 * Pignataro Maggiore Airfield, Italy, 10 May 1944


 * Le Banca Airfield, Italy, 7 Jun 1944
 * Montalto Di Castro Airfield, Italy, 15 Jun 1944
 * Corsica, 19 Jul 1944
 * Le Luc Airport, France, 29 Aug 1944
 * Istres/Le Tubé Airfield (ALG A-17), France, 3 Sep 1944
 * Amberieu Airfield (ALG-Y-5), France, 6 Sep 1944
 * Dole/Tavaux Airfield (ALG Y-7), France, 20 Sep 1944
 * Luneville Airfield (ALG Y-2), France, 2 Jan 1945
 * Flughafen Stuttgart
 * Later: AAF Station Stuttgart/Echterdingen, Germany, 3 May-20 Oct 1945


 * Camp Shanks, New York, 6-7 Nov 1945.

Aircraft

 * P-40 Warhawk, 1942-1944
 * P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944-1945.