501st Air Defense Group
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
501st Air Defense Group
| 501st Air Defense Group
|
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1945-1948, 1953–1955 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
The 501st Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command's (ADC) 4706th Air Defense Wing at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.
|
Contents
|
History
The group was established as the 501st Air Service Group to provide support for flying units in Germany and Austria from 1945 to 1948 as part of a reorganization of Army Air Forces (AAF) support groups in which the Army Air Forces (AAF) replaced Service Groups that included personnel from other branches of the Army and supported two combat groups with Air Service Groups including only Air Corps units. It was designed to support a single combat group.[1] Its 919th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 743rd Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[1] The group moved to Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany, where it replaced the 97th Airdrome Squadron as the primary support element for the airfield.[2] It briefly supported the Berlin Airlift before inactivation in 1948.[3] It was replaced by elements of the 7150th AF Composite Wing in the Air Force Wing/Base reorganization (Hobson Plan) in 1948.[4] It was disbanded later in 1948. [5]
The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 501st Air Defense Group, and activated by ADC at O'Hare International Airport on 16 February 1953[6] with responsibility for air defense of the Great Lakes area.[citation needed] It was assigned the 62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at O'Hare, flying F-86 Sabres[7] as its operational component.[8] The 62d FIS had been assigned directly to the 4706th Defense Wing.[8] The group replaced the 83rd Air Base Squadron as USAF active duty host organization at O'Hare IAP. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.
The group added the 42d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was activated at O'Hare eight days later,[9] and also Flew F-86s. [10] In March 1953, the 62d FIS converted to a newer radar equipped model F-86.[10] The group was inactivated[6] and replaced by the 56th Fighter Group in 1955[11] as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[12] The group was disbanded again in 1984.[13]
Lineage
- Constituted as 501st Air Service Group on 16 December 1944
- Activated on 1 June 1945
- Inactivated on 1 July 1948
- Disbanded on 8 October 1948
- Reconstituted and redesignated 501st Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953
- Activated on 16 February 1953
- Inactivated on 18 August 1955
- Disbanded on 27 September 1984
Assignments
- Unknown (probably European Air Transport Service) 1 June 1945 - ca. June 1946
- Headquarters Command, United States Air Forces Europe ca. June 1946 - 1 July 1948
- 4706th Defense Wing (later 4706th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Stations
- Bensheim, Germany, ca. 1 June 1945
- Tulln Air Base, Austria 25 Aug 1945[14]
- Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany 1 June 1946 - 1 July 1948
- O'Hare International Airport, Illinois, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Components
- 42d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 24 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
- 62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
- 501st Air Base Squadron 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 501st Materiel Squadron 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 501st Medical Squadron (later 501st USAF Infirmary) 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 743rd Air Materiel Squadron 1 June 1945 - 1 July 1948
- 919th Air Engineering Squadron 1 June 1945 - 1 July 1948
Aircraft
- F-86A Sabre, 1953
- F-86D Sabre, 1953-1955
- F-86F Sabre, 1953-1955
Awards
- World War II Army of Occupation Streamer
See Also
References
- ^ a b Coleman, John M (1950). The Development of Tactical Services in the Army Air Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. p. 208.
- ^ Abstract, History of 501st Air Service Group, Jan 1947 (accessed 2 Jan 2012)
- ^ Abstract, History of 501st Air Service Group, Jun 1948 (accessed 2 Jan 2012)
- ^ Abstract, History of 7150th Composite Wing, Jul 1948 (accessed 2 Jan 2012)
- ^ Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
- ^ a b Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 82. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf.
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.117
- ^ a b Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 239. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.195
- ^ a b Cornett & Johnson, p.115
- ^ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 119. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf.
- ^ Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, 1956, p.6
- ^ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
- ^ History of Tulln Air Base (accessed 18 May 2012)
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
External links
- AFHRA Factsheet, 56th Operations Group (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
- AFHRA Factsheet, 62nd Fighter Squadron (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Related Videos:
Top
501st Air Defense Group
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Wikipedia on Answers.com
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article 501st Air Defense Group.
Read more