66th Fighter Wing

66th Fighter Wing

Illinois Air National Guard 169th Fighter Squadron F-51H Mustang 44-64661
Active 1943–1945;; 1946-1950
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Wing
Role Command and Control
Part of Illinois Air National Guard

The 66th Fighter Wing (66 FW) is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Chicago Municipal Airport, Illinois. It was withdrawn from the Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) and inactivated on 31 October 1950.

This wing is not related to the United States Air Force 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing or subsequent units that was constituted on 15 November 1952 and activated on 1 January 1953.

History

World War II

Established in March 1943 at Norfolk Army Airfield Virginia. Supervised training of fighter units for overseas duty.

Reorganized and deployed to England, became an intermediate-level command and control organization for VIII Fighter Command with responsibility for fighter-escort groups of Eighth Air Force. Assigned groups provided fighter escort to B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator heavy bomber groups during combat missions over Occupied Europe July 1943-May 1945. Inactivated in England, 21 November 1945.

Air National Guard

Allocated to the Illinois Air National Guard for command and control origination for units in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Extended federal recognition and activated on 26 November 1946.

At the end of October 1950, the Air National Guard converted to the wing-base Hobson Plan organization. As a result, the wing was withdrawn from the Illinois ANG and was inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 126th Composite Wing was established by the National Guard Bureau, allocated to the state of Illinois, recognized and activated 1 November 1950; assuming the personnel, equipment and mission of the inactivated 66th Fighter Wing.

Lineage

Activated on 27 March 1943
Re-designated 66th Fighter Wing in 3 July 1943.
Inactivated on 21 November 1945.
Extended federal recognition and activated on 26 November 1946
Inactivated, and returned to the control of the Department of the Air Force, on 31 October 1950

Assignments

Components

World War II

  • 4th Fighter Group: 23 July – 4 November 1945
  • 55th Fighter Group: 14 September 1943 – 23 July 1945
  • 56th Fighter Group: 15 September – 11 October 1945
  • 78th Fighter Group: April 1943 – October 1945
  • 339th Fighter Group: 4 April 1944 – October 1945
  • 353d Fighter Group: 3 August 1943 – October 1945
  • 357th Fighter Group, 31 January 1944 – 8 July 1945
  • 358th Fighter Group, 20 October 1943 – 3 July 1944
  • 359th Fighter Group: October 1943 – November 1945
  • 361st Fighter Group: 30 November 1943 – 1 February 1945; April 1945
  • 479th Fighter Group: 15 May 1944 – 21 November 1945

Illinois Air National Guard

Stations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

    External links