402nd Fighter Group (USAAF)

History - Books - Aircraft - Time Line - Commanders - Main Bases - Component Units - Assigned To

History

The 402nd Fighter Group went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a medium bomber formation in China and then as a home based fighter training unit.

The group was activated as the 402nd Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 May 1943 in China. The group was never given any squadrons and even the group HQ may never have been fully set up. The group was disbanded on 31 July 1943.

The 402nd Fighter group was constituted on 24 September 1943 and activated in the United States on 1 October 1943. During the Second World War this was seen as a separate unit to the early bombardment group, but the two units were later consolidated into one in 1956 when the fighter group was reactivated as the 402nd Fighter-Day Group.

The 402nd was a replacement training unit with the First Air Force, used to fill gaps in existing fighter units. It was disbanded in the United States on 10 April 1944.

Books

Pending

Aircraft

1943-1944: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Timeline

20 April 1943 Constituted as 402nd Bombardment Group (Medium)
19 May 1943 Activated in China
31 July 1943 Disbanded in China
24 September 1943 Constituted as 402nd Fighter Group
1 October 1943 Activated in US and assigned to First Air Force
10 April 1944 Disbanded

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Unknown: 19 May-31 Jul 1943

Lt Col Joseph L Dickman, unkn- Apr 1944.

Main Bases

Kunming, China: 19 May- 31 Jul 1943

Westover Field, Mass: 1 Oct 1943
Seymour Johnson Field, NC: c. 13 Oct 1943
Bluethenthal Field, NC: c. 9 Dec 1943
Bradley Field, Conn: c. 11 Feb- 10 Apr 1944

Component Units

320th: 1943-1944
442nd: 1943-1944
452nd: 1943-1944
538th: 1943
539th: 1943
540th: 1943-1944

Assigned To

October 1943: New York Fighter Wing; I Fighter Command; First Air Force

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (2 September 2016), 402nd Fighter Group (USAAF) , http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/402nd_Fighter_Group.html

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