XIII Fighter Command

XIII Fighter Command
XIII Fighter Command
	Command P-47 Thunderbolt
Active	1943–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of fighter units
Engagements	Southwest Pacific Theater ; China-Burma-India Theater
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Brig Gen Dean C. Strother

Last updated January 17, 2022

The XIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946.

History

XIII Fighter Command was a World War II command and control organization for Thirteenth Air Force. Its mission was to provide command and control authority of Army Air Force fighter organizations within the Thirteenth Air Force Area of Responsibility.

It participated in the following campaigns: China Defensive; Guadal¬canal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.

Lineage

Constituted as the XIII Fighter Command on 14 December 1942

Activated on 13 January 1943

Inactivated on 15 March 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948^[1]

Assignments

Thirteenth Air Force, 13 January 1943 – 15 March 1946^[2]

Stations

Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia, Melanesia, 13 January 1943
Pekoa Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 22 January 1943
Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, December 1943
Sansapor (March) Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 15 August 1944
Bayug Airfield, Burauen, Leyte, Philippines, 10 January 1945
Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 1 March 1945
Manila, Luzon, Philippines, November 1945 – 15 March 1946^[1]

Components

Groups

18th Fighter Group, 14 April 1943 – 15 March 1946^[3]
42nd Bombardment Group, attached 1 October 1944 – 8 January 1945, c. 22 March – c. September 1945^[4]
347th Fighter Group: 13 January 1943 – 1 January 1946 (attached to I Island Command 1 July – c. 29 December 1943)^[5]
414th Fighter Group: 1 January–30 September 1946^[6]

Squadrons

17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 10 December 1945 – 1 February 1946^[7]
419th Night Fighter Squadron: 25 August 1944 – 10 January 1946^[8]
550th Night Fighter Squadron: 12 December 1944 – 15 December 1945 (attached to XIII Bomber Command 14 February 1945, 85th Fighter Wing 7 April – c. 17 June 1945)^[9]

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References

Notes

Explanatory notes

↑ Aircraft is Republic P-47N-5-RE Thunderbolt, serial 44-88572 of the 413th Fighter Squadron.

Citations

1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Units, p. 451
↑ Kane, Robert B. (21 October 2011). "Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
↑ Robertson, Patsy (27 June 2017). "Factsheet 18 Operations Group (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
↑ Haulman, Daniel (13 June 2018). "Factsheet 42 Air Base Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
↑ Robertson, Patsy (12 July 2017). "Factsheet 347 Rescue Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
↑ Robertson, Patsy (9 August 2017). "Factsheet 414 Fighter Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 93-94
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 515
↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 654-655

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

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 . Retrieved 17 December 2016.

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[1] Aircraft is Republic P-47N-5-RE Thunderbolt, serial 44-88572 of the 413th Fighter Squadron.

[Maurer13FC-2] 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Units, p. 451

[3] Kane, Robert B. (21 October 2011). "Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific) (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 December 2021.

[4] Robertson, Patsy (27 June 2017). "Factsheet 18 Operations Group (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

[5] Haulman, Daniel (13 June 2018). "Factsheet 42 Air Base Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2021.

[6] Robertson, Patsy (12 July 2017). "Factsheet 347 Rescue Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 12 January 2022.

[7] Robertson, Patsy (9 August 2017). "Factsheet 414 Fighter Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

[8] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 93-94

[9] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 515

[10] Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 654-655

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