65th Air Division

65th Air Division
65th Air Division emblem
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

The 65th Airlift Division (65th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. It was inactivated on 30 Jun 1991.

History

Lineage

• Established as 4 Air Defense Wing on 25 Mar 1943

Activated on 27 Mar 1943

Redesignated 65 Fighter Wing on 24 Jul 1943

Inactivated on 21 Nov 1945

• Redesignated 65 Air Division (Defense) on 17 Apr 1952

Organized on 24 Apr 1952

Discontinued on 8 Mar 1954

• Activated on 8 Apr 1957

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Jan 1965

• Redesignated 65 Air Division and activated on 1 Jun 1985

Inactivated on 30 Jun 1991.

Assignments

• Fourth Air Force, 27 Mar 1943
• Army Service Forces, 6 May 1943
• Eighth Air Force, 2 Jun 1943
• VIII Fighter Command, 4 Jun 1943
• 2 Bombardment (later, 2 Air) Division, 15 Sep 1944
• 3 Air Division, 1 Jun-21 Nov 1945
• Iceland Air Defense Force, 24 Apr 1952-8 Mar 1954
• Sixteenth Air Force, 8 Apr 1957
• United States Air Forces in Europe, 1 Jul 1960-1 Jan 1965
• Seventeenth Air Force, 1 Jun 1985-30 Jun 1991.

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, 27 Mar – 6 May 1943
• RAF Debden, England, 4 Jun 1943
• Saffron Walden, England, c. 17 Jun 1943
• Elvedon Hall, England, c. 1 Sep 1945
• Trosten, England, c. 25 Oct – 21 Nov 1945
• Keflavik Airport, Iceland, 24 Apr 1952 – 8 Mar 1954
• Madrid, Spain, 8 Apr 1957
• Torrejon AB, Spain, 1 Oct 1957 – 1 Jan 1965
• Sembach AB, West Germany, 1 Jun 1985
• Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany), 1 Oct 1987 – 30 Jun 1991.

Components

Wings

• 52 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jun 1985 – 30 Jun 1991
• 66 Electronic Combat: 1 Jun 1985 – 30 Jun 1991
• 601 Tactical Control: 1 Jun 1985 – 31 Jul 1987.

Groups

• 4th Fighter Group, 7 Aug 1943-4 Nov 1945
• 56th Fighter Group, 7 Aug 1943-10 Oct 1945
• 355th Fighter Group, 18 Aug 1943-3 July 1945
• 356th Fighter Group, 26 Aug 1943-8 Aug 1944
• 361st Fighter Group, 8 Aug 1944-24 Dec 1944; 10 Apr 1945-3 Nov 1945

Attached to: Ninth Air Force XIX Tactical Air Command, 24 Dec 1944-1 Feb 1945

Attached to: VIII Fighter Command, 1 Feb-10 Apr 1945

• 479th Fighter Group, 31 May 1944-31 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.

Operational History

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.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

• Air Force Historical Research Agency: 65th Air Division (Defense)