494th Fighter Squadron PANTHERS

Established: 20 November 1940

Assigned to: 48th Fighter Wing

Home Station: RAF Lakenheath, UK

Primary Mission: F-15E operational squadron

Unit History:

The 494th Fighter Squadron traces it's roots back to the 57th Bombardment Squadron which was assigned to the 48th Bombardment  Group (Light). The squadron was activated with the rest of the Group on 15 Jan 1941 at Savannah, Georgia. The squadron initially flew the Curtiss A-18 Shrike and Douglas A-20 Havoc.

Sep 1942 brought a chance in the Groups mission to dive bombing, hence the redesignation of the Group to 48th Bombardment Group (Dive). With this new tasking, the squadron flew the Douglas A-24 Dauntless, the Army version of the Navy's famed dive bomber. Other aircraft flown during this period include the Vultee A-35 Vengeance IV. On 10 Aug 1943 the squadron was redesignated the 494th Fighter Bomber Squadron. Also on this date, the Group became the 48th Fighter Bomber Group. The squadron transitioned to the Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk during 1943. Finally, in early 1944 the 494th transitioned to the aircraft that they would take to war, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.

The 494th deployed to Ibsley Airfield near Southampton, UK, on 29 Mar 1944. Combat missions began on 20 Apr 1944. The first sortie was a fighter sweep over occupied France.  The Group was redesignated to the 48th Fighter Group o 30 May 1944, and the 494th dropped the "Bomber" from it's designation to become the 494th Fighter Squadron.

On D-Day, 6 June, the squadron flew beach and convoy cover missions, as well as close air support and aerial reconnaissance sorties. The unit moved to Deux-Jumeaux, France on 18 June 1944. Throughout the reminder of 1944 the squadron provided air cover and support for the advancing Allied troops by attacking enemy armor, road convoys, gun positions and supply dumps. To maintain support for the rapidly advancing Allied forces, the unit moved to Villacoublay, France on 29 Aug 1944 and then moved on 15 Sep to Cambrai/Niergnies, France. Shortly thereafter the squadron moved Saint-Trond, Belgium. While operating from this base the entire Group was presented with that country's Fourragere.

On 6 Dec the Group flew ground attack sorties with the rest of the Group, supporting troops deployed against the enemy at Julich, Germany. The entire Group committed itself so well that the ground forces were able to advance rapidly through this sector.  For these missions, which were conducted in extremely bad weather, the unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation for heroism and professionalism display by it's pilots.

From 19 to 23 Dec 1944, the German Army launched an assault against the Allies now know as the "Battle of the Bulge". Weather conditions were extremely poor and Allied airpower was initially helpless. On Christmas Eve the clouds cleared and all available Allied aircraft were used to repel the German forces. During this period, the 494th conducted armed reconnaissance missions, attacked marshaling yards, gun positions and enemy troop concentrations.

As the group continued to support the Allied advance , a rapid succession of temporary bases were used; Kelz in Germany on 26 Mar 1945; Kassel, Germany on  17 Apr 1945 and Ilesheim, Germany on 29 April 1945. On 5 July 1945, the unit pulled back to Camp Detroit, Laon. Following the Nazi surrender, the group began to
return to the United States. On 7 Nov 1945, the 494th was inactivated at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina.

The former 48th Fighter Group was reactivated as the 48th Fighter Bomber Wing on 10 July 1952 at Chaumont Air Base, France. The Wing was assigned to the 12th Air Force and became a member of NATO forces. At this time the 494th Fighter Squadron became the 494th Fighter Bomber Squadron. The unit was equipped with the Republic F-84G Thunderjet. In Nov of 1953, the Panthers began transitioning to the North American F-86F Sabre, completing the changeover by Feb 1954.

The nest aircraft to be flown by the 494thbegan arriving in Sep of 1956. It was the North American F-100D Super Sabre, by Nov 1956 the transition was complete.

The Wing was redesignated the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing on 8 July 1958 and the 494th became the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron. When President De Gaulle decided to withdraw the French from NATO, the Wing moved to Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath, UK, on 15 Jan 1960.

On 1 Oct 1972, the squadron was stood down to transition to the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II aircraft. A shortage of F-4D aircraft prolonged the transition and the 494th did not stand back up until Sep 1974. By 1 July 1975 the unit has resumed it's share of NATO operational commitments.

Less than two years later, on 1 Mar 1977, the squadron began transition to the General Dynamic F-111F Aardvark. This conversion was completed on 9 July 1977.  In Sep of 1981, the squadron was fully operationally qualified to use the "Pave Tack" laser weapon guidance system on their aircraft.

Five aircraft of the 494th, along with other 48th wing and Navy aircraft bombed and destroyed strategic targets in and around the Libyan capital on 15 Apr 1986 in retaliation for terrorist attacks upon US Military personnel stationed in Europe.

In Nov of 1990, the squadron deployed to King Fahd Royal  Air Base, Taif, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield. On 17 Jan 1991, the 494th was once again called into combat at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. During the campaign the squadron flew more than 800 sorties and delivered more than 2.5 million pounds of ordnance.

The 494th deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in December 1991 to support Operation Provide Comfort.  On Feb 1992 the Panthers began transition to the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

The 494th spent 15 month deployed to Incirlik, Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort. From June to Oct 1995, the squadron deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, in support of Operation Deny Flight. During this deployment  the Panthers became the first F-15E unit to employ GBU-15 in combat. The 494th returned to Aviano AB in Jan until Mar of 1996.

From Jan 1997 to Apr 1997 the Panthers deployed to Incirlik AB, Turkey for Operation Provide Comfort, later called Operation Northern Watch. The squadron has been extensively involved in military-to-military contact visits with the former Warsaw Pact countries and with traditional allies. In May 1997, the unit hosted a visit by the Finnish Air Force.

In 1999, the 494th was one of the prime participants in Operation Allied Force, the bombing of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

PRIMARY ASSIGNED F-15E AIRCRAFT: