| 64th Air Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1942–1947; 1952–1963 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command ofair defense forces |
| Motto | Mors Semper Tyrannus (Latin for 'Death Always to Tyrants') (World War II)[1] |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations European Theater of Operations[2] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Glenn O. Barcus Carroll W. McColpin Nelson P. Jackson |
| Insignia | |
| 64th Air Division emblem[b][2] |  |
| 64th Fighter Wing emblem[1] |  |
The64th Air Division is an inactiveUnited States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was withAir Defense Command atStewart Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1963.
Thedivision was first activated as the3rd Air Defense Wing in December 1942. After a brief period of organization, it moved to North Africa in February 1943, where it served as an element ofTwelfth Air Force, directingair defense and tactical units. Thewing addedfighter andfighter-bomber forces in the spring of 1943 and was redesignated the64th Fighter Wing in July. Duringwing operations in North Africa, Italy and France, it pioneered methods to provideclose air support to ground forces. In August 1944, it moved to France, continuing operations in France and Germany untilV-E Day. It remained in Germany as part of theoccupation forces until inactivating in June 1947.
In April 1952, it was activated in Newfoundland as the64th Air Division, where it controlled air defense forces in theArctic. In July 1960, it moved fromPepperrell Air Force Base, Newfoundland to Stewart, transferring operational control of most units to itsGoose Air Defense Sector, but expanding its management control to include theDistant Early Warning Line, thePinetree Line and air defense of Iceland.
Thedivision was first activated atMitchel Field, New York as the3rd Air Defense Wing in December 1942.[2] It drew its initialcadre from theBoston,Los Angeles,New York,Philadelphia,San Diego, andSan Francisco Air Defense Wings.[3] After a short period of organization and training, thewing departed the United States aboard the MVSloterdijk on 7 February 1943,[3] arriving in Algeria on 22 February.[4]
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The wing's initial mission wasair defense ofAlgiers fromOran Es Sénia Airport underXII Fighter Command. However, this mission was already in the hands of theRoyal Air Force (RAF), and within a few days, the wing moved toThelepte Airfield, Tunisia, where it became part ofXII Air Support Command. At Thelepte, the 561st Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion and three independent signal warning companies were assigned to the wing. These units, which had been operating independently, were organized into a provisional battalion for unified control. This arrangement became more regular in July 1943, when the aircraft warning unit was renamed the 2691st Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion (Provisional)(Mobile). These units provided radar coverage over the combat zone and warning of German attacks for installations to the rear.[5][6] The wing's 82nd Fighter Control Squadron directed strike aircraft and providedradio direction finding for aircraft returning to base.[5] Attached RAF units also provided information from visual observation points near the front lines and from intelligence units monitoringLuftwaffe communications.[c] The wing occasionally augmented the operations section of XII Air Support Command in the Tunisian campaign.[2]
In early July 1943, the wing embarked elements aboard theUSS Monrovia,USS Ancon (AGC-4),USS Chase andUSS Biscayne. From these ships, wing controllers directedfighters defending the fleet inOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily and thefighter-bombers providingair support to the landing forces.[7] During this operation, the wing operated as XII Air Support Command, Advanced, operating to maintain air superiority and providingreconnaissance support forI Armored Corps.[8] For these operations, fighter and reconnaissance units began being assigned to the wing.[9][10] The111th Reconnaissance Squadron: was attached to the wing in June 1943,[11] and the31st and33d Fighter Groups and86th Fighter-Bomber Group were assigned in July.[12][13][14]
Wing elements landed nearGela with advanced elements, and set up two radar sites on the island. On shore radar operations ceased on 10 July, when wing personnel were pressed to act as infantry to help repel a German counterattack. Operations resumed on 13 July.[15] On 12 July, wing headquarters moved to Gela,[2] and took over control from the elements aboard theMonrovia and its sister ships.[10] In the middle of the month, the wing's fighter and reconnaissance units moved to Sicily from North Africa.[16] Recognizing the changed mission of the wing with the addition of tactical groups, it was redesignated the64th Fighter Wing in late July.[2]
In Sicily, the wing inaugurated a more efficient system of communication with ground units needing air support. Previously, such request followed the ground force chain of command upward and the air force chain of command downward before being implemented. The wing established liaison teams of operations and intelligence officers with eachdivision, who could transmit requests for support directly to wing headquarters through a special radio net. While still clumsy compared to later systems it was an improvement over previous systems.[17]
