San Francisco Fighter Wing

The San Francisco Fighter Wing is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. The wing provided air defense of the central Pacific coast and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at San Francisco, California, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.

San Francisco Fighter Wing
Active1942–1944
Country United States
Branch United States Army
 United States Air Force[note 1]
RoleAir defense and fighter training
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
General Dean C. Strother
Insignia
Patch with San Francisco Fighter Wing emblem[note 2][1]</ref>

History

Along the Pacific coast, Western Defense Command established a "vital air defense zone", extending from the coast approximately 150 miles (240 km) inland and 200 miles (320 km) to sea.[2] To carry out this mission, Fourth Air Force organized regional air defense wings in August 1942.[3] [4] The San Francisco Air Defense Wing was organized to provide air defense for the central Pacific coast area and train fighter groups and pilots.[1]

The Army Air Forces later found that standard military units like the wing, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission, even more so to the replacement mission. Accordingly, the Army Air Forces adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, with similar flexible units established for headquarters.[5]

In this reorganization, the wing's mission, equipment and personnel were transferred to the 411th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1944,[6] The wing remained a paper unit until 7 June, when the 411th was simultaneously redescribed as the 411th AAF Base Unit (Air Defense Region). In 1946, the 411th became the 411th AAF Base Unit (San Francisco Control Group). It was discontinued on 1 January 1947.

Lineage

  • Constituted as the San Francisco Air Defense Wing on 6 August 1942
Activated on 11 August 1942
Redesignated San Francisco Fighter Wing c. 2 July 1943
Disbanded on 7 June 1944[1]

Assignments

Components

Stations

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. When the United States Air Force became a separate service in September 1947, all former Army Air Forces units, including disbanded units were transferred to its control.
  2. Approved 5 February 1943.
Citations
  1. Maurer, Combaat Units, p. 429
  2. Goss, Air Defense, p. 296, map, p. 297
  3. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 426-430; Goss, Air Defense, p. 296
  4. White, p. 38
  5. Goss, Organization & Responsibilities, p. 75
  6. Abstract, History of San Francisco Fighter Wing Apr-Jun 1944 (retrieved Dec 10, 2012)
  7. Butler, William M. (27 December 2007). "Factsheet 328 Armament Systems Wing (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  8. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 429 (year only)
  9. Robertson, Patsy (10 July 2017). "Factsheet 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

Bibliography

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

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