566th Air Defense Group

The group was activated at Robins Field, Georgia toward the end of World War II as the 566th Air Service Group in 1944 and trained to support a single combat group.[1] Its 984th Air Engineering Squadron[2] would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1004th Air Materiel Squadron[2] would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support.[1] The group was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas.[3] It was disbanded in 1948.[4]

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 566th Air Base Group, and activated at Hamilton Air Force Base, California in 1952[5] in a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure to deploy fighter squadrons to best advantage.[6] It replaced the 78th Air Base Group as host unit for Hamilton. The 566th was assigned eight squadrons and one flight to perform its support responsibilities.[7][8][9][10] The group also assumed responsibility to maintain aircraft stationed at Hamilton from the inactivating 78th Maintenance & Supply Group,[11] while the operational elements of the 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing[12] were assigned to the 28th Air Division.

Lockheed F-94Cs of the 84th FIS[lower-alpha 2]

F-86Ds of the 496th FIS[lower-alpha 3]

The 566th was redesignated the 566th Air Defense Group[5] and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Northern California. It was assigned the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying 20mm cannon armed and airborne intercept radar equipped Northrop F-89 Scorpion aircraft[13] from the 28th Air Division as its operational element.[14] The 84th FIS was already stationed at Hamilton.[15] In March, a second operational squadron, the 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, was activated at Hamilton and assigned to the group.[16]

The 496th FIS was initially equipped with outmoded World War II era North American F-51 Mustang Aircraft.[17] In April, the 83rd FIS traded its Scorpions for Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft.[13] and to later model Starfire, armed with Mighty Mouse rockets, before the end of the year.[13] The 496th FIS, in turn, converted to North American F-86 Sabres (also with radar and Mighty Mouse rockets) during 1953.[17] In February 1954, the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California, also flying Sabres,[18] was assigned to the group.[19] Ten days after its assignment, the 325th FIS moved from Travis to Hamilton.[19] A few months later, in July, the group once again had only two operational squadrons when the 496th FIS moved to Europe and was assigned elsewhere.[16]

The 566th was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 78th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955[20] 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.[21] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[22]

• Warner Robins Air Technical Service Command, 7 December 1944 – c. 14 August 1945[2]
• 4702d Defense Wing, 1 February 1952[5]
• 28th Air Division 7 November 1952 – 18 August 1955[5]

• Robins Field, Georgia, 7 December 1944 – c. 14 August 1945
• Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[5]

• 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[15]
• 325th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 1 February 1954 – 18 August 1955[19]
• 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 20 March 1953 – 1 July 1954[16]
• 13th Crash Rescue Boat Flight, 7 November 1952 – 18 August 1955

• Lt Col. Charles E. Stiven, 7 December 1944 – c. April 1945[2]
• Lt Col. Charles W. Coleman, c. April 1945 – c. 14 August 1945
• Unknown 1952 – 1955

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
• 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.