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65th Air Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
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 30 June 1991.
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
" (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 Holland (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).
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.
The 65th 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 U.S. Sixth Fleet. In June 1985, the 65th assumed responsibility for integrating USAFE's
electronic combat systems to maximize overall warfighting potential.
Groups
Flight:
Radar sites (1957-1965)
Squadrons:
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force
Seventeenth Air Force
Seventeenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service...
, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. It was inactivated on 30 June 1991.
History
Established as the 4 Air Defense Wing, the unit was not activated or manned. Re-designated as the 65th Fighter Wing, the wing and its subordinate units transferred to England and was assigned to VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter Command
The VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
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
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
" (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
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(December 1944 through January 1945); the Allied airborne attack on Holland (Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, September 1944); the defense of the Remagen bridgehead
Ludendorff Bridge
The Ludendorff Bridge was a railway bridge across the River Rhine in Germany, connecting the villages of Remagen and Erpel between two ridge lines of hills flanking the river...
against German air attacks (March 1945); and the airborne attack across the Rhine
Operation Lumberjack
Operation Lumberjack was a military operation conducted in the last stages of the war in Europe during World War II. It was launched by the First United States Army in March 1945 to capture strategic cities in Germany such as Cologne, and to give the Allies a foothold along the Rhine River.With the...
(March 1945).
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
Spanish Air Force
-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
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.
The 65th 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 U.S. Sixth Fleet. In June 1985, the 65th assumed responsibility for integrating USAFE's
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
electronic combat systems to maximize overall warfighting potential.
Lineage
- Established as 4th Air Defense Wing on 25 March 1943
- Activated on 27 March 1943
- Redesignated 65th Fighter Wing on 24 July 1943
- Inactivated on 21 November 1945
- Redesignated 65th Air Division (Defense) on 17 April 1952
- Organized on 24 April 1952
- Discontinued on 8 March 1954
- Activated on 8 April 1957
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 January 1965
- Redesignated 65th Air Division and activated on 1 June 1985
- Inactivated on 30 June 1991.
Assignments
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 27 March 1943 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
, 6 May 1943 - Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 2 June 1943 - VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 4 June 1943 - 2 Bombardment (later, 2 Air) Division, 15 September 1944
- 3 Air Division, 1 June – 21 November 1945
- Iceland Air Defense Force85th GroupThe 85th Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Third Air Force, being stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. It was inactivated on 28 June 2006....
, 24 April 1952 – 8 March 1954 - Sixteenth Air ForceSixteenth Air ForceThe 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe...
, 8 April 1957 - United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 1 July 1960 – 1 January 1965 - Seventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air ForceSeventeenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service...
, 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991.
Components
Wings- 52d Tactical Fighter Wing: 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991
- 66th Electronic Combat Wing: 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991
- 601st Tactical Control Wing601st Tactical Control WingThe 601st Tactical Control Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Sembach Air Base, West Germany...
: 1 June 1985 – 31 July 1987.
Groups
- 4th Fighter Group, 7 August 1943 – 4 November 1945
- 56th Fighter Group, 7 August 1943 – 10 October 1945
- 355th Fighter Group, 18 August 1943 – 3 July 1945
- 356th Fighter Group356th Fighter GroupThe 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945....
, 26 August 1943 – 8 August 1944 - 361st Fighter Group361st Fighter GroupThe 361st Fighter Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the European Theatre of World War II....
, 8 August 1944 – 24 December 1944; 10 April 1945-3 November 1945
- Attached to: Ninth Air ForceNinth Air ForceThe Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
XIX Tactical Air CommandXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
, 24 December 1944 – 1 February 1945 - Attached to: VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 1 February – 10 April 1945- 479th Fighter Group, 31 May 1944 – 31 May 1945
Flight:
- 1 Gunnery and Tow Flight: 17 November 1944 – 29 May 1945.
Radar sites (1957-1965)
- 871st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Villatobas AS, Spain
- 872d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Constantina AS, Spain
- 874th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Inoges AS, Spain
- 875th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Rosas AS, Spain
- 876th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Alcoy AS, Spain
- 877th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Elizondo AS, Spain
- 880th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Soller AS, Mallorca, Spain
Squadrons:
- 1st Fighter Day (later, 1st Tactical Fighter) Squadron1st Fighter SquadronThe 1st Fighter Squadron was most recently based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It operated F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting advanced fighter training.-Mission:...
: attached 27 June 1958 – c.12 November 1958. - 82d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1953 – 8 March 1954.
- 157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 23 November 1961 – 17 July 1962.
- 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 13 March 1959 – c.31 July 1959.
- 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached c. August 1959 – 16 November 1959.
- 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 1 April 1963 – 13 August 1963.
- 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 13 August 1963 – 6 January 1964.
- 430th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 25 September 1961 – 25 November 1961.
- 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 September 1958 – 1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960 – c.18 May 1964.
- 434th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 18 March 1960 – unkn; 14 August 1961 – 25 September 1961.
- 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 15 December 1960 – 14 April 1961; 6 August 1962 – 1 November 1962; 2 April 1964 – 18 June 1964.
- 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 1 November 1962 – 3 April 1963.
- 474th Tactical Fighter Squadron474th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 474th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 413th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at George Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 15 March 1959.-History:...
: attached 15 November 1958 – 14 March 1959. - 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron476th Tactical Fighter SquadronThe 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 18 March 1969.-History:...
: attached 16 November 1959 – 18 March 1960; 16 April 1961 – 11 August 1961; 6 January 1964 – 2 April 1964. - 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 5 July 1958 – 1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960 – 17 June 1964.
Stations
- Hamilton Field, California, 27 March – 6 May 1943
- RAF DebdenRAF DebdenRAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
(AAF-356), England, 4 June 1943 - Saffron WaldenSaffron WaldenSaffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
(AAF-370), England, c. 17 June 1943 - Elvedon Hall, England (AAF-116), c. 1 September 1945
- Troston, England (AAF-595), c. 25 October – 21 November 1945
- Keflavik AirportNaval Air Station KeflavikUnited States Naval Air Station Keflavik is a former NATO facility at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland. It is located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island...
, Iceland, 24 April 1952 – 8 March 1954 - MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain, 8 April 1957 - Torrejon AB, Spain, 1 October 1957 – 1 January 1965
- Sembach AB, West Germany, 1 June 1985
- Lindsey ASWiesbaden Army AirfieldWiesbaden Army Airfield or WAAF is located southeast of the city of Wiesbaden, Hessen, Germany. It was selected as the site for Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe on 28 September 1945, in large part due to its proximity to Frankfurt am Main, where the U.S. Seventh Army was...
, West Germany (later Germany)GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 1 October 1987 – 30 June 1991.