The 564th 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

Otis Air Force Base Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media ** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl'' * Otis (''The Walking Dead''), in the Image Comics ...

, Massachusetts, 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 a combat 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 ...

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

33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 33rd Fighter Wing, sometimes written 33d Fighter Wing, (33 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where it is a tenant un ...

. 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

33d Fighter Group ''033'' or ''Zero Three Three'' is a 2010 Bengali film directed by Birsa Dasgupta in a directorial debut and produced by Moxie Entertainments. It stars Rudranil Ghosh and Parambrato Chattopadhyay. 033 is the STD code for Kolkata city, and the ...

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 during

as the 564th Air Service Group in 1944 and trained to support a single combat

in an overseas theater.Coleman, p. 208 Its 995th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support. The group was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas. It was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-94s over Cape Cod 1953

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 564th Air Base Group, and activated at

in 1952Cornett & Johnson, p. 84 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. It replaced the 33rd Air Base Group as USAF host unit for Otis. The group was assigned eight

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. 134Cornett & Johnson, p. 141Cornett & Johnson, p. 151 It also assumed aircraft maintenance responsibility from the 33d Maintenance & Supply Group for units stationed at Otis. The operational elements of the inactivating

were assigned to the 4707th Air Defense Wing.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 230–231 In 1953 the group was redesignated as the 564th Air Defense Group and assumed responsibility for air defense of the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area. It was assigned the

58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 58th Fighter Squadron is part of the 33d Fighter Wing, a joint graduate flying and maintenance training wing for the F-35A, B, and C, organized under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Its ...

(FIS), 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 air intercept radar and armed with cannon,Cornett & Johnson, p.116 from the 4707th Defense Wing as its operational element. The 58th FIS was already stationed at Otis. In April 1953, the 437th FIS, flying a newer model of the F-94 aircraft armed with Mighty Mouse rockets,Cornett and Johnson, p.128 was activated as a second operational squadron. The 58th FIS upgraded to the newer F-94s by June 1953 and both squadrons 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 in June 1955. The group was inactivated and replaced by the

(Air Defense) on 18 August 1955 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. The group was disbanded once again in 1984.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 September 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units

Lineage

* Constituted as 564th Air Service Group in 1944 : Activated on 5 December 1944 : Inactivated on 30 June 1945 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 564th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952 : Activated on 1 February 1952 : Redesignated as 564th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 * Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

* San Antonio Air Technical Service Command, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 * 4707th Defense Wing (later 4707th Air Defense Wing), 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Stations

* Stinson Field, Texas, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 * Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadrons

* 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955

Support Squadrons

* 12th WAF (

Women in the Air Force Women in the Air Force (WAF) was a program which served to bring women into limited roles in the United States Air Force. WAF was formed in 1948 when President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, allowing women to serve dir ...

) Squadron, ''ca''. 1 July 1952 – 8 September 1954 * 564th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Medical Squadron (later 564th USAF Hospital), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 564th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 995th Air Engineering Squadron, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 * 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 * 4651st WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron 1 February 1952 – ''ca''. 1 July 1952

Aircraft

* Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1955 * Lockheed F-94B Starfighter, 1953 * Lockheed F-94C Starfighter, 1953–1955

Commanders

* Unknown, 5 December 1944 – 9 December 1944 * Maj. Joseph D. Clemens, 9 December 1944 – 11 December 1944 * Lt Col. Lawrence L. Martin, 11 December 1944 – 12 December 1944 * Lt Col. Clifford R. Rassmussen, 12 December 1944 – 6 March 1945 * Lt Col. Hugh H. Master, 6 March 1945 – 30 June 1945 * Unknown, 1952 – 1953
Col. Luther H. Richmond
1953 – 18 August 1955

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) * * * Grant, C.L., (1961
The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
* *

External links

* * {{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed 0564 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations disestablished in 1948 Military units and formations established in 1952 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984