Headquarters Squadron (HQ)
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG)

Background
Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force, 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels" as the Headquarters Squadron (HQ) equipped with the P-38 Lightning flying combat missions in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II.

Wartime History
On May 14, 1943 the Headquarters Squadron (HQ) was activated at Charters Towers Airfield in Queensland in Australia. On July 1, 1943 transfers from Charters Towers Airfield to Amberley Field near Brisbane.

On August 14, 1943 moves to Dobodura Airfield in New Guinea.

On March 24, 1944 moves to Nadzab Airfield in New Guinea.

On May 15, 1944 moves to Hollandia in western New Guinea.

On October 28, 1944 moves to Dulag Airfield on Leyte.

On December 7, 1944 lost is P-38L Lightning 44-23945 pilot Lt Col Meryl M. Smith on a patrol over Ormoc Bay. Last seen in air combat in a steep dive with both engines smoking north of Esperanza on Poro Island and went Missing In Action (MIA).

On February 28, 1945 moves to Clark Field on Luzon.

On April 20, 1945 moves to Lingayen Airfield.

On August 8, 1945 moves to Ie Shima Airfield on Ie Shima off Okinawa until the end of the Pacific War.

References
Pacific Wrecks - 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels" P-38 Lightnings
475th Fighter Group Museum
475th Fighter Group Association
475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation
Satan's Angels 475th Fighter Group 14th May 43–31st Dec 44 (1946)
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 532-533 (431st Fighter) [PDF pages 544-545]
Lightning Strikes: The 475th Fighter Group in the Pacific War, 1943-1945 (1988) by Ronald W. Yoshino
Stars & Bars (1995) pages 65 (475th FG, 431st FS)
Possum, Clover & Hades 475th Fighter Group in World War II (2004) by John Stanaway
475th Fighter Group Aviation Elite Units 23 (2007) by John Stanaway