The squadron flew its first combat mission on 20 April 1944, an uneventful fighter sweep of the occupied French coast. On 30 May 1944, the "bomber" designation was dropped, and the unit became the 492nd Fighter Squadron.
Following the German surrender, the unit returned to the United States, and on 7 November 1945 the squadron was inactivated as part of the massive postwar drawdown.[5]
In late 1956, the squadron upgraded to the North American F-100D Super Sabre. It was redesignated the 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron (492nd TFS) on 8 July 1958. However due to French concerns about atomic storage and custody issues within NATO, a decision was made resulting in the removal of USAF atomic-capable units from French soil. On 15 January 1960, the entire 48th TFW moved to RAF Lakenheath, UK.[5]
Between 1960 and 1972, the squadron's F-100 fleet trained with USAFE and NATO to react to aggression from the Soviet Union. They underwent a series of NATO tactical evaluations. The squadron conducted several deployments to Turkey, Italy, Spain, and across the United Kingdom. The 492nd also frequently deployed for training at Wheelus Air Base, Libya, until 1969, when Muammar Gaddafi, who had recently taken power, asked the United States to leave the country.[6][7]
On 1 October 1971, the 492nd TFS stood down from its NATO obligations, allowing it to convert to the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II.[5] The first Phantom arrived on 7 January 1972 from the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters. The conversion to the F-4D took several years, with Phantoms arriving from units that had completed their deployments in Vietnam.[5] The F-4s initially carried the tail code of "LK", but switched ot "LN" in July and August 1972.
General Dynamics F-111F 71-0886 of the 492nd TFS, 1990 (ribbon on tail is for taking part in the Operation El Dorado Canyon raid on Libya during April 1986).
The Phantom's service with squadron was short. Operation Ready Switch transferred the F-4Ds to the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada. The 474th sent their General Dynamics F-111As to the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and the 366th sent their F-111Fs to Lakenheath in early 1977. Unlike the switch to F-4s transition, the F-111 change took place quickly and without any significant problems. Almost immediately after changing aircraft, the squadron began a series of monthly exercises and deployments that took the Liberty Wing to Italy, Iran, Greece, and Pakistan.
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 97-0221 of the 492nd EFS taking off from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, 2007.
Redesignated as the 492nd Fighter Squadron (492nd FS) on 1 October 1991, the Bolars switched aircraft again, exchanging the F-111Fs for the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle in early February 1992. This continued to add to the previous 50 years of flying the air-to-ground mission with one of the most capable multi-role/air-to-ground jets in the current Air Force inventory.
The squadron participated in Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya in March 2011, along with numerous deployments to Southwest Asia supporting Air Expeditionary units as part of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).[3]
The Bolars deployed once again in support of OIR in April 2017 for six months as the 492nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS), relieving the 389th EFS. On 8 June, 97-0219 shot down a pro-Syrian Regime Shahed 129 UAV after it had fired upon friendly forces. Another Shahed 129 was shot down on 20 June by 98-0135 after it began advancing on coalition forces. The 492nd EFS were replaced by the Seymour Johnson AFB based 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in October 2017.[2] Over the course of the deployment, the 492nd flew over 2,000 missions, delivered over 4,000 precision munitions across 11,000 combat flying hours and achieved two air-to-air kills against enemy aircraft.[10] Because of the squadron's extreme combat effectiveness and achievement of total air dominance in the AO, they were awarded the Raytheon Trophy, a first for any Strike Eagle squadron and multi-role aircraft.[2]
Between July and August 2019, the Bolars deployed to the U.S. with 14 F-15Es, initially to participate in Red Flag 19–3 at Nellis AFB, before spending two weeks at Mountain Home AFB alongside the 366th Fighter Wing for Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP) exercises 'Combat Hammer' and 'Combat Archer'.[12]
The Madhatters / Bolars nickname
An F-15E of the squadron in D-Day anniversary markings featuring the Madhatters emblem
While stationed at Chaumont Air Base, France, the Madhatters were seen wearing berets. When they moved to England, the squadron adopted the bowler hat, a traditional English hat with a rounded crown. The tradition of wearing the bowler hat has continued to present day despite the lack of official uniform regulations authorizing such wear. Due to the limit of five characters for a flight callsign, the squadron uses "Bolar" instead of bowler when conducting local flying.
The 48th Fighter Wing official website (www.lakenheath.af.mil) has used the 'Madhatters' nickname in articles dated 2006, 2010, and occasionally since. However, in more recent years (e.g. articles dated 2017, 2020, and 2022), the use of 'Bolars' now appears more common.[13][14]
The practice of adopting headgear of the various geographic regions the 492nd Fighter Squadron is sent to continues. In Turkey, each deployed Madhatter wears a blue fez hat.
Lineage
Constituted as the 55th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 55th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 28 August 1942
Redesignated 492nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943
Redesignated 492nd Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 30 May 1944
Inactivated on 7 November 1945
Redesignated 492nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 25 June 1952
Activated on 10 July 1952
Redesignated 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 July 1958
Redesignated 492nd Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991[3]
Assignments
48th Bombardment Group (later 48th Fighter-Bomber Group, 48th Fighter Group), 15 January 1941 – 7 November 1945
48th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 July 1952
48th Fighter-Bomber Wing (later 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, 48 Fighter Wing), 8 December 1957 (attached to 48th Fighter Wing [Provisional] 2 September 1990 – 15 March 1991, 7440th Composite Wing, September–December 1991)
RAF Lakenheath, England, 11 January 1960 – present (deployed to Ta’if, Saudi Arabia 2 September 1990 – 15 March 1991, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, September–December 1991)[3]
Republic F-84G-2-RE Thunderjet 51-9674 of the 492nd FBS, alongside a 492nd FBS F-84G in an experimental camouflage motif, 1954.
492nd TFS Wing Commander's North American F-86F-25-NH Sabre 52-5355, 1956.
North American F-100D-90-NA Super Sabre 56-3213 of the 492nd TFS in Southeast Asia camouflage motif (Note the squadron colors being removed, being replaced by the "LR" tailcode).
McDonnell Douglas F-4D-27-MC Phantom II 65-0615 of the 492nd TFS, 1976.
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