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564th Air Defense Group

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564th Air Defense Group Airdefensecommand-logo
437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-89D 53-2629
F-89D of the 564th Air Defense Group's 437th FIS in 1955
Active 1944-1945, 1952–1955
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Fighter Interceptor
Role Air Defense
Part of Air Defense Command
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Major General Luther H. Richmond (1953–1955)

The 564th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4707th Air Defense Wing (Air Def Wg), stationed at Otis Air Force Base (AFB), Massachusetts, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group at the end of World War II but never deployed before it was inactivated in 1945. The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing. A year later ADC established it as an operational headquarters for fighter-interceptor squadrons as well. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 33d Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History[]

World War II[]

The group was activated during World War II as the 564th Air Service Group in 1944[1] and trained to support a single combat group in an overseas theater.[2] Its 995th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support.[2] The group was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas.[3] It was disbanded in 1948.[4]

Cold War[]

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 564th Air Base Group, and activated at Otis AFB in 1952[5] in a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[6] It replaced the 33rd Air Base Group as USAF host unit for Otis. Assigned eight squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[7][8][9][10][11] It also assumed aircraft maintenance responsibility from the 33d Maintenance & Supply Group for units stationed at Otis.[12] The operational elements of the inactivating 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing[13] were assigned to the 4707th Air Def Wg.[14] In 1953 the group was redesignated as the 564th Air Defense Group[5] and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Boston area.[citation needed] It was assigned the 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft[15] from the 4707th Defense Wing as its operational element.[14] The 58th FIS was already stationed at Otis.[14] In April, 1953, the 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying a newer model of the F-94 aircraft[16] was activated as a second operational squadron.[17] The 58th FIS upgraded to the newer F-94s by June 1953[15] and both squadrons converted to Northrop F-89 Scorpion aircraft in June 1955.[15][16] The group was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955[18][19] 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.[20] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[21]

Lineage[]

  • Constituted as 564th Air Service Group in 1944
Activated on 5 December 1944
Inactivated on 30 June 1945
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
  • Reconstituted and redesignated as: 564th Air Base Group on 1 January 1952
Activated on 1 February 1952
Redesignated as 564th Air Defense Group on 16 February 1953
Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Assignments[]

  • San Antonio Air Technical Service Command, 5 December 1944 - 30 June 1945
  • 4707th Defense Wing (later 4707th Air Defense Wing), 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955[5]

Stations[]

  • Stinson Field, TX, 5 December 1944 - 30 June 1945
  • Otis AFB, MA, 1 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Components[]

Operational Squadrons[]

  • 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[22]
  • 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955

Support Squadrons[]

  • 12 WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron, ca. 1 July 1952 - 8 September 1954[11]
  • 564th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 564th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 564th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[8]
  • 564th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[7]
  • 564th Medical Squadron[11] (later 564th USAF Hospital), 16 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
  • 564th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 564th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[9]
  • 564th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 995th Air Engineering Squadron, 5 December 1944 - 30 June 1945
  • 1002nd Air Materiel Squadron, 5 December 1944 - 30 June 1945
  • 4651 WAF (Women in the Air Force) Squadron 1 February 1952 - ca. 1 July 1952[10]

Aircraft[]

  • F-89D 1955
  • F-94B 1953
  • F-94C 1953-1955

Commanders[]

  • Unknown, 5 December 1944 - 9 December 1944
  • Maj. Joseph D. Clemens, 9 December 1944 - 11 December 1944
  • Lt Col. Lawrence L. Martin, 11 December 1944 - 12 December 1944
  • Lt Col. Clifford R. Rassmussen, 12 December 1944 - 6 March 1945
  • Lt Col. Hugh H. Master, 6 Mar 1945 - 30 June 1945
  • Unknown, 1952 - 1953
  • Col. Luther H. Richmond, 1953 - 18 August 1955

See also[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Abstract, History of 564th Air Service Group, Dec 1944-Jun 1945 (accessed 10 Jan 2012)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Coleman, John M (1950). The Development of Tactical Services in the Army Air Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. p. 208. 
  3. ↑ Coleman p. 215
  4. ↑ Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 84. http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/handbookofadcorg.pdf. 
  6. ↑ Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126, p. 33
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cornett & Johnson, p. 134
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cornett & Johnson, p. 141
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cornett & Johnson, p. 151
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Abstract, History of 564th Air Base Group,Feb 1952-Jun 1952
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Abstract, History of 564th Air Base Group, Jul-Dec 1952
  12. ↑ Cornett & Johnson p.141
  13. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 33 Fighter Wing (accessed 17 Apr 2012)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 230–231. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Cornett & Johnson, p.116
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Cornett and Johnson, p.128
  17. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.543
  18. ↑ Maurer, Maurer, ed (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 87. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/af_combat_units_wwii.pdf. 
  19. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 33rd Operations Group (accessed 6 Mar 2012)
  20. ↑ 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., p.6
  21. ↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
  22. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 58th Fighter Squadron (accessed 6 Mar 2012)

Bibliography[]

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Further Reading

External links[]

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