This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(January 2013) |
51st Fighter Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1941-1946 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Fighter Squadron |
The 51st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 6th Fighter Wing, based at Howard Field, Canal Zone. It was inactivated on 15 October 1946.
Activated on 1 January 1941 as one of the three squadrons assigned to the 32d Pursuit Group as part of the United States buildup of forces after the eruption of World War II. This unit was organized, initially, to train new pilots sent directly from flight schools in the United States. The squadron was equipped with Curtiss P-36A Hawks and Boeing P-26A Peashooters drawn from the 16th and 37th Pursuit Groups. After being formed at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone, the squadron was moved to Río Hato Army Air Base, Panama.
After the Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron x was moved to Howard Field near the Panama Canal to provide air defense of the Pacific side. At Howard, the squadron received more capable Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, with the squadron being moved to France Field. Just as soon as the squadron settled into France Field, a detachment was sent north to Guatemala City Air Base to perform air defense and coastal patrols.
As the war threat to the Panama Canal diminished during 1942, the squadron was transferred to Seymour Island Army Airfield in the Galapagos Islands. In addition, a detachment was sent to Salinas Airport, Ecuador ("C" Flight); Talara Airport, Peru ("D" Flight) however the detachment at Guatemala City, Guatemala remained and was designed as "E" Flight. The aircraft in the Galapagos were transferred from the 52d Fighter Squadron and flown from Salinas Airport, Ecuador with external fuel tanks, being escorted by a B-24D Liberator for navigational purposes. This was the first time Seymour Field had been equipped with fighters for air defense. It became apparent very quickly, however, that the dispersion wasn't a very good idea and, between 10 and 19 March 1943, the outlying flights were consolidated at Albrook Field. The personnel at Seymour were re-designated as the 51st Fighter Squadron.
By October 1943, the squadron began transitioning to Bell P-39Q Airacobras. In November, its parent 32d Fighter Group was disbanded and the squadron was assigned directly to the XXVI Fighter Command. Moved to Howard Field in November 1944, the 51st began receiving Lockheed P-38 Lightnings.
With the end of the war in Europe, the entire complement of P-38s was hangared and the unit activities ran down. The squadron ceased all flying activities in June, and the P-38s were stored in a hangar at Howard. By October 1945, the squadron was reduced to a non-operational administrative organization. Inactivated on 15 October 1946.
Over and through a light blue violet disc, border yellow orange, the head and shoulders of a caricatured, butting, wild, white goat, outlined black, horns tan, wearing brown boxing gloves, having a pugnacious attitude, and brushing nose with thumb of right glove. (Approved 6 April 1944. )
The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" was the first American production all-metal fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane to enter squadron service with the United States Army Air Corps. Designed and built by Boeing, the prototype first flew in 1932, and the type was still in use with the U.S. Army Air Corps as late as 1941 in the Philippines. There are two surviving Peashooters, but there are three reproductions on display with two more under construction.
The United States Air Forces Southern Command is an inactive Major Command of the United States Air Force. It was headquartered at Albrook Air Force Base, Canal Zone, being inactivated on 1 January 1976.
The 91st Cyberspace Operations Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, currently assigned to the 67th Cyberspace Wing at Kelly Annex, part of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport is an airport serving the island of Baltra, one of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.
The 970th Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 513th Air Control Group at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It operates the Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions.
La Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal.
Scarlett Martínez International Airport, also known as Río Hato Airport, is an international airport serving Río Hato, a town in the Coclé Province of Panama. The airport is 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Río Hato.
The VI Bomber Command was a military formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force. It was based throughout its service at Albrook Field, in the Panama Canal Zone. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.
The XXVI Fighter Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to Sixth Air Force throughout its existence. It was based at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1946. It engaged in antisubmarine operations from the Canal Zone.
The 59th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in Panama in 1941 during the expansion of the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor the squadron participated in antisubmarine patrols in the Caribbean Sea and adjoining waters. When the United States Navy assumed this mission in 1943, the squadron moved to the United States and was disbanded.
The 20th Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It currently flies the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and is assigned to the 432d Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 53d Wing, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The 7th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 319th Operations Group and is stationed at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, Italy.
The 24th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Combat Command unit, assigned to the 495th Fighter Group at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The squadron was activated in 2019 and flies the F-35A as an active associate unit of the 457th Fighter Squadron.
The 52nd Fighter Squadron is an active reserve unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 944th Operations Group, 944th Fighter Wing. Stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, the squadron was most recently activated on 6 August 2021. Previously, it was with the Western Air Defense Force, based at Hamilton Air Force Base, California until its inactivation on 8 June 1951.
The 30th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 37th Fighter-Bomber Wing, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 25 June 1953.
The 3rd Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, based at Travis Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 January 1953.
The 74th Reconnaissance Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, part of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California. The squadron was first active during World War II as the 74th Aero Squadron. In 1933 it was consolidated with the 74th Pursuit Squadron, which had been organized as a reserve training organization in 1927, activating in the Panama Canal Zone, where it served during World War II as the 74th Bombardment Squadron.
The 37th Operations Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was last active at Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada, where it operated F-117 Nighthawk fighters. Its history and honors have been temporarily bestowed upon the 37th Training Wing.
The 32d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force (USAF). It is assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) to activate or inactivate at any time. It was last active as the 32d Air And Space Operations Center in December 2006 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency