531st Fighter Squadron

The 531st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam. The squadron was inactivated on 31 July 1970.

World War II
Activated in Hawaii in 1941 as a light Bombardment/Reconnaissance squadron, being equipped with a mixture of B-18 Bolos, second-line P-26s, and A-20 Havocs. Was part of the air defense forces of Hawaii, many aircraft being destroyed during the Pearl Harbor Attack at Hickam Field. Re-equipped with A-24 Dauntless dive bombers in 1942, remained in Hawaii as an air defense squadron until 1943.

Re-designated as a fighter-bomber squadron in mid-1943, deploying to the Central Pacific in 1944 as part of the 21st Fighter Group. Returned to Hawaii and re-equipped with long-range P-38 Lightnings and returned to combat operations in the Central Pacific, operating from Iwo Jima beginning in early 1945 until the end of the war in August. Remained as part of Twentieth Air Force in the Marianas until inactivated in October 1946.

Cold War
Reactivated in 1953 at George AFB, California as an F-86 Sabre Fighter-Bomber Squadron. Spent about a year under Tactical Air Command training, deploying to France in 1954 as part of the NATO buildup of the United States Air Forces in Europe during the early years of the Cold War. Operated from several bases in France during the 1950s, inactivated in 1958 as part of a USAFE reorganization.

Became part of PACAF in 1958, operated F-100 Super Sabres from Misawa AB, Japan as an air defense squadron. Deployed to South Vietnam, 1965 and carried out combat operations until inactivated in 1970.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 58th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 November 1940
 * Activated on 1 January 1941
 * Re-designated: 58th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on ig Oct 1942
 * Re-designated: 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 14 Aug 1943
 * Re-designated: 531st Fighter Squadron on 18 Feb 1944.
 * Inactivated on 10 Oct 1946


 * Re-designated 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 Nov 1952
 * Activated on 1 Jan 1953.
 * Inactivated on 8 Feb 1958


 * Re-designated 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 19 May 1958
 * Activated on 1 Jul 1958
 * Inactivated 16 June 1964

Assignments

 * Hawaiian (later Seventh) Air Force, 1 Jan 1941
 * 21st Fighter Group, 15 Jun 1944 – 10 Oct 1946
 * 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 Jan 1953 – 8 Feb 1958
 * 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Ju1 1958
 * 39th Air Division, 18 June 1960
 * 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 December 1965 – 31 July 1970

Stations

 * Hickam Field, Hawaii Territory, 1 January 1941
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 18 March 1941
 * Hickam Field, Hawaii Territory, 29 April 1941
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 11 December 1941
 * Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 19 Dec 1941 – 18 Jun 1943
 * Canton Island, Phoenix Islands, 24 June 1943
 * Makin Island, Gilbert Islands, 18 December 1943
 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 1 March 1944
 * Kualoa Field, Hawaii Territory, 21 April 1944
 * Mokuleia Field, Hawaii Territory, 8 October 1944


 * Central Field, Iwo Jima, 26 March 1945
 * South Field, Iwo Jima, 15 July 1945
 * Isely Field, Saipan, 5 December 1945
 * Northwest Field, Guam, 17 April – 10 October 1946
 * George AFB, California, 1 January 1953
 * Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France, 28 November 1954
 * Chambley-Bussières Air Base, France, March 1955
 * Misawa Air Force Base, Japan, 1 July 1958
 * Deployed to: Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, 1 February – 13 July 1965


 * Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 16 December 1965 – 31 July 1970

Aircraft

 * P-26 Peashooter, 1941
 * B-18 Bolo, 1941
 * A-20 Havoc, 1941–1942
 * A-24 Dauntless, 1942–1944
 * P-38 Lightning, 1944–1946


 * P-51 Mustang, 1944–1947
 * F-51 Mustang, 1947–1953
 * F-86 Sabre, 1953–1958
 * F-100 Super Sabre, 1958–1970