30th Fighter Squadron

30th Fighter-Bomber Squadron
0th Fighter Squadron Bell P-39Q-20-BE Airacobra 44-3089 showing the squadrons new emblem. Howard Field, Canal Zone, early 1945
Active	1940–1953
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter-Bomber

The 30th Fighter-Bomber Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 37th Fighter-Bomber Wing, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico. It was inactivated on 25 June 1953.

Established in 1939 as the 30th Pursuit Squadron and activated on 1 February 1940 at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone. This unit was part of the build-up of the Canal Zone's defenses as war approached. Initially equipped with Boeing P-26A Peashooters, the mission of the squadron was air defense of the Panama Canal. The Squadron was briefly moved to Rio Hato Field on 5 October 1940 and, following a month there, returned to Albrook on 13 November, where it remained until 24 November 1941.

However, as Albrook became more and more crowded with new units, the Squadron was transferred to La Chorrera Army Airfield, Panama on 24 November 1941 where it was equipped with modern Curtiss P-40 Warhawks. The unit shared the base with the 31st Pursuit Squadron at the time. Like all other fighter units in the USAAF, the squadron was redesignated as the 30th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 and, briefly, returned to Albrook, but reverted to Chorrera Field #1 on 1 June 1942. The Squadron remained them until 5 January 1943, when it transferred to Anton Army Airfield, Panama. However, all squadron personnel were reassigned to the 53d Fighter Squadron at France Field.

The squadron was re-manned at Anton Field with new personnel, then moved to Aguadulce Field, Panama in February 1943. It was reclassified as an Operational Training Unit (OTU), and its mission was changed to preparing new fighter pilots for duty in the tropical conditions of the Panama Canal Zone. In effect, the 30th Fighter Squadron had switched places with the 53d Fighter Squadron, and inherited 28 aircraft, being mixed models of the Curtiss P-40s, most of which had seen hard service in Puerto Rico and the Antilles Air Command previously. The Squadron also had small detachments at Albrook Field and Corozal in the Canal Zone and, by October, another detachment was maintained at Howard Field as well.