418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron

418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
Emblem of the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron
Active	1943–1947; 1957-1958; 1969-1976
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Engagements	World War II Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1943–1945)

F-104G Starfighter operated by the 58th TFTW

42-5507, McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines. Aircraft was lost in South Pacific 10 April 1945

42-39588 at McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines. Aircraft assigned to the second commanding officer of the 418th, Major William B. (Bill) Sellers (on right). Aircraft was named after his wife Alice Ruth.

418th Fighter-Day Squadron

World War II 418th Night Fighter Squadron emblem

The 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, being inactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona on 1 October 1976.

History

World War II

The squadron was activated on 1 April 1943 at the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, Orlando AAF, Florida. After several months of training, the unit was deployed to the Pacific Theater, moving first to Camp Patrick Henry, near Newport News Virginia where they boarded the USS General John Pope, sailing through the Panama Canal to Milne Bay, New Guinea.

In New Guinea, the squadron was assigned to Fifth Air Force and initially stationed at Dobodura airfield in November 1943. Flying P-70 Havocs and P-38 Lightnings, the unit conducted night fighter defensive operations against intruding Japanese aircraft over New Guinea, moving to several advance airfields on the island throughout 1943 and 1944. In September 1944, the squadron was re-equipped with P-61 Black Widows and moved to Morotai Island in the Dutch East Indies where they engaged enemy aircraft. In the East Indies, additional B-25 Mitchells and P-38s were assigned, using the B-25s for night intruder operations, P-61s for night fighter operations and the P-38s for searchlight cooperation operations. In November the squadron moved to the Philippines, arriving on Leyte on 14 November.

The unit was attached frequently to different units throughout the war, and remained in the Philippines until July 1945 when it moved to Okinawa. From Kadena Airfield, the unit attacked a wide range of enemy targets on Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and along the east China coast. Its first mission against targets on the Japanese Home Islands took place on 28 July when it attacked targets on Kyūshū and also in the Shanghai area of enemy controlled China.

After V-J Day, the 418th NFS moved briefly to Atsugi Airfield, Japan during October 1945 where it was part of the occupying forces. It returned to Okinawa on 15 June 1946, conducting training operations until 20 February 1947 when the unit was inactivated. Its assigned personnel, aircraft and equipment were transferred to the 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather).

Activated by Pacific Air Forces as an F-100 Fighter-Day squadron at Clark AB, Philippines in late 1957. Never received aircraft or personnel; inactivated 1 July 1958.

F-104 Training

On 1 October 1969 when the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing (TFTW) was activated, replacing the provisional 4510th CCTW as the host unit at Luke. Concurrently, the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS) and the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS) were activated as F-104G training units, replacing the provisional 4512th CCTS and 4518th CCTS to support Foreign Military Sales of the F-104. Pilots from Greece, Norway, Turkey, Denmark, and Spain were trained at Luke. In addition, many F-104Gs owned by the West German Luftwaffe actually operated with the 58th TFTW where they sported USAF insignia and carried USAF serial numbers.

The F-104G program ended with the delivery of the last example by MBB in 1973, the last foreign students graduated in the summer of 1976 and the squadron was inactivated on 1 October.

Lineage

• Established as 418th Night Fighter Squadron 1 April 1943

Inactivated 20 February 1947

• Redesignated 418th Fighter-Day Squadron on 6 December 1957

Activated on 10 December 1957

Inactivated on 1 July 1958

• Reactivated as 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 15 October 1969

Inactivated on 1 October 1976

Assignments

• Air Defense Department, Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics, 1 April 1943

Attached to 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, 17 July – 26 September 1943)

• V Fighter Command, c. 15 November 1943

Attached to: First Air Task Force, 22 November 1943

Attached to: 308th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1944

Attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing, c. 15 May 1944

Attached to: Thirteenth Air Force, 10 November 1944

Attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing, 26 December 1944-30 January 1945

Attached to: 308th Bombardment Wing, c. 30 July 1945

Attached to: 310th Bombardment Wing, 22 October-10 November 1945

Attached to: V Bomber Command, 10 November 1945-20 March 1946

• 301st Bombardment Wing, 20 March 1946 – 20 February 1947.

(Upon inactivation, personnel and equipment reassigned to 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather)

• 39th Air Division, 10 December 1957
• Thirteenth Air Force, 25 March-1 July 1958.
• 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, 15 October 1969 – 1 October 1976

Stations

• Orlando AAF, Florida, 1 April 1943
• Kissimmee AAF, Florida 1 May 1943
• Gurney Airfield, Milne Bay, New Guinea, 2 November–22, 1943
• Dobodura Airfield, New Guinea, 22 November 1943 – 28 March 1944
• Finschhafen Airfield, New Guinea, 28 March – 12 May 1944
• Hollandia, Netherlands East Indies, 12 May – 28 September 1944

Detachment: Wake Island, 8 June – 18 August 1944

Start of B-25 Mitchell operations.

Detachment: Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, Netherlands East Indies, 16 September – 5 October 1944

• Wama Drome, Morotai, Dutch East Indies, 28 September – 26 December 1944

Detachment: Dulag Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, 14 November–30, 1944 (Ground Echelon)

Detachment: McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, December 15 December 26, 1944 (Ground Echelon)

• McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, 26 December 1944 – 9 July 1945
• Kadena AFld, Okinawa, 9 July 1945 – 15 October 1945
• Atsugi Afld, Japan, 15 October 1945 – 15 June 1946
• Kadena AFld, 15 June 1946 – 20 February 1947
• Clark AFB, Luzon, Philippines, 25 March-1 July 1958
• Luke AFB, Arizona, 15 October 1969 – 1 October 1976

Aircraft

• P-70 Havoc (1943)
• P-38 Lightning (1943, 1944)
• P-61 Black Widow (1944–1947)
• B-25 Mitchell (1944)
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1958
• F-104 Starfighter, 1969-1976

References

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

• Northrop P-61 Black Widow—The Complete History and Combat Record, Garry R. Pape, John M. Campbell and Donna Campbell, Motorbooks International, 1991.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf. 
• USAFHRA Document 01075506