713th Fighter-Bomber Squadron

713th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
Emblem of the World War II 713th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1957
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter-Bomber

The 713th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 448th Fighter-Bomber Group, stationed at Davis Field, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 16 November 1957.

History

Activated in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during November 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses, being trained for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation canceled deployment and was assigned to Fort Worth AAF, Texas as Continental Air Forces, later Strategic Air Command squadron. Budget and personnel shortages led to inactivation in August 1946.

Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron. Trained for proficiency as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. Activated as a result of Korean War in 1951, squadron's aircraft and personnel reassigned to Far East Air Force Bomber Command, inactivated as a paper unit.

Reactivated as a reserve F-86 fighter bomber group in 1955. Inactivated 1957.

Lineage

• Constituted 713th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943

Redesignated 713th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 August 1945

• Inactivated on 4 August 1946

Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947

Redesignated 713th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 27 June 1949

Ordered to active service on 17 March 1951

Inactivated on 21 March 1951

• Redesignated 713th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 6 October 1955

Activated in the reserve on 8 November 1955

Inactivated on 16 November 1957

Assignments

• 448th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946; 12 July 1947 – 21 March 1951
• 448th Fighter-Bomber Group, 8 November 1955 – 16 November 1957

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943 Wendover Field, Utah, 4 July 1943 Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 11 September-7 November 1943 RAF Seething (AAF-146), England, 25 November 1943 – 5 July 1945 Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 15 July 1945 McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, 25 July 1945

Biggs Field, Texas, 23 August 1945 McCook Army Airfield, Nebraska, 8 September 1945 Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 15 December 1945 – 4 August 1946 Long Beach Army Air Field, California, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951 Davis Field, Oklahoma, 8 November 1955 – 16 November 1957

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946
• F-86 Sabre, 1955–1957

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.