721st Tactical Fighter Squadron

Emblem of the World War II 721st Bombardment Squadron

The 721st Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 450th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was last stationed at Foster Air Force Base, Texas, and was inactivated on 18 December 1958.

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Southern Italy at Manduria Airfield under Fifteenth Air Force.

Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets. Operations included attacks against such objectives as marshalling yards, aircraft factories, railroad bridges, and airdromes in Italy, Austria, and Romania. Helped to prepare the way for and supported the invasion of Southern France during Jul and August 1944. At the same time, expanded previous operations to include attacks on oil refineries and storage facilities, locomotive works, and viaducts in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.

Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May 1945; re-manned and re-equipped as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bombardment squadron. Began training under Second Air Force in August 1945, however was inactivated in October after the Japanese Capitulation.

Reactivated in July 1954 under Tactical Air Command as a fighter squadron. Equipped with several aircraft types at Foster AFB, Texas; inactivated in December 1958 due to budget cutbacks.

Lineage

• Constituted 721st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943

Redesignated 721st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945

Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945

• Redesignated 721st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 31 Mar 1954

Activated on 1 Jul 1954

Redesignated: 721st Fighter-Day Squadron on 8 Mar 1955

Redesignated: 721st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958

Inactivated on 18 Dec 1958

Assignments

• 450th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 15 Oct 1945
• 450th Fighter-Bomber (latger Fighter-Day) Group, 1 Jul 1954
• 450th Fighter-Day (later Tactical Fighter) Wing, 11 Dec 1957 – 18 Dec 1958

Stations

• Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943
• Clovis AAB, New Mexico, c. 21 May 1943
• Alamogordo AAF, New Mexico, c. 8 July – 20 November 1943
• Manduria Airfield, Italy, 20 December 1943 – 12 May 1945
• Harvard AAF, Nebraska, c. 26 July – 15 October 1945.
• Foster AFB, Texas 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator (1943–1945)
• B-29 Superfortress (1945)
• F-86 Sabre, 1954–1955
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1955–1958

References

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

• 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.