The 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), originally called the 313th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)of the US Army Air Force activated on 21 January 1942 and was directly put under control of the 50th Pursuit Group. From 9 February 1942 on the 313th PS trained pilots for the Air Defense in order to prepare them for combat. Training aircraft used by the squadron were the P-40, later P-47. The 313th prepared lots of combat ready pilots to got to the European theather, just until the 313th itself was called into combat in April 1944. Stationed at Lymington, England , the sqaudron flew missions against the Germans and was later moved to Carentan (France), Orly, Laon (Aisne), Lyon-Bron and Toul-Ochey before it arrived in Germany in 1945. It finished its combat mission on the territory of Mannheim where it stayed until June 1945. In that period the 313th returned to the United States, to La Junta AAF, CO on 6 August 1945 and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Other than all the different 50th Fighter Group squadrons the 313th remained inactive until 15 November 1976 when it was called to active duty to become part again of the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn AB, Germany. From this perspective the 313th made a huge jump from P-47 Thunderbolts to F-4E Phantoms!
In 1981 the 313th became the first unit to operate the F-16 Fighting Falcon in USAFE, followed by the 10th and the 496th TFS. The 313th TFS remained at Hahn until its deactivation on 30 September 1991.
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