65th Air Division

65th Air Division
65th Air Division
	an EC-130H of the division's 66th Electronic Combat Wing landing at Sembach AB
Active	1943–1945; 1952–1954; 1957–1965; 1985–1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of electronic warfare units
Engagements	European Theater of World War II
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
65th Air Division emblem[note 1][1]

The 65th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. It was inactivated on June 30, 1991.

History

Established as the 4 Air Defense Wing, the unit was not activated or manned. Redesignated as the 65th Fighter Wing, the wing and its subordinate units transferred to England and was assigned to VIII Fighter Command in June 1943 and began flying combat missions. "Subordinate units escorted bombers, flew counter air patrols, and dive bombing missions. They attacked airdromes, marshaling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During Big Week [in late] February 1944, the 65th participated in the assaults against the German Air Force and the German aircraft industry. Its units supported the Allied invasion of Normandy (June 1944); the Allied ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 through January 1945); the Allied airborne attack on the Netherlands (Operation Market Garden, September 1944); the defense of the Remagen bridgehead against German air attacks (March 1945); and the airborne attack across the Rhine (March 1945)."[1]

"As an Air Division, it carried out air defense operations in Iceland from 1952 to 1954. Activated three years later it transferred to Spain, where it cooperated with Spanish Air Force units in the Air Defense Direction Centers (ADDCs). The 65th Air Division directed base construction, and the establishment of off base housing and radar sites. Its fighter squadrons flew air defense interceptions over Spanish airspace."[1]

The air division "also controlled the operations of attached tactical fighter squadrons deployed to Spain for temporary duty. Assigned or attached units of the division participated in numerous exercises with the Spanish Air Defense Command, and in some instances, with the United States Sixth Fleet. In June 1985, the 65th assumed responsibility for integrating the United States Air Forces in Europe's electronic combat systems to maximize overall warfighting potential."[1] In this role, it supervised the 66th Electronic Combat Wing and 601st Tactical Control Wing.

The division was inactivated in June 1991 as the Air Force eliminated air divisions to shorten the chain of command.[1]

Lineage

Established as the 4th Air Defense Wing on March 25, 1943

Activated on March 27, 1943

Redesignated 65th Fighter Wing on July 24, 1943

Inactivated on November 21, 1945

Redesignated 65th Air Division (Defense) on April 17, 1952

Organized on April 24, 1952

Discontinued on March 8, 1954

Activated on April 8, 1957

Discontinued and inactivated on January 1, 1965

Redesignated 65th Air Division and activated on June 1, 1985

Inactivated on June 30, 1991[1]

Assignments

Fourth Air Force, March 27, 1943
Army Service Forces, Port of Embarkation May 6, 1943
Eighth Air Force, June 2, 1943
VIII Fighter Command, June 4, 1943
2 Bombardment (later, 2 Air) Division, September 15, 1944
3 Air Division, June 1 – November 21, 1945
Iceland Air Defense Force, April 24, 1952 – March 8, 1954
Sixteenth Air Force, April 8, 1957
United States Air Forces in Europe, July 1, 1960 – January 1, 1965
Seventeenth Air Force, June 1, 1985 – June 30, 1991[1]

Components

Wings

52d Tactical Fighter Wing: June 1, 1985 – June 30, 1991
66th Electronic Combat Wing: June 1, 1985 – June 30, 1991
601st Tactical Control Wing: June 1, 1985 – July 31, 1987[1]

Groups

4th Fighter Group, c. August 7, 1943 – c. May 31, 1945
56th Fighter Group, c. August 7, 1943 – c. May 31, 1945
78th Fighter Group, c. July 24, 1943 – c. August 18, 1943
355th Fighter Group, c. August 18, 1943 – c. May 31, 1945
356th Fighter Group, c. October 31, 1943 – c. August 8, 1944
361st Fighter Group, c. August 8, 1944 – c. December 24, 1944; c. April 10, 1945 – c. May 31, 1945
479th Fighter Group, May 31, 1944 – May 31, 1945[1]

Flight

1 Gunnery and Tow Flight: November 17, 1944 – May 29, 1945[1]

Squadrons

1st Fighter-Day Squadron (later 1st Tactical Fighter Squadron): attached June 27, 1958 – c.November 12, 1958.
82d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: April 1, 1953 – March 8, 1954.
157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: November 23, 1961 – July 17, 1962.
307th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached March 13, 1959 – c.July 31, 1959.
308th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached c. August 1959 – November 16, 1959.
334th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached April 1, 1963 – August 13, 1963.
336th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached August 13, 1963 – January 6, 1964.
430th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached September 25, 1961 – November 25, 1961.
431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: assigned September 1, 1958 – July 1, 1960; attached July 1, 1960 – c.May 18, 1964.
434th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached March 18, 1960 – unknown; August 14, 1961 – September 25, 1961.
435th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached December 15, 1960 – April 14, 1961; August 6, 1962 – November 1, 1962; April 2, 1964 – June 18, 1964.
436th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached November 1, 1962 – April 3, 1963.
474th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached November 15, 1958 – March 14, 1959.
476th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached November 16, 1959 – March 18, 1960; April 16, 1961 – August 11, 1961; January 6, 1964 – April 2, 1964.
497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: July 5, 1958 – July 1, 1960; attached July 1, 1960 – June 17, 1964[1]
871st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Villatobas Air Station, Spain

872d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Constantina Air Station, Spain

874th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Inoges Air Station, Spain

875th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Rosas Air Station, Spain

876th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Alcoy Air Station, Spain

877th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Elizondo Air Station, Spain

880th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron,

Soller Air Station, Mallorca, Spain

Stations

Hamilton Field, California, March 27 – May 6, 1943
RAF Debden (AAF-356), England, June 4, 1943
Saffron Walden (AAF-370), England, c. June 17, 1943
Elveden Hall, England (AAF-116), c. September 1, 1945
RAF Troston, England (AAF-595), c. October 25 – November 21, 1945

Keflavik Airport, Iceland, April 24, 1952 – March 8, 1954
Madrid, Spain, April 8, 1957
Torrejon Air Base, Spain, October 1, 1957 – January 1, 1965
Sembach Air Base, Germany, June 1, 1985
Lindsey Air Station, Germany, October 1, 1987 – June 30, 1991[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

Approved August 1, 1961.

Citations

"Factsheet 65 Air Division (Defense)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. October 5, 2007. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2014.

Bibliography

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

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.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

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[1] Approved August 1, 1961.

[65ADfacts-2] "Factsheet 65 Air Division (Defense)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. October 5, 2007. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2014.