57th Fighter Squadron

57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-15 Eagles over Iceland in 1986
Active	1940–1944; 1947-1949; 1953-1995
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter-Interceptor
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Combat Command
Nickname(s)	Black Knights
Engagements	Asiatic-Pacific Theater American Theater of World War II
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
Patch with the 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Emblem

The 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also known as "The Black Knights of Keflavik", is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The 57 FIS was last stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on 1 March 1995.

The squadron was activated at Hamilton Field, California as the 57th Pursuit Squadron on 15 January 1941, as one of the three original squadrons of the 54th Pursuit Group. It trained with Curtiss P-36 Hawks and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, then moved to Everett Army Air Field, where it served as a part of the air defense force for the Pacific coast during the first few months of World War II. It was formed with a cadre from the 35th Pursuit Group. The squadron was redesignated as a fighter unit in May 1942.

On 20 June 1942, the air echelon of the 54th PG (now FG) took its P-40s and newly assigned Bell P-39 Airacobras to Elmendorf Field, Alaska, where it served in combat against the Japanese forces that invaded the Aleutian Islands during the summer of 1942. The unit did not in itself take any part in the action against the Japanese in the Aleutians, but a detachment of eleven of the pilots saw service with the 42d which was based at Kodiak NAS, Adak and between them got three confirmed victories and two probables. On 4 August 1942, the 57th was moved to Kodiak NAS, Adak and there replaced the 42d. All its pilots were rotated to Adak to gain combat experience. Squadron pilots were credited with the destruction of three enemy aircraft while deployed to Alaska.