The 503d Air Defense Group is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

25th Air Division The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord A ...

of Air Defense Command at

Portland International Airport Portland International Airport is a joint civil–military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of the state's passenger air travel and more than 95% of its air cargo. It is within Portland's city l ...

, Oregon. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

was originally activated as a support group at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and provided logistics and administrative support for the

86th Fighter Group Area codes 084 and 086 are Nigerian telephone area codes serving the cities of Port Harcourt and Ahoada in Rivers State. They fall under the Southeast Zone in the National Numbering Plan (NNP) restructured in 2003. When in Port Harcourt or Ahoa ...

in Germany until 1946, when the group returned to the United States, where it supported the 56th Fighter Group. It was discontinued when the USAF reorganized its combat and support units on its bases into a single

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

. The group was activated once again in 1953, when ADC established it as the headquarters for two dispersed fighter-interceptor squadrons and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting them. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the

337th Fighter Group 337th may refer to: *337th Aeronautical Systems Group, inactive United States Air Force unit *337th Air Control Squadron, part of the 33d Fighter Wing, an AETC unit, based at the USAF Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida *337th Airlift Squadron, part of ...

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

was activated as the 503d Air Service Group toward the end of

, shortly after

V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...

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, designed to support a single combat group.Coleman, p. 208 Its 921st Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 745th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. it supported the

, as part of the occupation forces in Germany until 1946. The group returned to the US and supported the 56th Fighter Group at

Selfridge Field Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Unit ...

, Michigan In October 1946, the group deployed a detachment to

Ladd Field Ladd or Ladds may refer to: People *Ladd (surname) *Brent Ladds (born 1951), Canadian ice hockey administrator Places ;In the United States *Ladds, Georgia, an unincorporated community *Ladd, Illinois, village *Ladd, Missouri, an unincorporated c ...

, Alaska for arctic training. In 1947 the group and its squadrons were inactivated and replaced by the 56th Airdrome Group, 56th Maintenance & Supply Group, and 56th Station Medical Group as the Air Force began a service test of the Wing/Base organization, which was adopted to unify control at air bases. The 503d Group was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

During the Cold War The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 503d Air Defense Group, and activated at

on 18 February 1953,Cornett & Johnson, p. 81 with the mission to train and maintain

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Vehicles * Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft * Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car * ...

squadrons in state of readiness in order to defend Northwest United States. The 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was already stationed at Portland and Flying

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...

s was assigned as the operational component of the group.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 445 The group replaced the 89th Air Base Squadron as host organization for active duty USAF units at Portland. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson p. 146 Two days later, the 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying

Lockheed F-94 Starfire The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet powered all-weather, day/night interceptor of the United States Air Force. A twin-seat craft, it was developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer in the late 1940s. It reached o ...

aircraft equipped with airborne intercept

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

and armed with 20 mm cannons,Cornett & Johnson, p. 130 was activated as the group's permanent operational squadron. In May 1953, the 357th Squadron was transferred to French Morocco and was reassigned. In 1954, the 497th converted to

Northrop F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...

aircraft armed with Mighty Mouse rockets. The group was inactivated and replaced by the

(Defense) in 1955 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. The group was disbanded once again in 1984, but reconstituted in 1985 as a base support organization. It has not been active since.

Lineage

* Constituted as 503d Air Service Group on 16 December 1944 : Activated on 6 June 1945 : Inactivated on 15 August 1947 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 503d Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955. : Disbanded on 27 September 1984 * Reconstituted on 31 July 1985 and redesignated 503d Combat Support Group.

Assignments

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

, 6 June 1945 * IX Air Force Service Command, 25 October 1945 *

XII Tactical Air Command The XII Tactical Air Command was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe at Bad Kissingen, Germany, where it was inactivated on 10 November 1947. History The 12th Gr ...

, 15 December 1945 * 64th Fighter Wing, 15 February 1946 – March 1946 * Strategic Air Command March 1946 – June 1946 * Fifteenth Air Force June 1946 – 15 August 1947 * 4704th Air Defense Wing, 16 February 1953 – 8 October 1954 *

, 8 October 1954 – 18 August 1955

Components

* 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 25 May 1953 * 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 503d Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 503d Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 503d Medical Squadron (later 503d USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 745th Air Materiel Squadron, 6 June 1945 – 15 August 1947 (not manned 15 Feb 1946-unknown) * 921st Air Engineering Squadron, 6 June 1945 – 15 August 1947 (not manned 14 February 1946 – Apr 1946)

Stations

* Gross Gerau, Germany 6 June 1945 – Sep 1945 *

AAF Station Schweinfurt Schweinfurt Army Heliport was a military facility near Schweinfurt, that was part of U.S. Army Garrison Schweinfurt. History The facility's origins begin in 1936 as a Luftwaffe airfield, its primary mission being the home of light bomber (Dor ...

, Germany Sep 1945 – Feb 1946 *

Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling: English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking". German (Bölling): from ...

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Feb 1946 – April 1946 * Selfridge Field, Michigan, Apr 1946 – 15 August 1947 * Portland International Airport, Oregon, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Aircraft

* North American F-86F Sabre, 1953 * Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1954–1955 * Lockheed F-94A Starfire, 1953–1954 * Lockheed F-94B Starfire, 1953

Commanders

* Unknown, 6 June 1945 – 11 June 1945 * Lt Col. Michael J. King, 11 June 1945 – unknown * Lt Col. Hugh A. Griffith, ''ca''. 22 May 1946 – 1946 * Lt Col. John A. Carey, 1946 – unknown * Col. Frank W. Seifert, December 1946 – 14 January 1947 * Lt Col. John W. Gaff, Jr. 14 January 1947 – 1947 * Unknown, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Service streamer

References

Notes

Bibliography

* 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 * * * * * Further reading * Grant, C.L., (1961
The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
* {{USAAF 9th Air Force UK 0503 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations established in 1953 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984