The 518th Air Defense Group is a disbanded

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

4707th Air Defense Wing The 4707th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts where it was discontinued in 1956. The wing ...

, stationed at

Niagara Falls Municipal Airport Niagara Falls International Airport is located east of downtown Niagara Falls, in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County, New York, United States. Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport is a joint civ ...

, New York, where it was inactivated in 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 unit for the 465th Bombardment 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 ...

in Italy and then redeployed to the Caribbean, where it supported redeploying units until it was inactivated in 1945. The group was activated once again in 1953, when ADC established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 15th 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

was activated shortly before the end of

as the 518th Air Service Group in Italy in early 1945 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. It was designed to support a single combat group.Coleman, p. 208 Its 944th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 768th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The unit supported the 465th Bombardment Group in Italy. The group moved to the Caribbean and provided support for flying units redeploying from Europe to the United States. It was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

During the Cold War, the 518th group was reconstituted, redesignated as an air defense group, and activated at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 82 with responsibility for air defense of Niagara Falls, Toronto, Western and upper New York area. It was assigned the

47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 47th Fighter Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it flies Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and is assigned to the 442d Operations Group. The squadron was first ...

(FIS), which was already stationed at Niagara Falls, and flying

era Republic F-47 ThunderboltsCornett & Johnson, p. 115 as its operational component.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 206 The 47th FIS had been assigned to the

4708th Defense Wing The 4708th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Selfridge Air Force Base (AFB), Michigan, where it was discontinued in 1956. ...

. It was assigned three

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

s to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p.147''See'' It converted the same month to jet propelled

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 ...

aircraft. The 47th FIS upgraded to a later 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 ...

equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed version of the "Sabre" in September 1953, but its replacement aircraft were not delivered until early 1954. The group replaced 76th Air Base Squadron as the active duty USAF host unit at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport. The group was replaced by the 15th Fighter Group (Air Defense) 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. The 518th group was disbanded once again in 1984.

Lineage

* Constituted as 518th Air Service Group : Activated on 25 January 1945 : Inactivated on 31 July 1945 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 518th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

* XV Air Force Service Command 25 Jan 1945 – 1945 * Caribbean Division,

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...

1945 – 31 July 1945 * 4707th Defense Wing (later 4707th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Stations

* Pantanella Airfield, Italy, 25 January 1945 – 27 May 1945 *

Bagnoli Bagnoli is a western seaside quarter of Naples, Italy, well beyond the confines of the original city. It is beyond Cape Posillipo and, thus, looking on the coast of the Bay of Pozzuoli. Industrialization and World War II Bagnoli was one of ...

Staging Area, Italy, 27 May 1945 – 6 June 1945 *

Waller Field Waller Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force World War II air base located in northeastern Trinidad. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Valencia south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and roughly 32 km from t ...

, Trinidad 15 June 1945 – 31 July 1945 * Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadron * 47th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955Endicott, Judy G
AFHRA Factsheet, 47th Fighter Squadron
12/18/2007 (retrieved 3 March 2012) Support Units * 518th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 518th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 518th Medical Squadron (later 518th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 768th Air Materiel Squadron, 25 January 1945 – 31 July 1945 * 944th Air Engineering Squadron, 25 January 1945 – 31 July 1945

Aircraft

* F-47D, 1953 * F-86A, 1953-1954 * F-86D, 1954-1955

Commanders

* Lt Col Lloyd L. Connell, 1 January 1945 – 1945

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) * * * *