At the beginning of September 1943, the wing moved toMilazzo Airfield, Sicily,[2] from which it would be able to supportOperation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy nearSalerno. From this location, it was also able to handleair-sea rescue operations for aircraft on missions to mainland Italy.[18] Elements of the wing disembarked at Salerno on 9 September and by that evening were able to provide warning of enemy air attacks.[19] An experiment with the use of aircraftVHF radios modified for ground use led to the deployment of controllers in jeeps with radios mounted on them to control attacking aircraft. However, landline communications with ground forces were still required. With this system, fighter-bombers could be launched to receive their targets once they were near the battle area. However, limitations on the system still required a majority of strikes to be against targets determined before takeoff. More offensive missions were being controlled, and strikes nearer the front lines were possible. The addition of the415th Night Fighter Squadron to the wing permitted interceptions against night raids.[20]
In January 1944, duringOperation Shingle, the landings atAnzio, an element of the wing aboardHMS Ulster Queen directed American fighters defending the landing forces. By 24 January, the wing had established a control unit near theVilla Borghese[21] Prior to this operation, air support missions, as a safety measure, were conducted across a bomb safety line, typically five to ten miles ahead of the front lines. With the aid of a wing detachment located withVI Corps headquarters and a radio equippedhalftrack near the front lines,Curtiss P-40 Warhawks of the324th Fighter Group conducted strikes against enemy strong points close to friendly troops. This system proved particularly effective against transportation, and the wing claimed the destruction of thousands of enemy vehicles during the Anzio campaign.[22] In March, officers ofNinth Air Force, which was preparing for the invasion of Normandy, visited the wing for briefings on the system of air-ground cooperation the wing had developed in North Africa and Italy.[23]
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In June 1944, the wing experimented with the use ofPiper L-4 Grasshoppers with observers from the1st Armored Division aboard to control strikes. Later usingStinson L-5 Sentinels and flying low and typically within ten to twenty miles of the battle line, these light planes could identify targets and call fighter bombers to strike them. When needed, they could also point out targets to the strike aircraft. Similarly, tactical reconnaissance aircraft flew further to the rear and radioed wing controllers, who could direct strikes. These were usually transportation targets, trains or trucks.[24]
During the Italian campaign, wing fighter and fighter-bombers supported ground forces in a wide range of operations that included cover patrols, battle-area patrols, escort missions, dive bombing missions, and reconnaissance. Primary targets included enemy gun positions, road junctions, traffic concentrations, assembly areas, bridges, and targets of opportunity.[2]
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On 19 July, the wing moved to the staging area atSanta Maria Capua Vetere, Italy and began preparation forOperation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France.[25] A headquarters detachment went aboard theUSS Catoctin, which would be the headquarters afloat for the invasion,while a control team went toMalta, where they trained aboard HMSStuart Prince. The control ships for the landing would once again be theUlster Queen, plus Fighter Director Tender 13 (FDT 13), anLST converted for fighter direction with a control room and two radars.[26]
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On 15 August 1944 the landings began. Using techniques developed during the two previous invasions, wing personnel controlled air operations from FDT 13. This now included tactical reconnaissance aircraft patrolling the landing areas and reporting on potential targets. In addition, a control team from the 328th Fighter Control Squadron landed with the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion atLe Muy, operating with the advance elements of the airborne forces with a radio equipped Jeep. In addition to controlling fighter-bombers, this team also relayed reports by tactical reconnaissance planes to the airborne troops. For the first few days following the landings, this became the team's primary function.[27] Light resistance in most landing areas permitted two control centers to land on D-Day, and wing headquarters was established nearSt Tropez, France the same day.[2]
With the landing of troops, a beachhead control unit directed aircraft to hit enemy strong points, ammunition dumps, troop concentrations, road intersections, supply lines, and communications. As Allied forces advanced northward along theRhone Valley, the wing implemented a plan to give more rapid support to the ground troops. Forward control units, equipped with the latest in air ground communications, were established with each division, strike aircraft could launch without a specific target, to be directed to whatever sector air support unit had identified a current target[2][28]
