The 484th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

unit. Its last assignment was with the 473d Fighter Group at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, where it was inactivated on 16 February 1959. During

world War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the squadron was activated as a Replacement Training Unit, but was replaced by another unit before becoming became operational.

History

World War II

The squadron was activated as the 484th Fighter Squadron in November 1943 at Grand Central Air Terminal, California, forming one of the three original squadrons of the 473d Fighter Group, The squadron was intended to become a

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...

Replacement Training Unit.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 582 Replacement training units were oversized units which trained

aircrew Aircrew are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions In commercial aviatio ...

s prior to their deployment to combat theaters. However, the squadron operated

Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...

s and other aircraft, and never became operational with P-38s. The squadron moved to

Ephrata Army Air Base Ephrata Municipal Airport is a public use airport located southeast of the central business district of Ephrata, a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–20 ...

, Washington at the end of March 1944, along with other elements of the 473d Group. The

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) found that standard military units like the 484th, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible

tables of organization A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of military units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well ...

were proving not well adapted to the training mission, even more so to the replacement mission. Accordingly, the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. Upon arrival at Ephrata, the squadron was disbanded and its personnel used to form part of the cadre of the 430th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter, Single Engine).

Cold War air defense

The 473d Fighter Group was activated again in 1956 by

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...

to open K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, and the 484th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated as its operational squadron, authorized

Northrop F-89 Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is an night fighter, all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the first jet propulsion, jet-powered aircraft to be design ...

aircraft. However, the squadron never received its aircraft and was inactivated before the runways at K.I. Sawyer were ready to receive operational aircraft. The 473d Group was replaced by the 56th Fighter Group in 1959 as the host and operational unit at K.I. Sawyer.Mueller, p. 295

Lineage

* Constituted as the 484th Fighter Squadron (Two Engine) on 12 October 1943 : Activated on 1 November 1943 : Disbanded on 31 March 1944 * Reconstituted and redesignated 484th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 15 November 1955 : Activated on 8 June 1956 : Inactivated on 16 February 1959

Assignments

* 473d Fighter Group, November 1943-31 March 1944 * 473d Fighter Group, 8 June 1956 – 16 February 1959

Stations

* Grand Central Air Terminal, California, 1 November 1943 * Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 31 March 1944 * K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, 8 June 1956 – 16 February 1959

Aircraft

Cessna AT-17 Bobcat The Cessna AT-17 Bobcat or Cessna Crane is a twin-engine advanced Trainer (aircraft), trainer aircraft designed and made in the United States, and used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and larger multi-engine ...

, 1944 *

Curtiss A-25 Shrike The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few sur ...

, 1944 * Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1944

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed

484 __NOTOC__ Year 484 ( CDLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Venantius and Theodoricus (or, less frequently, year 1237 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...

Military units and formations established in 1943 1943 establishments in the United States