564th Air Defense Group

The 564th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4707th Air Defense Wing, stationed at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group at the end of World War II but never deployed before it was inactivated in 1945.

564th Air Defense Group
F-89D of the 564th Air Defense Group's 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in 1955
Active	1944–1945; 1952–1955
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Interceptor
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Defense Command
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major General Luther H. Richmond (1953–1955)

The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 33d 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 33d 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 activated during World War II as the 564th Air Service Group in 1944[1] and trained to support a single combat group in an overseas theater.[2] Its 995th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support.[2] The group was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas.[3] It was disbanded in 1948.[4]

Cold War

437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-94s over Cape Cod 1953

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 564th Air Base Group, and activated at Otis Air Force Base in 1952[5] 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.[6] It replaced the 33rd Air Base Group as USAF host unit for Otis. The group was assigned eight squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[7][8][9][10][11] It also assumed aircraft maintenance responsibility from the 33d Maintenance & Supply Group for units stationed at Otis.[12] The operational elements of the inactivating 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing were assigned to the 4707th Air Defense Wing.[13][14]

In 1953 the group was redesignated as the 564th Air Defense Group[5] and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Boston area. It was assigned the 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft equipped with air intercept radar and armed with cannon,[15] from the 4707th Defense Wing as its operational element.[14] The 58th FIS was already stationed at Otis.[14] In April 1953, the 437th FIS, flying a newer model of the F-94 aircraft armed with Mighty Mouse rockets,[16] was activated as a second operational squadron.[17] The 58th FIS upgraded to the newer F-94s by June 1953[15] and both squadrons converted to Northrop F-89 Scorpion aircraft in June 1955.[15][16] The group was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955[18][19] 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.[20] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[21]

Lineage

• Constituted as 564th Air Service Group in 1944

Activated on 5 December 1944

Inactivated on 30 June 1945

Disbanded on 8 October 1948

• Reconstituted and redesignated 564th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952

Activated on 1 February 1952[5]

Redesignated as 564th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953[5]

Inactivated on 18 August 1955[5]

• Disbanded on 27 September 1984[21]

Assignments

• San Antonio Air Technical Service Command, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945
• 4707th Defense Wing (later 4707th Air Defense Wing), 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[5]

Stations

• Stinson Field, Texas, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945
• Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[5]

Operational Squadrons

• 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[22]
• 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955

Support Squadrons

12th WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron, ca. 1 July 1952 – 8 September 1954[11] 564th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[11] 564th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[11] 564th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[8] 564th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[7] 564th Medical Squadron[11] (later 564th USAF Hospital), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

564th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[11] 564th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[9] 564th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[11] 995th Air Engineering Squadron, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron, 5 December 1944 – 30 June 1945 4651st WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron 1 February 1952 – ca. 1 July 1952[10]

Aircraft

• Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1955
• Lockheed F-94B Starfighter, 1953
• Lockheed F-94C Starfighter, 1953–1955

Commanders

• Unknown, 5 December 1944 – 9 December 1944
• Maj. Joseph D. Clemens, 9 December 1944 – 11 December 1944
• Lt Col. Lawrence L. Martin, 11 December 1944 – 12 December 1944
• Lt Col. Clifford R. Rassmussen, 12 December 1944 – 6 March 1945
• Lt Col. Hugh H. Master, 6 March 1945 – 30 June 1945
• Unknown, 1952 – 1953
• Col. Luther H. Richmond, 1953 – 18 August 1955

See also

• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
• F-89 Scorpion units of the United States Air Force
• F-94 Starfire units of the United States Air Force

References

Notes

1. "Abstract, History 564 Air Service Group Dec 1944 – Jun 1945". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
2. Coleman, p. 208
3. Coleman p. 215
4. Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
5. Cornett & Johnson, p. 84
6. Grant, p. 33
7. Cornett & Johnson, p. 134
8. Cornett & Johnson, p. 141
9. Cornett & Johnson, p. 151
10. "Abstract, History 564 Air Base Group Feb–Jun 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
11. "Abstract, History 564 Air Base Group Jul–Dec 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
12. Cornett & Johnson p.141
13. Bailey, Carl E. (28 November 2007). "Factsheet 33 Fighter Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
14. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 230–231
15. Cornett & Johnson, p.116
16. Cornett and Johnson, p.128
17. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.543
18. Maurer, Combat Units, p. 87
19. Dollman, TSG David (18 October 2016). "Factsheet 33 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
20. Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6
21. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 September 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
22. Dollman, TSG David (13 October 2016). "Factsheet 58 Fighter Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 18 November 2016.

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

• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol I. 1945–1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1.

External links

• "Camp Edwards History". Massachusetts National Guard. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
• Smith, Mary; Freer, Barbara. "World War II Prisoners of War, Stalag Luft I, Lt. Col. Luther H. Richmond". Retrieved 3 August 2014.