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The 53rd Fighter Group served in the Panama Canal Zone and as a training unit, before being disbanded in 1944.
The group was constituted as the 53rd Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 November and activated on 15 January 1941. It trained with the P-35 and P-40, before moving to Panama in December 1941.
The group spent nearly a year as part of the defence force for the Panama Canal Zone, equipped with the Bell P-39 Airacobra. It returned to the United States in November 1942.
After returning to the US the group became part of the Third Air Force, and was based in Florida. It was used to train replacement pilots in the P-39, P47 and P-51. The unit was disbanded on 1 May 1944, as were all four of its fighter squadrons.
Pending
1941: Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
1942: Bell P-39 Airacobra
1943-1944: Bell P-39 Airacobra, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang
| 2o November 1940 | Constituted as 53rd Pursuit Group (Interceptor) |
| 15 January 1941 | Activated |
| December 1941 | To Panama Canal Zone |
| May 1942 | Redesignated 53rd Fighter Group |
| November 1942 | To United States |
| 1 May 1944 | Disbanded |
Maj Hugo P Rush: 15
Jan 1941
Maj Eugene C Fleming: 9 May
1941
Col Earl W Barnes: 1 Jun 1941
Lt
Col Don L Wilhelm Jr: 28 Jun 1942
Col Morley F Slaght: 11 Apr 1943
Lt Col Anthony
V Grossetta: 22 Sep 1943
Col Bryan
B Harper: Oct 1943-1 May 1944
MacDill Field, Fla: 15 Jan
1941
Tallahassee, Fla: 8 May-8 Dec 1941
Howard Field, CZ: 1 Jan-10 Nov 1942
Dale Mabry Field, Fla: 26 Nov 1942
Drew
Field, Fla: 7 Jan 1943
Ft Myers, Fla: 5
Feb 1943-1 May 1944.
13th: 1941-1944
14th: 1941-1944
15th: 1941-1944
438th: 1943-1944
1941-42: 12th Pursuit Wing; Panama Canal Zone
1942: XXVI Fighter Command; Sixth Air Force