64th Air Division (United States)
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| 64th Air Division (Defense) | |
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 Official crest of the 64th Air Division (Defense) |
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| Active | 12 December 1942–5 June 1947; 17 March 1952–1 July 1963 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Part of | see "Assignments" section below |
| Garrison/HQ | see "Stations" section below |
| Equipment | see "Aerospace vehicles" section below |
| Decorations | see "Lineage and honors" section below |
Contents |
[edit] History
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Mission
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] Operations
The wing moved to North Africa in February 1943 to support combat operations in North Africa with a warning and control system, and, occasionally, augmenting the operations section of the XII Air Support Command in the Tunisian campaign. During the Sicilian and Italian campaigns (1943–1944), it administered fighter and fighter-bomber support to ground forces in a wide range of operations that included cover patrols, battle-area patrols, invasion coverage, escort missions, dive bombing missions, and reconnaissance. In Italy, the 64th directed close air support operations against enemy objectives in advance of Allied troops. Its primary targets included enemy gun positions, road junctions, traffic concentrations, assembly areas, bridges, and targets of opportunity. In August 1944 during the invasion of southern France, wing personnel, applying techniques developed in the invasion of Sicily and Italy, controlled air operations while aboard ships patrolling the assault beaches. With the landing of troops, a beachhead control unit directed aircraft to hit enemy strong points, ammunition dumps, troop concentrations, road intersections, supply lines, and communications. As Allied forces advanced northward along the Rhone valley, the wing implemented a plan to give more rapid support to the ground troops. Forward control units, equipped with the latest in air ground communications, directed sector air ground support. During the operations in France and Germany (1944–1945), the 64th continued to coordinate the close air-ground support of its fighter aircraft. After the end of hostilities in May 1945, the wing served in the occupation of Germany. Redesignated as an Air Division in April 1952, it administered, trained, and provided air defense combat ready forces within its designated geographic area of responsibility, which included eastern Canada and later the northeastern United States. It exercised command jurisdiction over assigned units, installations, and facilities. In addition, the division and its subordinate units participated in numerous exercises until 1 July 1963.
[edit] Lineage and honors
Established as 3 Air Defense Wing on 12 December 1942. Activated on 12 December 1942. Redesignated 64 Fighter Wing on 24 July 1943. Inactivated on 5 June 1947.
Redesignated 64 Air Division (Defense) on 17 March 1952. Activated on 8 April 1952. Inactivated on 20 December 1952.
Organized on 20 December 1952. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 July 1963.
[edit] Service streamers
This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:
none
[edit] Campaign streamers
This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:
- World War II: Tunisia; Naples-Foggia; Sicily, Northern France; Rhineland; Rome-Arno; Southern France with Arrowhead.
[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers
This unit earned the following organizational expeditionary streamers:
none
[edit] Decorations
This unit earned the following organizational decorations:
none
[edit] Awards
none
[edit] Emblem
On a shield or, issuing from base a demi sphere with line markings azure, snow capped, and surmounted with a radar antenna, proper; in front of a representation of the Aurora Borealis argent, edges gules, in chief, surmounting the Aurora Borealis a stylized aircraft azure, in bend, with trailing flames proper. (Approved 8 August 1952.)
[edit] Assignments
I Fighter Command, 12 December 1942; Army Service Forces, c.7 February 1943; XII Fighter Command, 22 February 1943; XII Air Support Command (later, XII Tactical Air Command) (attached First Tactical Air Force [Provisional], 27 November 1944– c. May 1945), 9 March 1943–5 June 1947.
Northeast Air Command, 8 April 1952–20 December 1952.
Northeast Air Command, 20 December 1952; Air Defense Command, 1 April 1957–1 July 1963.
[edit] Components
Air Force:
Sector:
Wing:
Group:
- 27 Fighter Bomber (later, 27 Fighter): c.28 May 1943–c.22 October 1945; c.13 August 1946–5 June 1947.
- 31 Fighter: 1 September 1943–31 March 1944.
- 33 Fighter: c.9 March 1943–14 February 1944.
- 36 Fighter: 15 November 1945–15 February 1946.
- 50 Fighter: c.29 September 1944–22 June 1945.
- 52 Fighter: 9 November 1946–5 June 1947.
- 69 Tactical Reconnaissance: c.22 March 1945–30 June 1945.
- 79 Fighter: 18 January 1944–29 September 1944.
- 86 Fighter-Bomber (later, 86 Fighter): c.31 July 1943–c.31 December 1943; 10 March 1945–c.15 February 1946; 20 August 1946–5 June 1947.
- 324 Fighter: 22 August 1943–c.5 March 1944; 30 April 1945–14 August 1945.
- 354 Fighter: 4 July 1945–c.15 February 1946.
- 355 Fighter: c.15 April 1946–1 August 1946.
- 358 Fighter: c.30 May 1945–18 July 1945.
