114th Fighter Squadron

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114th Fighter Squadron
114th Fighter Squadron
McDonnell Douglas F-15C-21-MC Eagle
AF Ser. No. 78-0488
Active1942 – present
Country United States
Allegiance Oregon
Branch  Air National Guard
TypeANG interceptor training unit.
Part ofOregon Air National Guard
Garrison/HQKingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Nickname(s)Eager Beavers
Motto(s)The Land of No Slack
EngagementsWorld War II[1]
Decorations[1]
Insignia
114th Fighter Squadron
Legacy emblem of the 439th Bomb Squadron/114th Bomb Squadron

The 114th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard 173d Fighter Wing located at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon. The 114th is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle.

History[edit]

World War II[edit]

Organization and preparation for combat[edit]

The squadron was first activated on 26 June 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, as the 439th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 319th Bombardment Group. a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombardment group.[1][2][3] The squadron trained for combat at Barksdale and Harding Field, in Louisiana. The air echelon began ferrying its aircraft to England via the North Atlantic route on 27 August 1942, with the squadron officially moving to RAF Shipdham on 12 September 1942. By late October to early November,[a] squadron aircraft were in place at RAF Horsham St Faith.[1][4] The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Mary on 5 September.[4]

Mediterranean Theater of Operations[edit]

Formation of 319th Bombardment Group B-26 Marauders taking off

The air echelon of the squadron departed England on 12 November 1942 for Saint-Leu Airfield, Algeria. Although this was supposed to be a simple repositioning flight, it became the squadron's introduction to combat when the 319th Group formation strayed from its planned route and flew over occupied France, where they were attacked by German aircraft.[5] Some of the ground echelon had made the amphibious landing at Arzeu beach on 8 November.[2] However, it was not until the following March that all aircraft had made the move to North Africa.[4]

The squadron began combat quickly, flying its first sorties during November. Until March 1943, it made strikes at enemy targets in Tunisia, including railroads, airfields, and harbor installations. It struck enemy shipping in the Mediterranean Sea to block reinforcements and supplies from reaching opposing Axis forces.[2]

In March 1943, the squadron was withdrawn from combat and moved to Oujda Airfield, French Morocco for a period of reorganization and training. On 1 June, it moved forward to Sedrata Airfield, Algeria and resumed combat operations. It participated in Operation Corkscrew, the reduction of Pantelleria, that month. The following month it provided air support for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. After Sicily fell, it directed most of its attacks on targets in Italy. It supported Operation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy, in September. These operations concentrated on airfields, marshalling yards airfields, viaducts, gun sites and other defense positions. In November, it moved from Africa to Decimomannu Airfield, Sardinia to shorten the range to targets in central Italy.[2]

From January to March 1944, the squadron supported Allied ground forces as they advanced in the Battle of Monte Cassino and Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio. As ground forces approached Rome, it flew interdiction missions. On 3 March 1944, the squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for an attack on rail facilities in Rome, while carefully avoiding damage to religious and cultural monuments. Eight days later, it earned a second DUC for an attack on marshalling yards in Florence, disrupting communications between Florence and Rome. Its support of French forces between April and June earned the squadron the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.[2]

A-26 at Machinato Airfield in 1945

In August and September 1944, the squadron supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, moving forward to Serragia Airfield, Corsica the following month. It attacked German supply lines in northern Italy, including bombing bridges over the Po River. It also attacked some targets in Yugoslavia. It continued combat operations while transitioning into the North American B-25 Mitchell from its Marauders. At the end of the year, the squadron was withdrawn from combat and returned to the United States in January 1945 to begin training with the Douglas A-26 Invader in preparation for deployment to the Western Pacific.[2]

Combat in the Pacific[edit]

The squadron completed its training in the new bomber and departed to reenter combat in April 1945. It arrived on Okinawa in early July and was estblished at Machinato Airfield later that month. It flew its first mission in the Pacific on 16 July 1945.[citation needed] It flew missions in China and Japan, attacking airfields, shipping, marshalling yards, industrial centers and other targets until V-J Day. It was briefly assigned to VII Bomber Command when the 319th departed Okinawa on 21 November 1945. The squadron left in December, and was inactivated at the Port of Embarkation on 6 January 1946.[1][2]

New York Air National Guard[edit]

The squadron was allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946 and redesignated the 114th Bombardment Squadron, Light and received federal recognition on 26 June 1946 The 114th Bombardment Squadron was equipped with A-26 Invader light bombers and assigned to the 106th Bombardment Group at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn.

