The 575th 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 4708th Air Defense Wing at

Selfridge Air Force Base 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, 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

4th Fighter Group The 4th Fighter Group was an American element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force during World War II. The group was known as the Debden Eagles because it was created from the three Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force: ...

after the 4th returned to the US 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 performed that mission until it was inactivated in 1947. The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 56th Fighter-Interceptor 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

1st Fighter Group 001, O01, or OO1 may refer to: *1 (number), a number, a numeral *001, fictional British agent, see 00 Agent *001, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian fire brigade (until 1986) *AM-RB 001, the code-name for the Aston Martin Valkyr ...

in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History

Strategic Air Command

The

was activated in 1946 as the 575th Air Service Group to support the

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. Its 1044th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the fighter group, its 1054th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The group transferred to

Andrews Field Andrews may refer to: Places Australia *Andrews, Queensland *Andrews, South Australia United States *Andrews, Florida (disambiguation), various places *Andrews, Indiana * Andrews, Nebraska *Andrews, North Carolina * Andrews, Oregon * Andrews, Sou ...

, Maryland, where it was inactivated in August 1947 and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 4th Airdrome Group, which assumed its mission under the experimental wing base reorganization. It was disbanded in October 1948.

Air Defense Command

172d Fighter Squadron - North American P-51D-25-NA Mustang 44-73227

The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 575th Air Base Group, and activated at Selfridge in 1952Cornett & Johnson, pp. 84–85 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 56th Air Base Group as the USAF host unit for Selfridge. The group was assigned seven

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. 152''See'
Abstract, History of 575th Food Service Squadron, Feb–Mar 1952
(accessed 17 June 2012)''See'
Abstract, History of 575th Motor Vehicle Squadron, Apr–Jun 1952
(accessed 17 June 2012)''See'
Abstract, History of 575th Supply Squadron, Feb–Jun 1952
(accessed 17 June 2012) It also maintained aircraft stationed at Selfridge.Cornett & Johnson pp.142

61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron - Lockheed F-94B-1-LO Starfire 50-0888

The group was redesignated as the 575th Air Defense Group in 1953 and assumed responsibility for air defense of the upper Great Lakes area. It was assigned the 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying single seat

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 61st FIS, flying two-seat

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, armed with 20mm cannon,Cornett & Johnson, p.117 and the 431st FIS, flying

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 ...

aircraftCornett & Johnson, p.128 from 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. ...

as its operational elements.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 227Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 237Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 532–533 The three squadrons were already stationed at Selfridge. In May 1953, the 431st FIS converted to Sabres and the following month moved to Libya and was assigned away from the group. Meanwhile, in April 1953, the 13th FIS, flying a newer

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 model of the F-86 aircraft was activated as a fourth operational squadron. In July the 56th FIS upgraded to newer radar equipped "Sabres," so that when the 61st FIS moved to Newfoundland and was transferred out of the group in August, all squadrons of the 575th were flying the same aircraft, the F-86D, for the first time. In September, the group's medical squadron responsibility expanded when the nearby Percy Jones Army Hospital closed. The group was inactivated and replaced by

(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. It was disbanded again in 1984.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 575th Air Service Group : Activated c. 5 September 1946 : Inactivated on 15 August 1947 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 575th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952 : Activated on 1 February 1952 * Redesignated as 575th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

* Fifteenth Air Force, ''ca''. 5 September 1946 – 26 March 1947 * Strategic Air Command, 26 March 1947 – 15 August 1947 * 4708th Defense Wing (later 4708th Air Defense Wing), 7 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Stations

* Selfridge Field, Michigan, 5 September 1946 – 26 March 1947 * Andrews Field, Maryland, 26 March 1947 – 15 August 1947 * Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 7 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadrons * 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 6 August 1953 * 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 23 June 1953 Support Squadrons * 575th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Medical Squadron (later 575th USAF Hospital),''See'
Abstract, History of 575th USAF Hospitsl, Jan–Jun 1954
(accessed 17 June 2012) 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 575th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955 * 1044th Air Engineering Squadron, ''ca''. 5 September 1946 – 15 August 1947 * 1054th Air Materiel Squadron, ''ca''. 5 September 1946 – 15 August 1947

Aircraft

* North American F-51D Mustang, 1953 * North American F-86D Sabre, 1953–55 * North American F-86F Sabre, 1953 * Lockheed F-94B Starfighter, 1953

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