432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
F-86D Sabres at Truax Field [note 1]
Active	1943–1949; 1952–1958
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter-Interceptor
Nickname(s)	Clover (World War II) [1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation [2]
Commanders
Notable commanders	Captain (later Colonel) John S. Loisel
Insignia
Patch with 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron emblem (approved 9 March 1955) [2]
432d Fighter Squadron emblem [1]

The 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 475th Fighter Group at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota, where it was inactivated on 2 January 1958.

History

World War II and Army of Occupation

Combat in Southwest Pacific and Western Pacific, 12 August 1943 – 21 July 1945. Occupation duty (Korea and Japan), 1945–1949. ^[2]

Air defense operations

432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Northrop F-89H Scorpion

Air Defense of Upper Midwest, 1952–1958. ^[2]

Lineage

• Activated on 14 May 1943 by special authority prior to constitution as 432d Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1943

Inactivated on 1 April 1949

• Redesignated 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 10 October 1952

Activated on 1 December 1952

Inactivated on 2 January 1958 ^[2]

Assignments

• 475th Fighter Group, 14 May 1943 – 1 April 1949
• 31st Air Division, 1 December 1952
• 520th Air Defense Group, 16 February 1953
• 475th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958 ^[2]

Stations

• Charters Towers, Australia, 14 May 1943
• RAAF Base Amberley, Australia, 11 June 1943
• Dobodura Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 14 August 1943

Operated from Port Moresby Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 12 August – 1 September 1943

• Nadzab Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 25 March 1944
• Hollandia Airfield Complex, New Guinea, 15 May 1944
• Mokmer Airfield, Biak, Netherlands East Indies, 12 July 1944
• Dulag Airfield, Leyte, 2 November 1944

Detachment operated from San Jose, Mindoro, Netherlands East Indies, 5 February – 2 March 1945

• Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 27 February 1945
• Lingayen Airfield, Luzon, Philippines, 19 April 1945
• Ie Shima Airfield, Okinawa, 8 August 1945
• Kimpo Air Base, Korea, 28 September 1945
• Itazuke Air Base, Japan, 28 August 1948
• Ashiya Air Base, Japan, 25 March – 1 April 1949
• Truax Field, Wisconsin, 10 October 1952
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota, 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958 ^[2]

Aircraft

• Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943–1946
• North American P-51 Mustang, 1946–1949
• North American F-86D Sabre, 1952–1955
• Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1955–1956
• Northrop F-89H Scorpion, 1956–1957 ^[2]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. Aircraft are North American F-86D-40-NA Sabres. Identified aircraft include serial numbers 52-3622 and 52-3717
2. Aircraft is Northrop F-89H-5-NO Scorpion serial 54-409, stationed at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota. Taken at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada, armed with a "Genie" nuclear missile. Aircraft fired the nuclear weapon as the "John Shot" of Operation Plumb Bob, 19 July 1959

Citations

1. Watkins, p. 40
2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 534–535

Bibliography

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

• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
• 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2021. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Watkins, Robert A. (2013). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Vol. V, Pacific Theater of Operations. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN   978-0-7643-4346-9.
• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor. 21 (1). Aerospace Defense Command: 5–11, 26–31, 40–45, 54–59. January 1979.