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