348th Night Fighter Squadron
348th Night Fighter Squadron YP-61 Black Widow^{[note 1]}
Active	1942–1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Night Fighter Operational Training
Engagements	World War II American Theater^[1]
Insignia
348th Night Fighter Squadron emblem^{[note 2]}^[1]

The 348th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group at Salinas Army Air Base, California. The unit was disbanded on 31 March 1944.

The squadron was the first dedicated night fighter operational training squadron of the Air Force. The squadron trained newly activated night fighter squadrons who were deployed overseas into combat until its inactivation in March 1944 due to a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.^[2]

History

The squadron was formed in October 1942 from elements of the 81st Fighter Squadron as part of the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics (AAFSAT) Fighter Command School at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida. Its personnel being veteran American pilots trained by the Royal Air Force in night interception operations. It was initially equipped with three Douglas DB-7s and twenty-three Douglas P-70 Havocs. Shortages in operational flying aircraft, spare parts and other issues kept flying training very rudimentary for the squadrons first classes that graduated in December 1942.^[2]

As 1943 progressed additional aircraft and equipment arrived and the program expanded. In September, the first American-built dedicated night fighter began to arrive, the Northrop YP-61 Black Widow and a few production P-61As. In January 1944 the night fighter training program moved to Hammer Field, California and was placed under IV Fighter Command. The move placed the squadron near Northrop manufacturing facility at Hawthorne, California and most programmed P-61 squadrons were planned for operations in the Pacific and China Burma India Theaters.^[2]

In March 1944 the 348th was disbanded when the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit during a reorganization of units in the United States.^[3] The squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to Squadron A of the 450th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Night Fighter Replacement Training Unit).^[2]

Lineage

Constituted 348th Night Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1942

Activated on 1 October 1942

Disbanded on 31 March 1944^[1]

Assignments

Fighter Command School, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, 21 January 1943
Air Defense Department, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, 18 February 1943
Night Fighter Division, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, 1 April 1943 (attached to 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group after 17 July 1943)
481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, 26 July 1943 – 31 March 1944^[1]

Stations

Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 4 October 1942
Salinas Army Air Base, California, 19 January – 31 March 1944^[1]

Aircraft Assigned

Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1942–1944
Douglas P-70 Havoc, 1942–1944
Douglas DB-7 Boston, 1942–1944
Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1943–1944
Cessna C-78 Bobcat, 1943–1944
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan, 1943–1944
Vultee BT-13 Valiant, 1943–1944
Lockheed B-34 Ventura, 1943–1944
Northrop YP-61 Black Widow, 1943–1944^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ Aircraft is Northrop YP-61-NO Black Widow, serial 41-18882.
^ Approved 16 April 1943.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 432-433
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Pape, Campbell & Campbell^{[page needed]}
^ Craven & Cate^{[page needed]}

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158.
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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Pape, Garry R.; Campbell, John M.; Campbell, Donna (1991). Northrop P-61 Black Widow: The Complete History and Combat Record. Minneapolis, MN: Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-0-879385-09-5.

USAAF Fourth Air Force in World War II

Units

Commands

Wings

Groups

Bombardment	12th Bombardment 30th Bombardment 41st Bombardment 42nd Bombardment 47th Bombardment 380th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 389th Bombardment 392nd Bombardment 399th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 453rd Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 465th Bombardment 466th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 486th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 492nd Bombardment
Fighter	1st Fighter 14th Fighter 20th Fighter 35th Fighter 51st Fighter 55th Fighter 78th Fighter 81st Fighter 82nd Fighter 328th Fighter 329th Fighter 339th Fighter 354th Fighter 360th Fighter 363rd Fighter 364th Fighter 369th Fighter 367th Fighter 372nd Fighter 412th Fighter 473rd Fighter 474th Fighter 478th Fighter 479th Fighter
Reconnaissance	68th Reconnaissance 69th Reconnaissance
Troop Carrier	64th Troop Carrier

United States Army Air Forces