566th Air Defense Group

566th Air Defense Group

Cannon armed F-89 of the 84th FIS at Hamilton AFB
Active 1944-1945; 1952–1955
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Fighter Interceptor
Role Air Defense
Part of Air Defense Command

The 566th Air Defense Group is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the 28th Air Division at Hamilton Air Force Base, California where it was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group at the end of World War II but never deployed before it was inactivated in 1945.

The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. A year later ADC established it as an operational headquarters for fighter-interceptor squadrons as well. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 78th Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History

World War II

The group was activated at Robins Field, Georgia toward the end of World War II as the 566th Air Service Group in 1944 and trained to support a single combat group.[1] Its 984th Air Engineering Squadron[2] would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1004th Air Materiel Squadron[2] would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support.[1] The group was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas.[3] It was disbanded in 1948.[4]

Cold War

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 566th Air Base Group, and activated at Hamilton Air Force Base, California in 1952[5] in a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[6] It replaced the 78th Air Base Group as host unit for Hamilton. The 566th was assigned eight squadrons and one flight to perform its support responsibilities.[7][8][9][10] The group also assumed responsibility to maintain aircraft stationed at Hamilton from the inactivating 78th Maintenance & Supply Group,[11] while the operational elements of the 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing[12] were assigned to the 28th Air Division.

Lockheed F-94Cs of the 84th FIS
F-86Ds of the 496th FIS

The 566th was redesignated the 566th Air Defense Group[5] and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Northern California. It was assigned the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying 20mm cannon armed and airborne intercept radar equipped Northrop F-89 Scorpion aircraft[13] from the 28th Air Division as its operational element.[14] The 84th FIS was already stationed at Hamilton.[14] In March, a second operational squadron, the 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, was activated at Hamilton and assigned to the group.[15]

The 496th FIS was initially equipped with outmoded World War II era North American F-51 Mustang Aircraft.[16] In April, the 83rd FIS traded its Scorpions for Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft.[13] and to later model Starfire, armed with Mighty Mouse rockets, before the end of the year.[13] The 496th FIS, in turn, converted to North American F-86 Sabres (also with radar and Mighty Mouse rockets) during 1953.[16] In February 1954, the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California, also flying Sabres,[17] was assigned to the group.[18] Ten days after its assignment, the 325th FIS moved from Travis to Hamilton.[18] A few months later, in July, the group once again had only two operational squadrons when the 496th FIS transferred to Europe and was assigned elsewhere.[15]

The 566th was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 78th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955[19] as result 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.[20] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[21]

Lineage

Activated on 7 December 1944[2]
Inactivated on ca. 14 August 1945
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Activated on 1 February 1952
Redesignated as 566th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953
Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Assignments

Stations

Components

Operational Squadrons and Flight

Support Squadrons

  • 19th WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron, ca. 26 June 1952 - 8 August 1954[23]
  • 566th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955
  • 566th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[10]
  • 566th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 566th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[7]
  • 566th Medical Squadron[9] (later 566th USAF Hospital),[24] 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955
  • 566th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955
  • 566th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[8]
  • 566th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955
  • 984th Air Engineering Squadron, 7 December 1944 - ca. 14 August 1945
  • 1004th Air Materiel Squadron, 7 December 1944 - ca. 14 August 1945

Aircraft

  • North American F-51D Mustang, 1953
  • North American F-86D Sabre, 1953-1954
  • North American F-86E Sabre, 1954-1955
  • Northrop F-89B Scorpion, 1953
  • Lockheed F-94B Starfighter, 1953
  • Lockheed F-94C Starfighter, 1953-1955

Commanders

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Coleman, p. 208
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Abstract, History 566 Air Service Group Dec 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Coleman, p. 215
  4. ↑ Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Cornett & Johnson, p. 84
  6. ↑ Grant, p. 33
  7. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 134
  8. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 151
  9. 1 2 See "Abstract, History 566 Medical Squadron Jan-Jun 1953". Air Force History Index. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  10. 1 2 See "Abstract, History 566 Food Service Squadron Feb-Mar 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson p.141
  12. ↑ Kane, Robert B. (February 4, 2010). "Factsheet 78 Air Base Wing (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  13. 1 2 3 Cornett & Johnson, p.120
  14. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 293
  15. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons p. 598
  16. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 130
  17. ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 126
  18. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.400-401
  19. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 143
  20. ↑ Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6
  21. ↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
  22. ↑ Bailey, Carl E. (March 8, 2010). "Factsheet 84 Flying Training Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  23. ↑ See "Abstract, History 19 WAF Squadron Apr-Jun 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  24. ↑ See "Abstract, History 566 and 78 Hospitals Jul-Dec 1955". Air Force History Index. Retrieved June 17, 2012.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Further Reading

External links

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