Following V-E Day, it returned to the United States and was inactivated at the port of embarkation, Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, on 9 November 1945.

[6][7] In mid-June 1943, the squadron moved to Camp Kilmer and sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth for England on 1 July.

[6] Escort missions led to frequent encounters with enemy fighters, and three of the highest scoring aces in Eighth Air Force were squadron members.

[9][note 3] In April 1944 the squadron began to replace its Thunderbolts with longer range North American P-51D Mustangs.

It routed an attack by a numerically superior force of German interceptors, continuing the fight until most planes had used all their ammunition and were running short on fuel, requiring the unit to return to base.

On 1 January the detachment earned the squadron the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, when its airfield was attacked by 50 Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, just as its planes were taking off for an area patrol.

[8] The detachment moved to Chievres Airfield, Belgium in late January 1945, where it was joined by the rest of the squadron, coming under the control of Eighth Air Force again.

From Chievres, it provided cover for Operation Varsity, the airborne assault to establish a bridgehead across the Rhine.