V Fighter Command

Constituted as II Interceptor Command on 26 May 1941. Activated on 4 Jun 1941. Redesignated II Fighter Command in May 1942, and V Fighter Command in Aug 1942. Moved to the Southwest Pacific, Oct-Nov 1942, and operated with Fifth AF until the end of the war. Afterward, served with the occupation force in Japan. Inactivated on 31 May 1946. Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948.

(This V Fighter Command bas no connection with a 5th Interceptor Command that was constituted on 14 Oct 1941, activated on 30 Oct, and redesignated Fighter Command School in Aug 1942. Nor is it related to a 5th Interceptor Command - probably a provisional organization - that was located in the Philippines in 1941-1942.)

Groups. 3d Air Commando: 1944-1945. 8th Fighter: 1942-1946. 35th Fighter: 1942-1945. 38th Bombardment: 1945-1946. 42d Bombardment: 1946. 49th Fighter: 1942-1945. 54th Fighter: 1941. 55th Fighter: 1941. 58th Fighter: 1943-1945. 312th Bombardment: 1943-1944. 348th Fighter: 1943-1945, 1946. 475th Fighter: 1943-1945.

Stations. Ft George Wright, Wash, 4 Jun 1941; Ft Lawton, Wash, 19 Jun 1941-2 Oct 11942; Australia, Nov 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, Dec 1942; Nadzab, New Guinea, Jan 1944; Owl, Schouten Islands, Jul 1944; Leyte, Nov 1944; Mindoro, Jan 1945; Clark Field, Luzon, Mar 1945; Okinawa, Aug 1945; Fukuoka, Japan, Oct 1945-31 May 1946.

Commanders. Brig Gen Carlyle H Wash, Jun 1941-unkn; Col Howard H Newman, 1942; Brig Gen Paul B Wurtsmith, 11 Nov 1942; Col Neel E Kearby, 24 Nov 1943; Brig Gen Paul B Wurtsmith, 13 Jan 1944; Brig Gen Frederic H Smith Jr, 10 Feb 1945; Col Hugh A Parker, 30 Sep 1945-31 Mar 1946.

Campaigns. American Theater; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Papua, [Nov] 1942-23 Jan 1943-Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986