The 111th Attack Squadron is a unit of the Texas Air National Guard 147th Attack Wing located at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Texas. The 111th is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle.
The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 111th Aero Squadron, established on 14 August 1917. It was reformed on 29 June 1923, as the 111th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.
The 111th Attack Squadron is the oldest unit of the Texas Air National Guard, with over 95 years of service to the State of Texas and the United States.
History World War I The Texas Air National Guard began as the 111th Aero Squadron on 14 August 1917 at Kelly Field in San Antonio, TX.AG 320.2 (9-8-36), War Department Washington, DC: The Adjutant General's Office, 16 October 1936. The unit, composed of teamsters and laborers, was on special duty at Kelly Field and was known as the "Post Headquarters Squadron." The squadron was demobilized 19 August 1919.Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint)
Texas National Guard
The unit was reorganized with the establishment of a permanent air service in 1920, forming in the old Houston Light Guard Armory. The 111th Observation Squadron received Federal Recognition on 29 June 1923, as part of the 36th Division, Texas National Guard.
The squadron had no airplanes, so the hot summer of 1923 was devoted to close order drill and classroom sessions. That was remedied, however, in September of that year when the 111th became airborne in the Curtiss JN-6H Jenny.
In September 1927 the Curtiss JN-6Hs were retired and the squadron gained Consolidated PT-1s and several other trainers until June 1928 when new Douglas O-2H observation aircraft arrived. During the next 10 years, the 111th performed outstanding civic service to the State of Texas, dropping medicine and relief supplies to many of the towns that were isolated by floodwaters, tornados, and fires. New Douglas O-38 observation planes were received in January 1931. By 1938 the squadron was flying both Douglas Douglas O-43As and North American O-47s.
World War II
With the onset of World War II, the unit was called into federal service 25 November 1940 and trained with the 36th Division at Brownwood Airfield TexasWatson, W.E. Jr., ed. 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 27 September 1942. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, c. 1945. until Pearl Harbor was bombed, it was sent to the Mexican border, Fort Clark Springs Texas. The border patrol was short, and on 14 February 1942, the squadron left Texas for Daniel Field, Georgia and became part of the 68th Observation Group. Pilots trained on Douglas O-43A, Vultee/Stinson O-49/L-1 Vigilant and Douglas A-20B Havoc aircraft in preparation for deployment to the European Theater of Operations (ETO).
In 1942 the ground echelon and some pilots made their way to Scotland then England in preparation for landing on the Algerian beaches as part of Operation Torch, their shiny new P-39 Airacobras had to be assembled and tested before flying from England to Algeria. Some of the pilots of the 68th Group flew their A-20s directly across the Atlantic on the "Southern Route" and immediately began flying over the Mediterranean in anti-submarine patrols, sinking at least one submarine. As the invasion force moved inland, the three squadrons of the group divided up the A-20s and P-39s by squadron and the 111th took on the Fighter Reconnaissance role in the P-39.
In March 1943, the 111th left the 68th Group to defend against a possible invasion of French Morocco from Spanish Morocco while the rest of the group was selected to support the Tunisian Campaign of the Army's II Corps. In June 1943 the newly redesignated 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Allison engined F-6A or F-6B Mustangs (taken from a British order of Mk IAs), became the eyes of the Seventh Army in Sicily, Operation Husky. They were temporarily assigned to the Fifth Army in Italy for the invasion of Salerno, "the 111th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron had been trained to spot naval gunfire".Morison, Samuel Eliot, History of the United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol IX. c.1954, p. 267. They returned in July 1944 in time to support the Seventh Army's invasion of southern France, Operation Dragoon. In addition to the older F-6A/F-6B Mustangs, they began receiving F-6C Mustangs (the photographic reconnaissance version of the P-51C). The 111th remained with the Seventh Army through the end of the war. From VE Day until December 1945, the squadron served in the occupation force, and conducted postwar photo-mapping of the devastation in France.
During 23 months of continuous combat flying, from June 1943 through May 1945, the squadron flew 3,840 reconnaissance missions. While keeping army headquarters informed of enemy movements, the 111th destroyed 44 enemy aircraft, damaged 29 others and claimed 12 probable kills. The squadron received eight Battle Stars, a Distinguished Unit Citation, and the French Croix de Guerre for its World War II accomplishments.Hail, Mitchell T., ed. History of the Houston Air National Guard. Ellington Field, Texas: 147th Fighter Wing, 2007.
Texas Air National Guard
The 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was redesignated the '111th Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized ate Houston Municipal Airport and extended federal recognition on 27 January 1947. The 111th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the Texas Air National Guard 136th Fighter Group and was equipped with F-51D Mustangs.
The mission of the squadron was the air defense of Texas. During the postwar years, the 111th primarily trained over the southern and eastern parts of the state; the 181st Fighter Squadron, based at Love Field, Dallas, and covered the south east, and the 182d Fighter Squadron, based at Brooks Air Force Base, near San Antonio covered the Hill Country and west Texas.
