The XXVI Fighter Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. It was assigned to Sixth Air Force throughout its existence. It was based at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1946. It engaged in antisubmarine operations from the Canal Zone.

History

Background

In November 1940, fighter units in the Panama Canal Zone were organized into the 12th Pursuit Wing. In May 1941, the 12th Wing's units began operating under the Panama Region, Caribbean Interceptor Command, which became the Panama Region, 6th Interceptor Command, when that command was activated in Puerto Rico on 25 October 1941, and Panama Interceptor Command on 12 December 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In March 1942, the 12th Wing was inactivated and transferred its mission, personnel and equipment to the newly-formed 26th Interceptor Command.

Defense of the Panama Canal

The air defense of the Panama Canal proceeded on the assumption that the greatest threat to the canal was from carrier launched low level and dive bombers attacking from the Gatun Lake or Pacific Ocean side of the canal. Its initial equipment was Bell P-39 Airacobras and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks. A decision was made locally to employ American women residing in the Canal Zone as plotters and tellers in the command's fighter information center at Albrook Field. By late 1943, the chance of an attack on the Panama Canal was seen as remote, and operations began to wind down. Most of the command's fighter groups inactivated or transferred and the remaining component squadrons were assigned directly to the command.

The command participated in joint exercises with United States Navy surface and air forces, some of which exposed serious defects in canal defenses.

In early 1943, the command assumed an additional role of providing advanced training for fighter pilots destined for overseas assignment. The 30th Fighter Squadron assumed the role of an operational training unit and took over the older P-40B and P-40C Warhawks. Between a quarter and a third of the pilots trained by the 30th moved on to combat assignments with other commands. In 1944, the squadron trained the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron, which would deploy to Italy.

The command was inactivated on 25 August 1946 and disbanded two years later.

Lineage

  • Constituted as 26th Interceptor Command on 28 February 1942: Activated on 6 March 1942

Redesignated: 26th Fighter Command on 15 May 1942

Redesignated: XXVI Fighter Command c. 18 September 1942

Inactivated on 25 August 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948

Components

Groups

Squadrons

Other

  • 516th Signal Aircraft Warning Regiment, June 1943
  • 7th Radar Calibration Detachment, 1 August 1944 – March 1945

Stations

  • Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone, 6 March 1942 – 25 August 1946

Aircraft

Campaign

Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Antisubmarine21 August 1942 – 2 September 1945

Notes

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the

  • Hagedorn, Dan (1995). Alae Supra Canalem: Wings Over the Canal. Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing. ISBN 1-56311-153-5.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN .{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN . OCLC . Archived from (PDF) on 20 December 2016.