521st Air Defense Group
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521st Air Defense Group
| 521st Air Defense Group
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|---|---|
| Active | 1945, 1953–1955 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
The 521st Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 31st Air Division at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.
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Contents
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History
The group was first activated as the 521st Air Service Group in 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. It was designed to support a single combat group.[1] Its 947th Air Engineering Squadron[2] provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 771st Air Materiel Squadron[3] handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[1] The group supported 310th Bombardment Group in Italy.[4] The group returned to the US in 1945 and was inactivated. It was disbanded in 1948.[5]
The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 521st Air Defense Group, and activated at Sioux City Municipal Airport in 1953 [6] with responsibility for air defense of central Midwestern United States.[citation needed] It was assigned the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Sioux City Airport, and flying World War II era F-51 Mustangs[7] as its operational component.[8] The 87th FIS had been assigned directly to the 31st Air Division.[8] The group replaced 79th Air Base Squadron as the host USAF unit at Sioux City Municipal Airport. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[9]
In the fall of 1953 the 87th FIS upgraded to F-86 Sabre aircraft[7] and the 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also flying "Sabres",[10] was activated as the group's second operational squadron.[11] In November 1954 the 87th FIS moved to England and was reassigned.[8] The 87th FIS was replaced the next month by the 519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, another "Sabre" squadron.[12][13] The group was inactivated[6] and replaced by 53d Fighter Group (Air Defense)[14] in 1955 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.[15] Disbanded once again in 1984.[16]
Lineage
- Constituted as 521st Air Service Group
- Activated on 1 January 1945
- Inactivated on or about 7 November 1945
- Disbanded on 8 October 1948
- Reconstituted and redesignated as 521st Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953
- Activated on 16 February 1953
- Inactivated on 18 August 1955
- Disbanded on 27 September 1984
Assignments
- Unknown, 1 January 1945 - 7 November 1945 (probably Air Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations until ca 17 July 1945)
- 31st Air Division, 1 January 1953 – 18 August 1955
Stations
- Ghisonaccia Airfield, Italy 1 January 1945 - 7 April 1945
- Fano Airfield, Italy 7 April 1945 - ca. 6 July 1945
- Naples, Italy, ca. 6 July 1945 - ca. 17 July 1945
- Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, ca 26 Jul 1945 -ca. 30 July 1945
- Unknown, July 1945 - 7 Nov 1945
- Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, 1 January 1953 – 18 August 1955
Components
- 14th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 November 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 21 December 1954
- 519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 8 December 1954 – 18 August 1955
- 521st Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 521st Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 521st Medical Squadron (later 521st USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
- 771st Air Materiel Squadron, 1 January 1945 - 1945
- 947th Air Engineering Squadron, 1 January 1945 - 1945
Aircraft
- F-51D, 1953
- F-86D, 1953–1955
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 947th Air Engineering Squadron, Jan 1945 (accessed 9 Jan 2012)
- ^ Abstract, History of 771st Air Materiel Squadron, Jan 1945 (accessed 9 Jan 2012)
- ^ Abstract, History of 771st Air Materiel Squadron, Mar 1945 (accessed 9 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 Cornett & Johnson, p.120
- ^ a b c Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 299-300. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.147
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.114
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.78
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p.130
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 623-624
- ^ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 115. 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
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
External links
- Factsheet, 53rd Wing (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
- Factsheet, 87th Flying Training Squadron (accessed 3 Mar 2012)
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