- 363 Reconnaissance: 18 May 1945–20 November 1945.
- 366 Fighter: 4 July 1945–20 August 1946.
- 370 Fighter: 27 June 1945–17 September 1945.
- 404 Fighter: 23 June 1945–2 August 1945.
- 406 Fighter: 5 August 1945–20 August 1946.
- 4731 Air Defense: 1 April 1957–1 July 1960.
- 4732 Air Defense: 1 April 1957–1 April 1960.
- 4733 Air Defense: 1 April 1957–1 May 1958.
- 4734 Air Defense: 1 April 1957–1 May 1958.
Squadron:
- 14 Liaison: 10 July 1946–1 May 1947.
- 47 Liaison: 4 March 1946–1 May 1947.
- 59 Fighter-Interceptor: attached 1 November 1952–20 December 1952 and 20 December 1952–31 January 1953, assigned 1 February 1953–1 April 1957.
- 61 Fighter-Interceptor: 6 August 1953–1 April 1957.
- 74 Fighter-Interceptor: 21 August 1954–1 April 1957; 1 May 1958–25 June 1958.
- 111 Reconnaissance: attached c. June 1943–c. September 1943.
- 155 Photo Reconnaissance: 1 August 1945–24 November 1945.
- 318 Fighter-Interceptor: 1 July 1953–8 August 1954.
- 327 Fighter-Interceptor: 3 July 1958–25 March 1960.
- 415 Night Fighter: attached c.3 September 1943–5 December 1943, assigned 5 December 1943–15 February 1946.
- 416 Night Fighter: 15 August 1946–9 November 1946.
- 417 Night Fighter: 24 March 1945–17 May 1945; 26 June 1945–9 November 1946.
[edit] Stations
Mitchel Field, New York State, United States, 12 December 1942–23 January 1943.
Oran, Oran Province, Algeria, 22 February 1943; Thelepte, Tunisia, 1 March 1943; Sbeitla, Tunisia, 18 March 1943; Le Sers, Tunisia, 12 April 1943; Korba, Tunisia, 18 May 1943; Gela, Caltanissetta Province, Sicily, 12 July 1943; Milazzo, Messina Province, Sicily, 1 September 1943; Frattamaggiore, Naples Province, Italy, 7 October 1943; San Felice de Circeo, Italy, 1 June 1944; Rocca di Papa, Rome Province, Italy, 7 June 1944; Orbetello Airfield, Italy, 19 June 1944; Santa Maria di Capua, Italy, 19 July 1944; Saint-Tropez, Var Département, France, 15 August 1944; Dole, Jura Département, France, 19 September 1944; Ludres, Meurthe-et-Moselle Département, France, 3 November 1944; Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle Département, France, 15 January 1945; Edenkoben, Rhineland-Palatinate Flächenländer, Germany, 1 April 1945; Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg Flächenländer, Germany, 29 April 1945; Darmstadt, Hesse Flächenländer, Germany, 7 July 1945; Bad Kissingen, Bavaria Flächenländer, Germany, 1 December 1945–5 June 1947.
Pepperrell Air Force Base, Newfoundland, Canada, 20 December 1952; Stewart Air Force Base, New York State, United States, 1 July 1960–1 July 1963.
[edit] Aerospace vehicles
A-20 Havoc, 1943, 1945; A-36 Apache, 1943–1944; P-40 Warhawk, 1943–1944; P-70 Havoc, 1943; Beaufighter, 1943–1945; Spitfire, 1943–1944; P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1947; F-3 Havoc, 1945; F-5 Lightning, 1945; F-6 Mustang, 1945; P-38 Lightning, 1945–1946; P-51 Mustang, 1945–1946; P-61 Black Widow, 1945–1946; A-26 Invader, 1946; L-5 Sentinel, 1946–1947.
F-86 Sabre, 1952; F-94 Starfire, 1952.
F-94 Starfire, 1952–1956; F-89 Scorpion, 1954–1960; F-102 Delta Dagger, 1958–1963.
[edit] Commanders
Colonel Robert S. Israel Jr., 12 December 1942; Brigadier General John R. Haskins, 24 July 1943; Brigadier General Glenn O. Barcus, 30 April 1944; Colonel Nelson P. Jackson, 29 January 1945; Brigadier General Ned Schramm, by 30 September 1945; Colonel Henry W. Dorr, c.2 June 1946–c.5 June 1947.
Colonel William S. Magalhaes, 8 April 1952; Colonel Charles R. Bonds Jr., 12 September 1952–20 December 1952.
Colonel Charles R. Bonds Jr., 20 December 1952; Colonel Charles B. Downer, 20 May 1954; Colonel Joseph Myers, by 30 June 1955; Colonel Carroll W. McColpin, 23 July 1955; Brigadier General Frederick R. Terrell, 11 July 1958; Brigadier General Harold L. Neely, 1 July 1960–1 July 1963.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain. |
