| Seattle Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942–1944 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army  United States Air Force [note 1] |
| Role | Command and training of fighter units |
The Seattle Fighter Wing was a United States Army Air Forces unit. The wing provided air defense of the Northwestern United States and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at Seattle, Washington, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.
Along the Pacific coast, Western Defense Command established a "vital air defense zone", extending from the coast approximately 150 miles (240 km) inland and 200 miles (320 km) to sea. [1] To carry out this mission, Fourth Air Force organized regional air defense wings in August 1942. [2] [3] The Seattle Air Defense Wing was organized to provide air defense for the northwest Pacific coast and train fighter groups and pilots. [4] Its air defense responsibility was to provide protection primarily for the Boeing plants and military facilities in the northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia to Portland, Oregon.[ citation needed ] The wing consisted of fighter groups assigned to airfields in the northwest engaged in training and would, if necessary, provide a defensive unit in case of, presumably, a Japanese attack.
The Army Air Forces later found that standard military units like the wing, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission, even more so to the replacement mission. Accordingly, the Army Air Forces adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, with similar flexible units established for headquarters. [5]
In this reorganization, the wing's headquarters squadron was replaced by the 412th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1944. Maurer writes that the wing itself was disbanded on 7 June 1944. [6] and the 412th was redescribed as the 412th AAF Base Unit (Air Defense Region). Other air force documents say that the June 1944 action was a redesignation to the Seattle ADR, 412 AAFBU. [7] In 1946, it became the 412th AAF Base Unit (Seattle Control Group). [8] On 1 January 1947, it became the 412th AAF Base Unit (Western Aircraft Warning and Control Group). It moved to McChord Field the following month. It was discontinued at McChord on 20 May 1947 and its personnel and assets used to form the 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group.
The 338th Bombardment Group is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was last active with Continental Air Command at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois on 27 June 1949. It was first activated during World War II as the 338th Fighter Group and served primarily as a training unit until it was disbanded in 1944. The group was reconstituted in the reserves in 1947, but was inactivated when military spending was reduced in 1949.
The 332d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 4683rd Air Defense Wing at Thule Air Base, Greenland, where it was inactivated on 31 May 1965.
The 518th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command's 408th Fighter Group at Klamath Falls Airport, Oregon, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1959. The squadron was first activated during World War II as a dive bomber unit, but was disbanded before participating in combat in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units. It was reconstituted during the Cold War as a fighter interceptor unit supporting the air defense of the United States.
The V Fighter Command is a disbanded United States Air Force headquarters. It was established as the 2nd Interceptor Command in June 1941, with responsibility for air defense of the northwest United States and training fighter units in its area of responsibility. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army formed Western Defense Command, with responsibility for the entire Pacific coast. All air defense functions were transferred to 4th Interceptor Command, and the command was slated for transfer to the Southwest Pacific Theater as 5th Fighter Command.
The 516th Strategic Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1957.
The IV Fighter Command is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. It was activated under Fourth Air Force at March Field, California in June 1941, when it replaced a provisional organization. It was responsible for training fighter units and for the air defense of the southern portion of the Pacific Coast. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the command's units were placed on alert. In 1942, its air defense responsibility was expanded to include the entire Pacific coast of the continental United States and the command moved its headquarters from southern California to Oakland Airport, California, which was more centrally located. As the threat to the Pacific decreased, it was disbanded on 31 March 1944.
The Los Angeles Fighter Wing was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces. The wing provided air defense of southern California and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at Los Angeles, California, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.
The San Diego Fighter Wing is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. The wing provided air defense of southern California and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at San Diego, California, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.
The San Francisco Fighter Wing is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. The wing provided air defense of the central Pacific coast and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at San Francisco, California, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.
The 519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 521st Air Defense Group at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, where it was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 637th Bombardment Squadron, a dive bomber unit, but was disbanded before participating in combat in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units. It was reconstituted during the Cold War as a fighter interceptor unit supporting the air defense of the United States.
The 520th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 530th Air Defense Group, stationed at Geiger Field, Washington, where it was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 638th Bombardment Squadron, a dive bomber unit, but was disbanded before participating in combat in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units. It was reconstituted during the Cold War as a fighter interceptor unit supporting the air defense of the United States.
The 321st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Air Division, stationed at Paine Air Force Base, Washington. It was inactivated on 8 March 1960.
The 83d Fighter-Day Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in September 1943 as the 83d Fighter Group. The group acted a Replacement Training Unit until April 1944, when it was disbanded as the Army Air Forces reorganized its training units in the United States. It was again activated in 1956, as Tactical Air Command reopened Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina as a fighter base. It was inactivated on 8 December 1957, when the 83d Wing converted from the wing base organization to the dual deputy organization.
The 335th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The group was active at Barksdale Field, Louisiana from July 1942 as a training unit for medium bomber aircrews. It was disbanded in May 1944, when the Army Air Forces reorganized its training and support units in the United States. The group was reconstituted in 1985 as the 335th Air Refueling Wing, but has not been active since then.
The 465th Tactical Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. During World War II as the 465th Bombardment Squadron, it was an operational and replacement unit from 1942 to 1944, when it was disbanded in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training and support units in the United States. The squadron was reconstituted as the 465th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron in 1973 and briefly operated the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It moved to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and operated as a fighter and academic training unit until inactivating in 1991.
The 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where it was inactivated on 18 January 1991. Upon inactivation, the squadron's personnel, equipment and aircraft were transferred to the 311th Fighter Squadron.
The 474th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its first predecessor is the 474th Bombardment Squadron, which served as a medium bomber training unit from 1942 to 1944, when it was disbanded in a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.
The 515th Strategic Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing stationed at Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1957.
The 329th Armament Systems Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated in 2007.
The 337th Aeronautical Systems Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Aeronautical Systems Center of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, where it was inactivated in 2008.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .
