531st Tactical Fighter Squadron

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

531st Tactical Fighter Squadron
531st Tactical Fighter Squadron F-100 Super Sabre[note 1]
Active	1941-1946; 1953-1958; 1958-1970
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter
Motto(s)	Strike and Return
Engagements	Pacific Ocean Theater[1] Vietnam War
Insignia
531 Tactical Fighter Sq emblem[note 2]
531st Fighter Squadron emblem[note 3][2]
58th Bombardment Squadron emblem

History

World War II

Squadron A-24B on Makin Island

Activated in Hawaii in 1941 as the 58th Bombardment Squadron (Light), a 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

531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron F-86F Sabre^{[note 4]}

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.

Viet Nam War

Deployed to South Vietnam, 1965 and carried out combat operations until inactivated in 1970.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 58th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 22 November 1940

Activated on 1 January 1941

Redesignated 58th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 19 October 1942

Redesignated 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 14 August 1943

Redesignated 531st Fighter Squadron on 18 February 1944

Inactivated on 10 October 1946

• Redesignated 531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 15 November 1952

Activated on 1 January 1953

Inactivated on 8 February 1958

• Redesignated 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 19 May 1958

Activated on 1 July 1958^[3]

Inactivated on 31 June 1970

Assignments

• Hawaiian Air Force (later Seventh Air Force), 1 January 1941
• 21st Fighter Group, 15 June 1944 – 10 October 1946
• 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 January 1953 – 8 February 1958
• 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Ju1y 1958
• 39th Air Division, 18 June 1960^[3]
• 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 December 1965 – 31 July 1970

Stations

Hickam Field, Hawaii, 1 January 1941 Bellows Field, Hawaii, 18 March 1941 Hickam Field, Hawaii, 29 April 1941 Bellows Field, Hawaii, 11 December 1941 Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 19 December 1941 – 18 June 1943 Canton Island, Phoenix Islands, 24 June 1943 Makin Island, Gilbert Islands, 18 December 1943 Bellows Field, Hawaii, 1 March 1944 Kualoa Field, Hawaii, 21 April 1944 Mokuleia Field, Hawaii, 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 Air Force Base, 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[3] (deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, 1 February – 13 July 1965) Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, 16 December 1965 – 31 July 1970

Aircraft

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

North American F-86 Sabre, 1953–1958 North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1958–1970[3]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. Aircraft is North American F-100D-30-NA Super Sabre serial 55-3809.
2. Approved 10 November 1958.
3. Approved 7 Jul 1944
4. Aircraft is North American F-86F Sabre serial 52-5193. Taken over France in 1955.

Citations

1. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 638–639
2. Watkins,pp. 22-23
3. Lineage information through May 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 638–639

Bibliography

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

• 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.
• 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.
• Watkins, Robert A. (2017). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. VI, China-Burma-India & The Western Pacific. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-5273-7.