Korean War activation As a result of the Korean War, the Texas Air National Guard was federalized and placed on active-duty status on 10 October 1950, being assigned to Ninth Air Force, Tactical Air Command (TAC). TAC ordered the 136th Fighter Group to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, where the unit was redesignated the 136th Fighter-Bomber Group. At Langley, the 136th Fighter-Bomber Wing consisted of the following units: 111th Fighter-Bomber Squadron 182d Fighter-Bomber Squadron 154th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (Arkansas ANG).
At Langley, the 136th trained with their F-51D Mustangs. Unfortunately losing two squadro pilots in a training accident on 15 December. A third pilot was killed on 27 January 1951 in another accident. In February 1951, the aged F-51Ds that the unit had been flying since its activation in 1947 were replaced by F-84E Thunderjets, and the squadron began transition training on the jet fighter-bomber. Most of the training took place at Langley, although some pilots were sent to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Maintenance crews, all new to jet aircraft, were trained at Langley and engine specialists were sent to the Allison plant in Indianapolis. Assigned to the Arkansas ANG 154th FBS at the time was a Navy exchange pilot, future NASA astronaut Lt. Walter Schirra (who happened to be the only pilot assigned to the 136th at the time who was a qualified jet pilot).
In May 1951, less than seven months later, the Wing was deployed to Japan, being attached to Far East Air Forces (FEAF)and stationed at Itazuke Air Force Base, the first echelon of the 136th arriving on 18 May. The 136th replaced the Strategic Air Command 27th Fighter-Escort Wing, which had deployed to FEAF in the early days of the Korean War. At Itazuke, the squadrons took over the F-84Es of the 27th, which remained in place. On 2 June, the final elements of the 136th arrived in Japan, the National Guardsmen officially relieved the 27th and the SAC airmen departed for the United States. The 136th was the first Air National Guard wing in history to enter combat.
From Japan the Wing engaged in combat operations over South Korea, however flying in the North Pacific area was a challenge to the wing, losing seven F-84Es in non-combat operations and three in combat. On 26 June, in one of the largest air-to-air battles in Korea, two 182d FBS pilots, Captain Harry Underwood and 1st LT Arthur Olighter shot down an enemy MiG-15 that broke through an F-86 Sabre escort of four B-29s. Two other 111th pilots, 1st Lt John Morse and John Marlins scored probables in the same encounter. These were the first combat victories by Air National Guard pilots. On 3 July the 136th sent their aircraft to North Korea, attacking Flak batteries in downtown Pyongyang while other aircraft attacked North Korean airfields.
However, the short-legged F-84 had limited combat time over Korea, therefore on 16 November 1951 the Wing moved to Taegu Air Force Base (K-2) in South Korea for its combat operations. In 1952, the 136th was re-equipped with the F-84G Thunderjet, designed for tactical close air support of ground forces.
The squadron flew over 6,000 escort, interdiction, and close air support sorties for the United Nations Troops and 111th Fighter-Bomber Squadron pilots destroyed at least two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighter jets.General Order 126, Headquarters Far East Air Forces, APO 925, 1. Tokyo, Japan: Headquarters Far East Air Forces, 3 March 1952.
The 111th Fighter-Bomber Squadron returned to the Houston Municipal Airport without aircraft or personnel in July 1952 and began to rebuild. In July 1956 the F-80 Shooting Stars of the 111thr Squadron went on "Dawn to Dusk" alert at the Houston Municipal Airport.
Air Defense Command
With the 111th's return from the Korean War, the 111th was re-equipped with the very long range F-51H Mustang, which had been developed to escort B-29 Superfortress bombers in the Pacific Theater from the Mariana Islands to the Japanese Home Islands. The F-51H would allow the squadron to intercept any unidentified aircraft over any part of Texas. The squadron became part of Air Defense Command (ADC) and resumed its postwar mission of Texas air defense.
It wasn't until 1955 that the squadron received jets from ADC, receiving F-80B and F-80C Shooting Stars and being redesignated as the 111th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The 111th received F-80C-11 (modified F-80A to F-80C standards) Shooting Stars on 1 July 1955, and on 1 July 1956 the 111th commenced to participate in the active ADC runway alert program at Ellington Air Force Base.
With the squadron's conversion from the obsolescent F-80-day fighters to the all-weather/day/night F-86D Sabre Interceptor in 1957, plans were made to reorganize the 600-man Augmented Squadron to an ADC group structure. On 1 July 1957, the 111th was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 147th Fighter-Interceptor Group was established]. The 111th became the group's flying squadron. Other elements assigned into the group were the 147th group headquarters, 147th Material Squadron (maintenance and supply), 147th Air Base Squadron, and the 147th USAF Dispensary. In June 1959 the squadron traded their F-86Ds for the upgraded F-86L Sabres with uprated afterburning engines and new electronics.