TheAllies had not made plans for an air establishment to supportSixth Army Group, which was conducting the advance up the Rhone. Many of the air units that had been attached for Operation Dragoon had been withdrawn to their permanent commands.[29] In October 1944,First Tactical Air Force (Provisional) (1 TAF) was established, although not on a permanent basis. Although the 64th Wing remained assigned to XII Tactical Air Command for administration, it would be attached to 1 TAF for operations for the remainer of the war.[2][30] The wing commanded all American fighter forces in the command,[d] which, with the exception of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, flewRepublic P-47 Thunderbolts.[31] Its control elements also controlled strikes bymedium bombers of the42nd Bombardment Wing and fighters and bombers of theFree French1er Corps Aerien, using attached French controllers.[32]
Due to bad weather during the winter of 1944-45, the wing developed a technique called "Eggbasket." Eggbasket targets were identified strongpoints. When fighters were unable to attack targets because clouds prevented them from identifying their targets, they would receive radar vectors to Eggbasket targets, and the controller would tell them when to drop their bombs.[33] Additionally, a wingGround-controlled interception (GCI) site provided "Popeye Letdown"s[e] directing planes flying above an overcast to visual conditions below, using the site's radar. The wing's aircraft warning units began re-equipping with more advancedSCR-584 microwave radars. The first of the 593rd Battalion's radars went into operation on 10 April 1945 at a site combining both the warning functions of the batallion and the control functions of the fighter control squadrons.[34] After providing training on systems operations and maintenance, by 1945, control teams operating with the French ground forces of Sixth Army Group were composed of French military personnel.[35]
On 15 March 1945, Sixth Army Group attacked into Germany. Wing fighter-bombers flew as many as four sorties daily per plane, flying 943 sorties, 93% of which were close air support missions. This was more than 300 sorties over the previous high for the wing. The record only lasted a day, when the wing flew 974 sorties on the 16th, then flew 984 sorties on the 18th.[36] The wing's50th and358th Fighter Groups each received aDistinguished Unit Citation ((DUC) for their effective attacks isolating enemy troop formations and preventing their withdrawal during this operation.[37] Although preceded by control teams, wing headquarters moved into Germany, and established itself atEdenkoben on 1 April. Shortly thereafter, the wing's fighter units began moving into Germany. Sortie numbers had dropped as the army advanced farther from their bases in France, extending time spent flying to and from targets.[38]
Two combat commands of the10th Armored Division outran their supply lines, and on 8 April 1945 were surrounded inCrailsheim by German forces. For the next two days,Douglas C-47 Skytrains ofIX Troop Carrier Command provided emergency relief through an airfield within their perimeter. Wing fighter groups provided fighter cover for the transports, destroying at least a dozen German aircraft before the emergency airlift ended on the 10th. The 358th earned another DUC for this and following actions.[39][40] In late April, the wing's 50th and 358th Groups destroyed 157 aircraft, includingMe 262 jet fighters on the ground nearMunich, earning the 50th another DUC.[41][f]
The wing moved to Germany at the end of April 1945, establishing its headquarters atSchwäbisch Hall. AfterV-E Day, it served in theoccupation of Germany, returning to the control of XII Tactical Air Command, when 1 TAF was discontinued in May 1945.[2] The wing performed occupation duties such as destroying captured enemy aircraft, repairing roads, bridges and processingprisoners of war. For brief periods through 1946, it also commanded units which were inactivating or returning to the United States.[42]
The 415th Night Fighter Squadron returned to the United States in February 1946.[43] The417th Night Fighter Squadron converted to the newer and more capableNorthrop P-61 Black Widow.[44] When it was joined by the416th Night Fighter Squadron in August 1946, both squadrons were attached to the All-Weather Group (Provisonal), 64th Fighter Wing.[44][45] In November 1946, both squadrons were inactivated when the52d Fighter-All Weather Group was activated to assume theair defense mission in Germany.[46]
In August 1946, the27th Fighter Group replaced the366th Fighter Group atAAF Station Fritzlar.[47][48] During 1946 and 1947, twoliaison squadrons were assigned to the wing. These squadrons maintained detachments at various locations in Germany and Austria, and their mission included supporting theUnited States Constabulary.[49][50] The wing was inactivated in Germany on 5 June 1947.[2]
The wing was redesignated the64th Air Division and activated atPepperrell Air Force Base, Newfoundland in April 1952.[2] It was assigned toNortheast Air Command (NEAC) and was assigned the152nd Aircraft Control and Warning Group, anAir National Guard (ANG) unit that had beenmobilized for theKorean War. The 152nd had arrived in NEAC's area of responsibility in the spring of 1952 and its squadrons were establishing radar coverage of northeastern Canada and Greenland. By the summer of 1953, temporary stations had been established.[51]
