The 520th Air Defense Group is a disbanded

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Si ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

4706th Air Defense Wing The 4706th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force (USAF) organization. Its last assignment was with the 37th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at O'Hare International Airport (IAP), Illinois where it was discontinued in ...

at Truax Field, Wisconsin, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for the

340th Bombardment Group 34 may refer to: * 34 (number), the natural number following 33 and preceding 35 * one of the years 34 BC, AD 34, 1934, 2034 * ''34'' (album), a 2015 album by Dre Murray * "#34" (song), a 1994 song by Dave Matthews Band * "34", a 2006 song by Sa ...

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in Italy and then redeployed to the United States where 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

327th Fighter Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

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 first activated during

in Italy in late 1944 as the 520th Air Service Group as part of a reorganization of

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(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 946th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 770th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The group supported the

in Italy. The group returned to the US and was inactivated in late 1945. It was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

, the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 520th Air Defense Group, and activated at Truax Field in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 82 with responsibility for air defense of the Great Lakes area. It was assigned the 432d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) and 433d FIS, which were already stationed at Truax Field, as its operational components.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 534–535 The 432d FIS was flying North American F-86 Sabres,Cornett & Johnson, p.128 while the 433d FIS was flying

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 ...

s 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, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...

. Both squadrons had been assigned directly to the 31st Air Division. 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. 432d FIS F-89H

In March 1953, the 432d FIS converted to a later radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed model of the "Sabre". In July 1954, the 433d FIS moved to Alaska and was reassigned. The following month, the 456 FIS was activated to replace the 433d FIS. The 456th FIS was also equipped with "Sabres". The group was inactivated and replaced by the

(Air Defense) as part of

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inac ...

'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.

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 XII Air Force Service Command until c. July 1945,

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in ...

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 Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

, Italy, 15 April 1945 – 15 July 1945 (sic)(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) *

Naples, Italy Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, 15 July 1945 – July 1945 *

Camp Patrick Henry Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, VA, 18 July 1945 – August 1945 * Seymour Johnson Field, NC August 1945 – 15 September 1945 *

Columbia Army Air Base Columbia Army Air Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces base. It was primarily used for advanced combat training of B-25 Mitchell medium bomber units and replacement pilots. It was used as a training base in early 1942 for Doo ...

, SC, 15 September 1945 – ''ca''. 7 November 1945 * Truax Field, WI, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadrons * 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 Air Force Base George Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, 8 miles northwest, of central Victorville, California, about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. Established by the United States Army Air C ...

and detached to

Western Air Defense Force The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960. History WADF ...

Support Units * 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

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

Commanders

* Col. L. E. Brooks 17 Dec 1944–1945 * Unknown, 16 Feb 1953 – 18 Aug 1955

References

Notes

Explanatory notes Footnotes

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) * * * * *

External links

{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II 0520 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations established in 1953 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984