Established as an Army Air Corps fighter squadron in January 1941; assigned to the Northeast Air District with P-40s and P-39s as part of the defense buildup prior to the United States entry into World War II. Was deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), assigned to VIII Fighter Command in August 1942. It's P-39 Aircobras were deemed unsuitable for the environment for escort duty; was re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and was trained by the Royal Air Force. Flew some escort missions with VIII Bomber Command B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators during the fall of 1942.