723d Tactical Fighter Squadron

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Southern Italy at Manduria Airfield under Fifteenth Air Force.

Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets. Operations included attacks against such objectives as marshalling yards, aircraft factories, railroad bridges, and airdromes in Italy, Austria, and Romania. Helped to prepare the way for and supported the invasion of Southern France during Jul and August 1944. At the same time, expanded previous operations to include attacks on oil refineries and storage facilities, locomotive works, and viaducts in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.

Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May 1945; re-manned and re-equipped as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bombardment squadron. Began training under Second Air Force in August 1945, however was inactivated in October after the Japanese Capitulation.

Reactivated in July 1954 under Tactical Air Command as a fighter squadron. Equipped with several aircraft types at Foster AFB, Texas; inactivated in December 1958 due to budget cutbacks.

Lineage

Constituted 723d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943 Redesignated 723d Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945 Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945

Redesignated 723d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 31 Mar 1954

Activated on 1 Jul 1954 Redesignated: 723d Fighter-Day Squadron on 8 Mar 1955 Redesignated: 723d Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958 Inactivated on 18 Dec 1958

Assignments

450th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 15 Oct 1945

450th Fighter-Bomber (later Fighter-Day) Group, 1 Jul 1954

450th Fighter-Day (later Tactical Fighter) Wing, 11 Dec 1957 – 18 Dec 1958

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943

Clovis AAB, New Mexico, c. 21 May 1943

Alamogordo AAF, New Mexico, c. 8 July – 20 November 1943

Manduria Airfield, Italy, 20 December 1943 – 12 May 1945

Harvard AAF, Nebraska, c. 26 July – 15 October 1945.

Foster AFB, Texas 1 July 1954 – 18 December 1958

Aircraft

B-24 Liberator (1943–1945)

B-29 Superfortress (1945)

F-86 Sabre, 1954–1955

F-100 Super Sabre, 1955–1958