520th Air Defense Group
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520th Air Defense Group
| 520th Air Defense Group
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 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron North American F-86D-40-NA Sabres, 520th Air Defense Group, Truax Field, Wisconsin, November 1953 Identified Aircraft: 52-3622, 52-3717 |
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| Active | 1944-1945, 1953–1955 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
The 520th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4706th Air Defense Wing, being stationed at Truax Field, Wisconsin. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.
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Contents
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History
The group was first activated in Italy in late 1944 as the 520th Air Service Group[1] as part of a reorganization of Army Air Forces (AAF) support groups in which the 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. Designed to support a single combat group.[2] Its 946th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group,[3] its 770th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters,[4] and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[2][4] The group supported the 340th Bombardment Group in Italy. The group returned to the US and was inactivated in late 1945. It was disbanded in 1948.[5]
The group was reconsituted, redesignated as the 520th Air Defense Group, and activated at Truax Field in 1953[6] with responsibility for air defense of of Great Lakes area.[citation needed] It was assigned the 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) and 433d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which were already stationed at Truax Field as its operational components.[7] The 432d FIS was flying F-86 Sabres,[8] while the 433d FIS was flying Northrop F-89 Scorpions[8] Both squadrons had been assigned directly to the 31st Air Division.[7] The group also replaced the 78th Air Base Squadron as the USAF host unit for Truax Field. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[9]
In March 1953, the 432d FIS converted to a later radar equipped model of the "Sabre".[8] In July 1954, the 433d FIS moved to Alaska and was reassigned.[7] The following month, the 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated to replace the 433d FIS.[10] The 456th FIS was also equipped with "Sabres".[11] The group was inactivated[6] and replaced by the 327th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[12] as part of Air Defense Command'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.[13] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[14]
Lineage
- Constituted as 520th Air Service Group
- Activated on 27 December 1944
- Inactivated ca. 7 November 1945
- Disbanded 8 October 1948
- Reconstituted and redesignated as 520th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953
- Activated on 16 February 1953
- Inactivated on 18 August 1955
- Disbanded on 27 September 1984
Assignments
- Unknown, 27 December 1944 - 7 November 1945 (probably Air Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations until ca. July 1945, Third Air Force after August 1945)
- 4706th Defense Wing (later 4706th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Stations
- Cervioni, Italy, 27 December 1944 - 15 April 1945
- Rimini, Italy, 15 April 1945 - 15 July 1945 (sic)[15]
- Naples, Italy, 15 July 1945 - July 1945[15]
- Camp Patrick Henry, VA, 18 July 1945 - August 1945[15]
- Seymour Johnson Field, NC August 1945 - 15 September 1945[15][16]
- Columbia Army Air Base, SC, 15 September 1945 - ca. 7 November 1945[15]
- Truax Field, WI, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Components
- 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
- 433d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 14 July 1954
- 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 8 August 1954 – 18 August 1955
- Deployed to: George AFB and detached to Western Air Defense Force
- 520th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 520th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 520th Medical Squadron (later 520th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 770th Air Materiel Squadron, 25 January 1945 - 7 November 1945
- 946th Air Engineering Squadron, 25 January 1945 - 7 November 1945
Aircraft
- F-86F 1953
- F-86D, 1953–1955
- F-89C, 1953–1954
- F-94, 1953[7]
Commanders
- Col. L. E. Brooks 17 Dec 1944-1945[1]
- Unknown, 16 Feb 1953-18 Aug 1955
See also
References
- ^ a b Abstract, History of 520th Air Service Group, Dec 1944-Jan 1945 (accessed 7 Jan 2012)
- ^ 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 946th Air Engineering Squadron, Dec 1944-Jan 1945 (accessed 7 Jan 2012)
- ^ a b Abstract, History of 770th Air Materiel Squadron, Dec 1944-Jan 1945 (accessed 7 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.
- ^ a b c d Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 534-535. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- ^ a b c Cornett & Johnson, p.128
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.147
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 562
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.129
- ^ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 209. 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
- ^ a b c d e Abstract, History of 520th Air Service Group, Jun 1945-Sep 1945 (accessed 7 Jan 2012) (there is an obvious error in the departure date from Italy recorded in the unit history, since it requires a crossing of the Atlantic in three days)
- ^ See Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100921-026.pdf.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
External links
- AFHRA Factsheet, 340th Flying Training Group (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
- AFHRA Factsheet, 433rd Weapons Squadron (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
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