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4th Fighter Squadron | 52nd Fighter Group | 8th, 12th & 15th AAF


walika
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4th Fighter Squadron | 52nd Fighter Group | 8th, 12th & 15th AAF

The 4th Fighter Squadron was activated at Selfridge Field, Mich., Jan. 15, 1941 and moved to several U.S. bases before relocating to Northern Ireland in 1942. For the next three years, until its inactivation in November 1945, the 4th traveled between 13 bases in Europe and North Africa. During World War II, the squadron flew P-39 Air Cobras, P-40 Warhawks, British Spitfires and P-51 Mustangs. The 4th destroyed 109 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and produced three aces during World War II.

 

LINEAGE. Constituted 4th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated 4th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. Activated on 20 Feb 1947. Redesignated: 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) on 10 Aug 1948; 4th Fighter-All Weather Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 4th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 25 Apr 1951.

ASSIGNMENTS. 52d Pursuit (later Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1941-7 Nov 1945.

STATIONS. Selfridge Field, Mich, 15 Jan 1941; Langley Field, Va, 17 Dec 1941; Selfridge Field, Mich, 14 Jan 1942; Florence, SC, 18 Feb 1942; Wilmington, NC, 27 Apr 1942; Grenier Field, NH, 12 Tun-19 Ju1 1942; Northem Ireland, 19 Aug 1942; Goxhill, England, 26 Aug-29 Oct 1942 (air echelon arrived at Tafaraoui, Algeria, on 8 Nov 1942); La Senia, Algeria, 12 Nov 1942; Orleansville, Algeria, 1 Jan 1943; Telergma, Algeria, 19 Jan 1943; Youks-les-Bains, Algeria, 8 Mar 1943; Le Sers, Tunisia, 12 Apr 1943; La Sebala, Tunisia, 20 May 1943; Boccadifalco, Sicily, 1 Aug 1943; Corsica, 4 Dec 1943; Madna Airfield, Italy, c. 14 May 1944; Piagiolino Airfield, Italy, c. 24 Apr 1945; Lesina Italy, c. 10 Jul-Aug 1945; Drew Field, Fla, 25 Aug-7 Nov 1945. Yontan, Okinawa, 20 Feb 1947; Naha, Okinawa, 19 Aug 1948; Kadena, Okinawa; 16 Feb 1953; Naha, Okinawa, 25 Feb 19%; Misawa, Japan, 1 Aug 1954-.

 

AIRCRAFT. P-40, 1941-1942; P-39, 1942; Spitfire, 1942-1944; P-51, 1944-1945. F-61, 1947-1949; F-82, 1950-1952; F-94, 1951-1954; F-86, 1954-1960; F-102, 1960-.

OPERATIONS. Combat in ETO and MTO, Aug 1942-30 Apr 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Europe; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. I acquired a pilot's lot that included a squadron patch and wonderful squadron photograph with names on the back, taken in front of a P-39, confirming the following as the war-time insignia. Heretofore we have seen the insignia in photographs of aircraft.

 

American Chenille.

 

4fs52fg8-15aaf-3-600.jpg

 

 

4fs-1941-900.jpg

 

4fs-1941-b-800.jpg

 

 

Transcription of names:

 

Lt. J. E. Grapentine
Lt. E. M. Scott
Lt. Lee R. Standifer
Le Roy G. Dickson
Hartow R. Marsh
Norman N. V. Bolle
R. B. Nobriel
Robert C. Dawson
John G. Kasson (no picture)
E. F. Gabor
James E. Garvey
Robert A. Dietrick
Allan L. Solomon
E. J. Caney Jr.
W. E. Elder
H. R. Warren Jr.
Robert W. Rivers
Good "Lux" Luxenberg
Jack Hersey
Joe Kelliher
Howard Sutton
Merle Y. Hopper
Louis H. Bowman
Duane M. Calling
Robert G. Rosebraugh Jr.
T. W. Stemen
W. F. Mac Gregor
W. C. Daley
Donald H. Williams
John M. Cleaprin
Jack E. Carter
William M. Houston

 

A cropped enlargement . . .

 

4fs-1941-c800.jpg

 

 

 

Post-War: The following insignia was officially approved in 1949, however the method of construction of this example, hand-painted on incised leather, combined with the squadron's basing in late 1943 and early 1944, suggests the possibility this insignia could have been unauthorized but in use at that time, rather than first introduced post-war when the unit was in the South Pacific. At the center of a black disc, Fuujin, the Okinawan god of wind, green, carrying a large yellow sack, wearing a red scarf draped about the neck and shoulders, all in front of a gray thunder cloud with yellow lightning flash and raindrops issuing toward dexter base. ( Approved 25 Feb 1949.)

 

Theater-made. Incised leather, hand-painted.

4fs52fg8-15aaf-2-700.jpg

 

The 4th Fighter Squadron USAF of today, "Fightin' Fuujins", makes use of both insignia shown above, through deployments in Operation Desert Storm and elsewhere, seen here.

 

4th_Fighter_Squadron.png

 

My posts for sister squadrons of the 52nd Fighter Group are here:

 

2nd Fighter Squadron

5th Fighter Squadron

 

 

Sources:

Maurer. Air Force Combat Squadrons of World War II.

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

Watkins, Robert A. Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Volume IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-3401-6. pp 24-25.

4fs52fg12aaf

4fs52fg15aaf
4th fs 52nd fg 15th aaf

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

4th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Japanese-made lighter, Misawa AB, Japan1956. Any thoughts on this insignia? I posted this previously and never received a definitive ID. My guess was 4th Pursuit Sqdn 1940 time frame used as a "heritage/tribute" in the '50s ???

4th Fighter-Interceptor Sqdn Misawa AB, Japan 1956. Probable 4th Pursuit Sqdn(Interceptor) insignia circa 1941  (2).JPG

4th Fighter-Interceptor Sqdn Rev  (2).JPG

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  • 4 months later...

Thanks for the input Yardstick. Yes I agree with your point concerning the heraldry, BUT what has me stumped is that it features the black and red "checkerboard" found on the standard 50s-60s era 4th FIS patches. Also the "four stars" (4th FIS ??). They were attached to the 39th Air Division in 1956 but their insignia has no common elements with the lighter insignia. They were assigned to the 52d Pursuit Group circa 1940-41 and again that insignia has no common elements with the insignia on the lighter. I saw an IDENTICAL example a few years ago so that presumably eliminates the possibility of this one being a slapped together fantasy piece. Hopefully someone who was in the squadron at the time will chime in. Stay tuned!

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