In late December 1952, thedivision was reorganized, The 152d Group was inactivated and its squadrons atHarmon Air Force Base,McAndrew Air Force Base, andRed Cliff Air Station, Newfoundland;Goose Bay Airport, Labrador andThule Air Base, Greenland were assigned directly to division headquarters, with the exception of the 106th Air Control Squadron, which was also inactivated with its mission and equipment being absorbed into the division, which changed organizationally to a "table of distribution" unit. The following August, the division's three ANG squadrons were inactivated and their mission, personnel and equipment transferred to newly-activated regular squadrons.[51]
During 1953, additional sites atSaint Anthony Air Station, Newfoundland;Cartwright Air Station,Hopedale Air Station, andSaglek Bay Air Station Labrador; andFrobisher Bay Air Base, Northwest Territories had begun operation. By June 1954, all permanent sites were completed, with the exception of the site onResolution Island, Northwest Territories, which began operations in November. The931st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron atThule Air Base, Greenland also had two detachments operating from sites on Greenland'sice cap.[51]
The firstinterceptors assigned to the division arrived in September 1952, when the59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron established a detachment of fourLockheed F-94 Starfires at Thule. The squadron moved to Goose Bay the following month and began standing 24 houralert in December. The summer of 1953 saw more F-94s arrive; those of the318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Thule[g] in July[52] and those of the61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron atErnest Harmon Air Force Base in August. The 61st upgraded toNorthrop F-89 Scorpions in 1954.[53]
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In 1956, theJoint Chiefs of Staff implemented theUnified Command Plan. Under this plan, responsibility for air defense of North America was given to theContinental Air Defense Command (CONAD). As CONAD implemented its expanded responsibility, NEAC was inactivated in April 1957, and itsair defense mission was transferred toAir Defense Command (ADC).[2][51] In this realignment, the 4737th Air Base Wing, the host unit at Pepperell, was assigned to the division until it was inactivated in May 1958 and the 4737th Air Base Group took over management of the base until 1960.[54][55] The4731st,4732nd,4733rd, and4734th Air Defense Groups were organized and most of the division's fighter and radar units were assigned to them.[56] The 4733rd Group, which had no fighter units assigned, was discontinued on 1 April 1958. Its radar squadrons were transferred to the other three groups, while itsDistant Early Warning Line (DEW Line) support mission was transferred to the 4601st Support Group (DEW), which reported directly to ADC.[56][57] The following month, the 4734th Group was discontinued and its squadrons returned to the direct control of the division.[56]
In April 1960, theGoose Air Defense Sector was activated atGoose Air Force Base.[58] The sector assumed operational control of most of the division's units.[59] On 1 July 1960, the division headquarters moved from Newfoundland toStewart Air Force Base, New York,[2] and the same day, the4683d Air Defense Wing was activated under the wing at Thule Air Base and the 4684th Air Base Group atSondrestrom Air Base, asStrategic Air Command transferred its Greenland bases to ADC.[60][61] In October, the 4601st Support Wing atParamus, New Jersey, which managed support to the DEW Line was transferred from ADC headquarters to the division[60] In January 1061, the 4602nd Support Wing. located atOttawa, Ontario, Canada, also became part of the division.[60] The 4602nd Wing was overseeing the transfer of radar stations of thePinetree Line from ADC to theRoyal Canadian Air Force'sAir Defence Command.[62]
On 1 July 1962,Air Forces Iceland atKeflavik Airport, Iceland, was assigned to the division when it was transferred fromMilitary Air Transport Service to ADC.[63] The Division was inactivated in July 1963.[2] Most of its units were transferred to the26th Air Division,[63][58] Goose Air Defense Sector,[60] or the 4601st Support Wing,[61]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tunisia | 22 February 1943–13 May 1943 | 2nd Air Defense Wing[2] |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943–17 August 1943 | 2nd Air Defense Wing(later 64th Fighter Wing)[2] |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943–21 January 1944 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Anzio | 22 January 1944–24 May 1944 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944–9 September 1944 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Southern France | 15 August 1944–14 September 1944 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944–21 March 1945 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944–25 January 1945 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944–21 May 1945 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
 | World War II Army of Occupation (Germany) | 9 May 1945–5 June 1947 | 64th Fighter Wing[2] |
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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