When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, the entire 106th Bombardment Group was federalized and brought to active duty. The group was moved to March Air Force Base, California and assigned to Fifteenth Air Force of Strategic Air Command (SAC). It was assigned B-29 Superfortress medium bombers, and the mission of the 106th Bomb Group was the training of reservists to backfill rotating B-29 combat crews serving on Okinawa. The Group served with SAC until returning to New York state control on 1 December 1952.

Upon return to Floyd Bennett Field, the 114th again was equipped with B-26s and resumed training with its light bombers and flew them until its conversion to an air defense fighter unit in 1956. Under Air Defense Command, the 106th Fighter-Interceptor Group initially received Lockheed F-94A Starfires and in 1957 the North American F-86D Sabre Interceptor.

The State of New York was notified by Headquarters, United States Air Force on 26 September 1957 that support for the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron would be ended due to fiscal constraints. Despite protests from the Governor of New York State that this was in violation of the law with respect to State militia units, the Air Force eventually prevailed and the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was inactivated on 30 September 1958.

Oregon Air National Guard[edit]

114th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron F-4C Phantom II,
AF Ser. No. 63-7581, about 1985

The 8123d Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron was organized by the Oregon Air National Guard at Kingsley Field, Oregon in January 1983 as an F-4C Phantom II Formal Training Unit for the interceptor pilots of the 123d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Portland International Airport. On 1 October 1983 the unit was organized and federally recognized by the National Guard Bureau as the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, with the 114th designation being transferred back to the Oregon Air National Guard.

114th Fighter Squadron Block 15 ADF F-16A formation about 1990.

With the phaseout of the F-4C from the inventory in the late 1980s, the 114th was re-equipped with the F-16A/B block 15 Air Defense Fighter and continued its mission as a Formal Training Unit. On 1 April 1996, the 173d Fighter Wing was formed at Kingsley AGB as a host organization and parent unit for the 114th Fighter Squadron when the unit was authorized to expand, with the 114th being transferred from the 142d Fighter Wing at Portland to the new Wing at Kingsley ANGB. Along with the 114th FS, the 173d consists of the 173d Operations Group; 173d Maintenance Group, 173d Mission Support Group and 173d Medical Group.

With the 123d Fighter Squadron flying F-15 Eagles, the F-16As were retired in the late 1990s as their service life was ending. The squadron began receiving F-15A/B Eagles in 1998. Was upgraded to the F-15C/D Eagle in 2004, continuing its mission as an ANG interceptor training unit.

Lineage[edit]

  • Constituted as the 439th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942
Activated on 26 June 1942
Redesignated 439th Bombardment Squadron, Medium 1944
Redesignated 439th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 3 February 1945
Inactivated on 13 December 1945
  • Redesignated 114th Bombardment Squadron, Light and allotted to Oregon ANG on 24 May 1946
Allocation to Oregon ANG withdrawn June 1946
  • Allotted to New York ANG, June 1946
Organized on 1 March 1947
Extended federal recognition on 17 June 1947
Federalized and placed on active duty on 1 March 1951
Redesignated 114th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 1 April 1951
Inactivated, released from active duty, returned to New York state control and redesignated 114th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 1 December 1952
  • Activated on 1 December 1952
Redesignated 114th Bombardment Squadron, Tactical in 1955
Redesignated: 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 1 July 1956
Inactivated on 30 September 1958 and allocation to the Air National Guard withdrawn
Redesignated 114th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and allotted to Oregon ANG in 1983
Extended federal recognition on 1 February 1984[6]
Redesignated 114th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992

Assignments[edit]

Stations[edit]

Aircraft[edit]

References[edit]

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

Notes[edit]

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ The 319th Group suffered several losses on the ferry flight, as winter weather began to impact the northern ferry route. Other planes were delayed for weather or aircraft malfunctions. As a result, further deployments of B-26 units to Europe travelled over the South Atlantic route, Freeman, pp. 15, 55.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e Maurer,Combat Squadrons, pp. 543-44
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 198-199
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 542-545
  4. ^ a b c Freeman, p. 265
  5. ^ Freeman, p. 55
  6. ^ Assumed the mission, assets and personnel of the 8123d Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron, which had been activated on 1 January 1983 and was simultaneously inactivated.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  • Freeman, Roger A. (1970). The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force). London, England, UK: Macdonald and Company. ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 1957 Annual Report, State of New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs.
  • Early history of the 106th Rescue Wing
  • 114th Fighter Squadron lineage and history
  • Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0
  • Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980). Archived 13 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]

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