65th Air Division (United States)
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65th Air Division | |
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Official crest of the 65th Air Division |
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Active | 25 March 1943–21 November 1945; 17 April 1952–8 March 1954; 8 April 1957–1 January 1965; 1 June 1985–30 June 1991 |
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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[edit] Mission
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[edit] Operations
The 65th wing and its subordinate units transferred to England in June 1943 and began flying combat missions. Subordinate units escorted bombers, flew counter air patrols, and dive bombing missions. They attacked airdromes, marshalling 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.
[edit] Lineage and honors
Established as 4 Air Defense Wing on 25 March 1943. Activated on 27 March 1943. Redesignated 65 Fighter Wing on 24 July 1943. Inactivated on 21 November 1945.
Redesignated 65 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 65 Air Division and activated on 1 June 1985. Inactivated on 30 June 1991.
[edit] Service streamers
This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:
- World War II European-African Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater.
[edit] Campaign streamers
This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:
none
[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers
This unit earned the following organizational expeditionary streamers:
none
[edit] Decorations
This unit earned the following organizational decorations:
[edit] Awards
[edit] Emblem
Per bend azure and gules, issuant from base in pale a closed helmet in profile supporting an antenna argent emitting two lightning flashes bendwise, one to dexter chief, one to sinister base and one bend sinisterwise to chief or, in chief an eight pointed mullet of the third and all within a diminished bordure of the fourth. (Approved 1 August 1961).
[edit] Assignments
Fourth Air Force, 27 March 1943; Army Service Forces, 6 May 1943; Eighth Air Force, 2 June 1943; VIII Fighter Command, 4 June 1943; 2 Bombardment (later, 2 Air) Division, 15 September 1944; 3 Air Division, 1 June 1945–21 November 1945.
Iceland Air Defense Force, 24 April 1952–8 March 1954.
Sixteenth Air Force, 8 April 1957; United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 July 1960–1 January 1965.
Seventeenth Air Force, 1 June 1985–30 June 1991.
[edit] Components
Wings:
- 52 Tactical Fighter: 1 June 1985–30 June 1991.
- 66 Electronic Combat: 1 June 1985–30 June 1991.
- 601 Tactical Control: 1 June 1985–31 July 1987.
Groups:
- 4 Fighter: by 31 October 1943–c.31 May 1945.
- 56 Fighter: by 31 October 1943–by 31 May 1945.
- 78 Fighter: c.24 July 1943–unkn.
- 355 Fighter: by 31 October 1943–by 31 May 1945.
- 356 Fighter: by 31 October 1943–by 31 August 1944.
- 361 Fighter: by 31 August 1944–by 31 January 1945; by 30 April 1945–by 31 May 1945.
- 479 Fighter: by 31 May 1944–by 31 May 1945.
Squadrons:
- 1 Fighter Day (later, 1 Tactical Fighter): attached 27 June 1958–c.12 November 1958.
- 82 Fighter-Interceptor: 1 April 1953–8 March 1954.
- 157 Fighter-Interceptor: 23 November 1961–17 July 1962.
- 307 Tactical Fighter: attached 13 March 1959–c.31 July 1959.
- 308 Tactical Fighter: attached c. August 1959–16 November 1959.
- 334 Tactical Fighter: attached 1 April 1963–13 August 1963.
- 336 Tactical Fighter: attached 13 August 1963–6 January 1964.
- 430 Tactical Fighter: attached 25 September 1961–25 November 1961.
- 431 Fighter-Interceptor: 1 September 1958–1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960–c.18 May 1964.
- 434 Tactical Fighter: attached 18 March 1960–unkn; 14 August 1961–25 September 1961.
- 435 Tactical Fighter: attached 15 December 1960–14 April 1961; 6 August 1962–1 November 1962; 2 April 1964–18 June 1964.
- 436 Tactical Fighter: attached 1 November 1962–3 April 1963.
- 474 Tactical Fighter: attached 15 November 1958–14 March 1959.
- 476 Tactical Fighter: attached 16 November 1959–18 March 1960; 16 April 1961–11 August 1961; 6 January 1964–2 April 1964.
- 497 Fighter-Interceptor: 5 July 1958–1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960–17 June 1964.
Flight:
- 1 Gunnery and Tow: 17 November 1944–29 May 1945.
[edit] Stations
Hamilton Field, California, 27 March 1943–6 May 1943; Debden, England, 4 June 1943; Saffron Walden, England, c.17 June 1943; Elvedon Hall, England, c.1 September 1945; Trosten, England, c.25 October 1945–21 November 1945.
Keflavík International Airport, Iceland, 24 April 1952–8 March 1954.
Madrid, Spain, 8 April 1957; Torrejon Air Base, Spain, 1 October 1957–1 January 1965.
Sembach Air Base, Germany, 1 June 1985; Lindsey Air Station, Germany, 1 October 1987–30 June 1991.
[edit] Aerospace vehicles
P-38 Lightning, 1944; P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943–1945; P-51 Mustang, 1944–1945.
F-94 Starfire, 1952–1954; F-86 Sabre, 1953–1954.
F-86 Sabre, 1957-1960; F-100 Super Sabre, 1958–1961; F-104 Starfighter, 1959–1964; F-102 Delta Dagger, 1960–1964; F-105 Thunderchief, 1963–1964.
CH-53 Sea Stallion, 1985–1987; EF-111 Raven, 1985–1991; F-4 Phantom II, 1985–1987; EC-130 Commando Solo, 1987–1991; F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1987–1991.
[edit] Commanders
Unknown, 27 March 1943; Colonel Jesse Auton, 10 April 1943; Brigadier General Ross G. Hoyt, 4 June 1943; Brigadier General Jesse Auton, 6 September 1943; Colonel William L. Curry, 29 July 1945–unkn.
1st Lieutenant John J. Brody, 24 April 1952; Colonel Meredith H. Shade, 10 October 1952; Colonel Emmett S. Davis, 5 September 1953–unkn.
Captain Newell H. Beaty, 8 April 1957; Colonel Clay Tice Jr., 15 May 1957; Brigadier General Andrew J. Evans Jr., 1 July 1960; Colonel Thomas L. Hayes, 25 September 1963–1 January 1965.
Unknown, 1 June 1985–14 July 1985; Major General John C. Scheidt Jr., 15 July 1985; Brigadier General Philip M. Drew, 12 August 1986; Brigadier General John A. Corder, 3 August 1987; Brigadier General Gerald A. Daniel, 22 April 1988; Brigadier General Glenn A. Profitt II, 24 January 1989–unkn.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website which, as a United States government publication, is in the public domain. |