496th Tactical Fighter Squadron

496th Tactical Fighter Squadron
496th Tactical Fighter Squadron Patch
Active	1942–1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter
Engagements	World War II

496th TFS F-16C Block 25E - 84-1315

496th TFS F-4E Phantom II 68-0513 about 1970

Convair F-102A-65-CO Delta Dagger Serial 56-1210 and 56-1219 of the 496th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

North American F-86D-45-NA Sabres of the 496th Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Serial 52-3938 is in front. After the transition to the F-102 in 1959, this aircraft was transferred to the Japanese Self-Defense Air Force.

496th FIS (Air Defense Command)

The 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Hahn AB, Germany. The squadron was inactivated on 15 May 1991.

History

During World War II, the squadron served as an operational training and a replacement training unit. Also participated occasionally in demonstrations and maneuvers 1942–1944.

Activated in the Reserve in 1949 to train as a fighter corollary of the 52d Fighter Wing, All Weather in the regular Air Force, but apparently undermanned and thus performed very little training. During its only 2-week summer encampment (12–26 June 1950), the squadron had only four pilots capable of flying the F-82 Twin Mustangs it was assigned to provide training, and the 52d Wing made little use of its corollary unit. The squadron was ordered to active service on 1 June 1951, inactivated the next day, and its few people became "fillers" in other USAF units.

Activated briefly at Hamilton AFB, California in early 1953, equipped with F-86F Sabres, performed air defense of the West Coast of the United States. Reassigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Landstuhl Air Base, West Germany in 1954. Mission in USAFE was air defense of West Germany, flying F-86D Sabre Interceptors.

Moved to Hahn Air Base in November 1956, remaining assigned to the 86th FIW. Operated from Hahn for the next decade, being re-equipped with the F-102A Delta Dagger in 1959, being assigned to the 86th Air Division (Defense).

Reassigned to the host 50th TFW at Hahn in 1968 as part of the withdrawal of the F-102 from Europe, being re-equipped with F-4E Phantom IIs and becoming a tactical Fighter Squadron. Continued routine training operations throughout the 1970s, upgrading to F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in 1982.

Inactivated in 1991 with the host 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn and part of the closure of the base and the end of the Cold War.

Lineage

• Constituted 301st Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 13 January 1942

Activated on 10 February 1942

Redesignated: 301st Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 27 July 1942

Redesignated: 496th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943

Disbanded on 1 April 1944

• Reconstituted, and redesignated 496th Fighter Squadron (All Weather), on 16 May 1949

Activated in the reserve on 1 June 1949

Redesignated: 496th Fighter-All Weather Squadron on 1 March 1950

Ordered to active service on 1 June 1951

Inactivated on 2 June 1951

• Redesignated: 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 11 February 1953

Activated on 20 March 1953

Redesignated: 496 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1 November 1968

Inactivated: 15 May 1991

Assignments

• 84th Bombardment (later Fighter-Bomber) Group, 10 February 1942 – 1 April 1944
• 84th Fighter Group, 1 June 1949 – 2 June 1951
• 566th Air Defense Group, 20 March 1953
• Twelfth Air Force

Attached to 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 July 1954

• 7486th Air Defense (later Air Base) Group, 2 December 1954
• 86th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 3 January 1956
• 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 8 March 1958
• 86th Air Division, 18 November 1960 – 1 November 1968
• 50th Tactical Fighter Wing

Attached 1–24 November 1968

Assigned 25 November 1968 – 15 May 1991

Stations

• Hunter Field, Georgia, 10 February 1942
• Drew Field, Florida, 8 February 1943
• Harding Army Airfield, Louisiana, 4 October 1943
• Hammond Army Airfield, Louisiana, 9 November 1943
• Abilene Army Airfield, Texas, 11 February – 1 April 1944.
• Mitchel AFB, New York, 1 June 1949
• McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 10 October 1949 – 2 June 1951
• Hamilton AFB, California, 20 March 1953
• Landstuhl AB, West Germany, 4 July 1954
• Hahn AB, West Germany (later Germany), 8 November 1956 – 15 May 1991

Aircraft

• V-72 Vengeance, 1942
• A-24 Dauntless, 1942–1943
• P-39 Airacobra, 1943
• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1944
• F-51 Mustang, 1953
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1953–1960
• F-102 Delta Dagger, 1959–1970
• F-4 Phantom II, 1970–1982
• F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1982–1991

References

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

• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.
• USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).
• USAFHRA 50th Space Wing Fact Sheet