World War II edit

The squadron was activated as the 50th Bombardment Squadron at Hunter Field, Georgia in the United States Army Air Corps' buildup before World War II. It was one of the original squadrons of the 46th Bombardment Group and was equipped with Douglas A-20 Havoc aircraft.^[1][2] The 50th trained with the Havoc and participated in maneuvers.^[3] After the entry of the United States into the war, the squadron moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and then to Galveston Army Air Field, Texas, from which it flew anti-submarine warfare patrol and search missions over the Gulf of Mexico until May 1942.^[2]

It moved to Blythe Army Air Base, California, where it participated in desert maneuvers.^[3] It then served as an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma. OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres for "satellite groups."^[2][4] In late 1943 the squadron moved to Morris Field, North Carolina and its mission changed to replacement training of individual pilots and aircrews.^[1][4] Just before disbanding, the squadron began to convert to North American B-25 Mitchells.^[2]

However the Army Air Forces was finding standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were not well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.^[5] In May 1944, the squadron was disbanded^[1] and its personnel, equipment and functions transferred to the 333d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment)^[6][7]

Air Force reserve edit

Initial activation and mobilization for the Korean War edit

The squadron was reconstituted and activated in the reserve under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Mitchel Field, New York in April 1947 and assigned to the 319th Bombardment Group.^[1] At Mitchel, the squadron trained under the supervision of the 113th AAF Base Unit (later the 2230 Air Force Reserve Training Center), although it is not clear whether it was fully manned or equipped during this period. In July 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.^[8] The 50th's stay at Mitchel ended when ConAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949.^[1]

The squadron moved on paper to Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania, where it replaced elements of the 322d Bombardment Group.^[9] At Reading, the squadron trained under the supervision of the 2237th Air Force Reserve Training Center. The squadron was authorized manning of only 25% of normal strength.^[10] Runway length at Reading, however, led ConAC to decide to station a troop carrier unit there, and the squadron was inactivated on 2 October 1949 and its personnel were transferred to the 327th Troop Carrier Squadron.^[1][11]

The squadron activated again about a month later, on 10 October 1949, at Birmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama, where it replaced the 336th Troop Carrier Squadron.^[12] The squadron flew the Douglas B-26 Invader at Birmingham, where training was conducted by the 2587th Air Force Reserve Training Center.^[13] All reserve combat and corollary units were mobilized for the Korean war,^[14] and the 319th was called up on 10 March 1951. Its personnel and aircraft were used as fillers for other units,^[15] and the squadron was inactivated on 22 March.^[1]

Fighter operations edit

The squadron was activated in June 1957 at New Orleans Naval Air Station, Louisiana as the 50th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. The squadron was not located with its parent wing, which was at Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept. The concept had been adopted by ConAC because communities were more likely to accept smaller squadrons than large wings and the location of separated squadrons would facilitate recruiting and manning.^[16] The squadron began to receive North American F-86 Sabres.^[17] However, the Air Force directed ConAC to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission given to the Air National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission.^[18] The 50th Squadron was inactivated in this mission change on 16 November 1957 and its place was taken by the 77th Troop Carrier Squadron.^[1][19]

• Constituted as the 50th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940

Activated on 15 January 1941

Disbanded on 1 May 1944

• Reconstituted on 10 March 1947

Activated in the reserve on 16 April 1947

Inactivated on 2 September 1949

• Activated in the reserve on 10 October 1949

Ordered to active service on 10 March 1951

Inactivated on 22 March 1951

• Redesignated 50th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 12 February 1957

Activated in the reserve 8 June 1957

Inactivated on 16 November 1957^[1]

Assignments edit

• 46th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941 – 1 May 1944
• 319th Bombardment Group, 16 April 1947 – 2 September 1949
• 319th Bombardment Group, 10 October 1949 – 22 March 1951
• 319th Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 June–16 November 1957^[1]

Stations edit

Aircraft edit

• Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1941–1944^[1]
• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1944^[1]
• Douglas B-26 Invader, 1949–1951^[17]
• North American F-86 Sabre, 1957^[17]

Campaign edit

• List of Douglas A-20 Havoc operators
• List of F-86 Sabre units

Notes edit

Bibliography edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Cantwell, Gerald T. (1997). Citizen Airmen: a History of the Air Force Reserve, 1946–1994. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 0-16049-269-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). "Introduction". The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657.

Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.