528th Air Defense Group

The 528th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4711th Air Defense Wing at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for the 97th Bombardment Group at the end of World War II in Italy.

528th Air Defense Group
F-89C of the Group's 74 FIS at Presque Isle Air Force Base 1954
Active1945, 1953–1955
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
TypeFighter Interceptor
RoleAir Defense
Part ofAir Defense Command

The group was activated once again in 1953, when ADC established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 23d Fighter Group 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 group was first activated in Italy as the 528th Air Service Group about VE Day[1] in a reorganization of Army Air Forces (AAF) support groups in which the AAF replaced Service Groups that included personnel from other branches of the Army and supported two combat groups with Air Service Groups including only Air Corps units. Designed to support a single combat group.[2] Its 954th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 778th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[2] The group provided support for 97th Bombardment Group in Italy in 1945. It was disbanded in 1948.[3]

Cold War
F-94B Starfire as flown by the 74th FIS

The group was reconstituted during the Cold War, redesignated as the 528th Air Defense Group, and activated at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine in 1953[4] with responsibility for air defense of Northeastern US. The 529th was assigned the 74th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Presque Isle flying cannon armed and airborne intercept radar armed Lockheed F-94 Starfires[5] as its operational component.[6] The 74th FIS had been assigned directly to the 4711th Defense Wing.[6] The group also replaced the 85th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at Presque Isle. it was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[7][8]

In March, the 57th FIS, flying Northrop F-89 Scorpions[9] was activated at Presque Isle as the group's second operational squadron.[10] In June, the 74th FIS also converted to Scorpions.[5] The 74th FIS moved to Greenland and was reassigned away from the group in August 1954.[6] A few days earlier, in a swap of units, the 318th FIS had moved from Greenland and was reassigned to the group to replace the 74th FIS.[11] Upon arrival at Presque Isle, the 318th FIS converted to newer model Scorpions armed with Mighty Mouse rockets. A second swap of units began when the 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron arrived from Iceland the same day the 74th FIS left,[12] and also converted to "Scorpions".[13] The 57th FIS then moved to Iceland and was reassigned away from the group in November of the same year.[10] The group was inactivated[4] and replaced by the 23d Fighter Group (Air Defense)[14][15] in 1955 as result 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.[16] Disbanded once again in 1984.[17]

Lineage
  • Constituted as 528th Air Service Group
Activated on 18 May 1945
Inactivated on or about 18 October 1945
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
  • Reconstituted and redesignated as: 528th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953
Activated on 16 February 1953
Inactivated on 18 August 1955
Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments
  • Unknown (probably XV Air Force Service Command), 18 May 1945 – 1945
  • 4711th Defense Wing (later 4711th Air Defense Wing), 15 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[4]

Stations
  • Amendola, Italy, 18 May 1945 – 1945
  • Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, 15 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

Aircraft
  • Northrop F-89C Scorpion, 1953–1954
  • Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1954–1955
  • Lockheed F-94B Starfire, 1953, 1954

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Abstract, History 528 Air Service Group May–Jun 1945". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  2. Coleman, p. 208
  3. Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
  4. Cornett& Johnson, p. 83
  5. Cornett & Johnson, p.118
  6. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 272
  7. Cornett & Johnson, p.147
  8. See "Abstract, History 528 Infirmary Jan–Jun 1955". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  9. Cornett & Johnson, p.116
  10. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.228
  11. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.389
  12. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.287
  13. Cornett & Johnson, p.119
  14. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 74
  15. Robertson, Patsy (7 August 2008). "Factsheet 23 Fighter Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  16. Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6
  17. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 September 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
  18. Robertson, Patsy (26 February 2008). "Factsheet 74 Fighter Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  19. Bailey, Carl E. (26 December 2007). "Factsheet 82 Aerial Targets Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2012.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  • 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)
  • Coleman, John M (1950). The Development of Tactical Services in the Army Air Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
  • Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

Further reading
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