Talk:546th Fighter Squadron

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The squadron was first activated in late 1943 as the 546th Fighter Squadron (Two Engine) at Hamilton Field, California. It was one of the four original squadrons of the 478th Fighter Group  The squadron drew its cadre from the 328th Fighter Group.

The squadron moved twice in the first two months of its existence, to Santa Rosa Army Air Field in December 1943, then to Madras Army Air Field in February 1944 as its parent group dispersed its component squadrons dispersed to separate bases in California, Oregon, and Washington. (add references for other squadrons)

The group and squadron experienced delays and were not fully manned or equipped until March 1944, when they began operations as a Replacement Training Unit (RTU) using single engine Bell P-39 Airacobras despite its designation as a two engine unit. RTUs were oversized units whose mission was to train individual pilots or aircrews. However, 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, while the groups and squadrons acting as RTUs were disbanded or inactivated. The squadron moved to Portland Army Air Base in late March 1944, where it was replaced by the 432d AAF Base Unit (Fighter Replacement Training Unit, Single Engine).


 * Edited and inserted --Lineagegeek (talk) 11:55, 17 December 2013 (UTC)