561st Fighter-Day Squadron

561st Fighter-Day Squadron
561st Fighter-Day Squadron - Emblem
Active	1940-1958
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Airlift

Emblem of the World War II 83d Bombardment Squadron

B-25H-10 43-5104 "Bones" of the 83d Bombardment Squadron releasing 1,000 pound bombs over a road in northern Italy, 1944. "Bones" was the 1000th, and last B-25H manufactured, and also the final Mitchell made by North American in Southern California before manufacturing was moved to Fairfax Airport near Kansas City, Missouri. The aircraft contained numerous signatures by the workers who assembled it before it was shipped to the MTO.

The 561st Fighter-Day Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 12th Fighter-Day Wing, Tactical Air Command, stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 8 January 1958.

History

Established in early 1941 as a coastal patrol light bomber squadron, assigned to the Northwest Air District (later Second Air Force). Deployed to Louisiana to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico after the Pearl Harbor Attack, equipped with B-18 Bolos. Trained with B-25 Mitchells in Louisiana under Third Air Force, then after several months in Louisiana, moved to Central California and received new B-25s from North American, being trained as a medium bombardment squadron.

Was deployed to Egypt in July 1942, flying via the South Atlantic Transport Route, then across Central Africa to Eritrea, then north to Cairo arriving at RAF Deversoir in early August. Assigned to the new Ninth Air Force in November while engaging in tactical bombardment and strafing missions against enemy armor and troop concentrations; also attacked enemy bases and columns in the rear area behind the lines in western Egypt and Libya. Moved west supporting the British Eighth Army's advance in the Western Desert Campaign into Tunisia. Was reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in Southern Italy in November 1943, flying tactical bombardment missions supporting the United States Fifth Army's drive northwards during the Italian campaign. Reassigned to the China Burma India Theater (CBI) in February 1944, moving via the Middle East to eastern India. Supported the British forces in Burma, attacking Japanese transport routes and troop concentrations. Began receiving A-26 Invaders in the early summer of 1945, replacing the B-25s. Remained in the CBI until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945, being demobilized in India in the fall. Inactivated as a paper unit in the United States in January 1946.

Reactivated under Tactical Air Command in May 1947 as a light bomber squadron, but neither manned or equipped. Inactivated in September 1948. Reactivated in November 1950 under Strategic Air Command as an F-84G Thunderjet Fighter squadron, assigned to Turner AFB. Flew fighter-escort training missions with SAC B-50 and B-36 strategic bombers. The strategic fighter concept became redundant with the introduction of B-47 and B-52 jet bombers which could fly higher and faster than the first-generation F-86 escort fighters, and was reassigned to Tactical Air Command in 1957. TAC sent the Thunderjets to second-line Air National Guard and reserve squadrons, personnel reassigned to other units. Inactivated due to budget constraints in January 1958.

Notes

On October 31, 1952 USAF Pilot Jimmy Priestly Robinson of the 561st Squadron was lost at sea after Operation Ivy testing.^[1]

Lineage

• Constituted 83d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 Nov 1940

Activated on 15 Jan 1941

Redesignated 83d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 30 Dec 1941

Inactivated on 22 Jan 1946

• Redesignated 83d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 29 Apr 1947

Activated on ig May 1947

Inactivated on 10 Sep 1948

• Redesignated 561st Fighter-Escort Squadron on 27 Oct 1950

Activated on 1 Nov 1950

Redesignated: 561st Strategic Fighter Squadron on 20 Jan 1953

Redesignated: 561st Fighter-Day Squadron on 1 Jul 1957

Inactivated on 8 Jan 1958

Assignments

• 12th Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-22 Jan 1946; 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948
• 12th Fighter-Escort Group, 1 Nov 1950
• 12th Fighter Escort (later Strategic Fighter; Fighter-Day) Wing, 18 Jun 1952-8 Jan 1958

Stations

McChord Field, Washington, 15 Jan 1941 Esler Field, Louisiana, 27 Feb-3 Jul 1942 Operated from Stockton Field, California, 24 May-24 Jun 1942 RAF Deversoir, Egypt, 2 Aug 1942 Landing Ground 88, Egypt, 15 Oct 1942 RAF Gambut, Libya, 5 Dec 1942; Magrun Landing Ground, Libya, 14 Dec 1942 RAF Gambut, Libya, 16 Dec 1942 Tmed El Chel Airfield, Libya, 10 Jan 1943 Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, 4 Feb 1943 Canrobert Airfield, Algeria, 15 Mar 1943 Thibar Airfield, Tunisia, 1 May 1943 Hergla Airfield, Tunisia, 2 Jun 1943 Ponte Olivo Airfield, Sicily, c. 2 Aug 1943

Gerbini Airfield, Sicily, 22 Aug 1943 Foggia Airfield, Italy, 3 Nov 1943 Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 19 Jan- 4 Feb 1944 Tezgaon Airfield, India, ig Mar 1944 Pandaveswar Airfield, India, 15 Jun 1944 Fenny Airfield, India, 20 Ju1 1944 Operated from Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, 10-28 Apr 1945 Madhaiganj Airfield, India, 8 Jun 1945 Karachi Airport, India, 18 Nov-24 Dec 1945 Fort Lawton, Washington, 21-22 Jan 1946 Langley Field, Virginia, 19 May 1947-10 Sep 1948 Turner AFB, Georgia, 1 Nov 1950 Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 5 Dec 1950-8 Jan 1958

Aircraft

• PT-17 Stearman, 1941-1942
• B-18 Bolo, 1942-1942
• B-25 Mitchell, 1942-1945
• A-26 Invader, 1945
• F-84 Thunderjet, 1951-1957

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

1. Pacific Wrecks memorial