The 566th Air Defense Group is a disbanded

unit Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (a ...

of the

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 ...

. Its last assignment was with the

28th Air Division The 28th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Tactical Air Command at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 29 May 1992. History Established in December ...

Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, California where 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 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

78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 78th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The 78th acts as the host unit at Robins. The wing was first activated as the 78th Fighter Wing in September 1948 as part of the 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 The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961. During World War II the group was an Eigh ...

in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter

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 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

as the 566th Air Service Group in 1944 and trained to support a single combat

.Coleman, p. 208 Its 984th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1004th 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

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 566th Air Base Group, and activated at

, California 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 78th Air Base Group as host unit for Hamilton. The 566th was assigned eight

s and one

flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p. 134Cornett & Johnson, p. 151''See'' ''See'' The group also assumed responsibility to maintain aircraft stationed at Hamilton from the inactivating 78th Maintenance & Supply Group,Cornett & Johnson p.141 while the operational elements of the

were assigned to the

The 566th was redesignated the 566th Air Defense Group 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 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 ...

aircraftCornett & Johnson, p.120 from the 28th Air Division as its operational element.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 293 The 84th FIS was already stationed at Hamilton. In March, a second operational squadron, the

496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, being stationed at Hahn Air Base, Germany. The squadron was inactivated on 15 ...

, was activated at Hamilton and assigned to the group.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'' p. 598 The 496th FIS was initially equipped with outmoded

era

North American F-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...

Aircraft.Cornett & Johnson, p. 130 In April, the 83rd FIS traded its Scorpions for

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. and to later model Starfire, armed with Mighty Mouse rockets, before the end of the year. The 496th FIS, in turn, converted to

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 (also with radar and Mighty Mouse rockets) during 1953. In February 1954, the

325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to Air Defense Command at Truax Field, Wisconsin, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1966. The squadron was first active as a training unit duri ...

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, California ...

, California, also flying Sabres, was assigned to the group.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p.400-401 Ten days after its assignment, the 325th FIS moved from Travis to Hamilton. 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. The 566th 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.

Lineage

* Constituted as 566th Air Service Group in 1944 : Activated on 7 December 1944 : Inactivated on ''ca''. 14 August 1945 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated as: 566th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952 : Activated on 1 February 1952 : Redesignated as 566th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Assignments

* Warner Robins Air Technical Service Command, 7 December 1944 – ''ca''. 14 August 1945 *

4702d Defense Wing The 4702nd Defense Wing (Def Wg) is a discontinued wing of the United States Air Force, last assigned to the 25th Air Division at Geiger Field, Washington. It was established in 1952 at Hamilton AFB, California in a general reorganization of Air De ...

, 1 February 1952 * 28th Air Division 7 November 1952 – 18 August 1955

Stations

* Robins Field, Georgia, 7 December 1944 – ''ca''. 14 August 1945 * Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadrons and Flight

* 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 February 1954 – 18 August 1955 * 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 20 March 1953 – 1 July 1954 * 13th Crash Rescue Boat Flight, 7 November 1952 – 18 August 1955

Support Squadrons

* 19th 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''. 26 June 1952 – 8 August 1954 * 566th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 566th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 566th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 566th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 566th Medical Squadron (later 566th USAF Hospital),''See'' 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 * 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

* Lt Col. Charles E. Stiven, 7 December 1944 – ''ca''. April 1945 * Lt Col. Charles W. Coleman, ''ca''. April 1945 – ''ca''. 14 August 1945 * Unknown 1952 – 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 0566 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations established in 1952 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984