The XIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946.
History
XIII Fighter Command was a World War II command and control organization for Thirteenth Air Force. Its mission was to provide command and control authority of Army Air Force fighter organizations within the Thirteenth Air Force Area of Responsibility.
It participated in the following campaigns: China Defensive; Guadal¬canal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.
Lineage
Constituted as the XIII Fighter Command on 14 December 1942
Activated on 13 January 1943
Inactivated on 15 March 1946
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Assignments
Thirteenth Air Force, 13 January 1943 – 15 March 1946
Stations
Plaine Des Gaiacs Airfield, New Caledonia, Melanesia, 13 January 1943
Pekoa Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 22 January 1943
Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, December 1943
Sansapor (March) Airfield, Netherlands East Indies, 15 August 1944
Bayug Airfield, Burauen, Leyte, Philippines, 10 January 1945
Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan, Philippines, 1 March 1945
Manila, Luzon, Philippines, November 1945 – 15 March 1946
Components
Groups
18th Fighter Group, 14 April 1943 – 15 March 1946
42nd Bombardment Group, attached 1 October 1944 – 8 January 1945, c. 22 March – c. September 1945 347th Fighter Group: 13 January 1943 – 1 January 1946 (attached to I Island Command 1 July – c. 29 December 1943) 414th Fighter Group: 1 January–30 September 1946
Squadrons
17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 10 December 1945 – 1 February 1946
419th Night Fighter Squadron: 25 August 1944 – 10 January 1946
550th Night Fighter Squadron: 12 December 1944 – 15 December 1945 (attached to XIII Bomber Command 14 February 1945, 85th Fighter Wing 7 April – c. 17 June 1945)