70th Fighter Squadron

70th Fighter Squadron
70th Fighter Squadron Patch
Active	1 January 1941 – 26 December 1945 30 September 1975 – 30 June 2000
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter
Nickname(s)	White Knights
Decorations	DUC AFOUA PPUC

McDonnell Douglas F-4E-39-MC Phantom Serial 68-0447 of the 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1984.

The 70th Fighter Squadron (70 FS) was most recently part of the 347th Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It operated A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

History

The 70th provided air defense for Fiji from, February–December 1942. It then went on to fly combat missions in South and Southwest Pacific from, 21 December 1942 – 21 July 1944 and 9 September 1944 – 9 August 1945. It deployed aircraft and personnel to Southwest Asia from, 10 January – 16 September 1992.

Lineage

• Constituted 70th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 14 December 1940

Activated on 1 January 1941

Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942

Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 August 1943

Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 24 May 1944

Inactivated on 26 December 1945

• Redesignated 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 September 1975

Activated on 30 September 1975

Redesignated 70th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991.

Inactivated on 30 June 2000

Assignments

• 35th Pursuit Group, 1 January 1941 – 15 January 1942
• US Army Forces in Fiji, 28 January 1942
• 347th Fighter Group, 3 October 1942
• 18th Fighter Group, 30 March 1943
• 347th Fighter Group, 1 November – 26 December 1945
• 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 September 1975

Attached to 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 29 August – 28 September 1989

• 347th Operations Group, 1 May 1991 – 30 June 2000

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, 1 January 1941 – 12 January 1942
• Nadi Airfield, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, 29 January 1942

Operated from Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 21 December 1942-April 1943

• Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 6 April 1943
• Munda Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 18 October 1943
• Sansapor Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 23 August 1944

Operated from Wama Airfield, Morotai, Netherlands East Indies, 9 November 1944 – 16 January 1945

• Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 19 January 1945
• McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, 26 February 1945
• San Roque Airfield (Moret Field), Mindoro, Philippines, 4 May 1945
• Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 10 November – 26 December 1945
• Moody AFB, Georgia, 30 September 1975 – 30 June 2000

Deployed at Ramstein AB, West Germany, 29 August – 28 September 1989).

Aircraft Operated

• P-36 Hawk (1941)
• P-39 Airacobra (1942–1944)
• P-40 Warhawk (1943)
• P-38 Lightning (1943–1945)
• RA-24 Banshee (1944)
• F-4 Phantom II (1975–1987)
• F-16 Fighting Falcon (1987–1995)
• OA-10 Thunderbolt (1995–2000)

Operations

• World War II

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

External links

• USAF 70th Fighter Squadron History