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 June 1991.

Established as the 4 Air Defense Wing, the unit was not activated or manned. Re-designated as the 65th Fighter Wing, the wing and its subordinate units transferred to England and was assigned to VIII Fighter Command 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.

History

Lineage

• 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.

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-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.

Stations

• Hamilton Field, California, 27 March – 6 May 1943
• RAF Debden (AAF-356), England, 4 June 1943
• Saffron Walden (AAF-370), England, c. 17 June 1943
• Elvedon Hall, England (AAF-116), c. 1 September 1945
• Troston, England (AAF-595), c. 25 October – 21 November 1945
• Keflavik Airport, Iceland, 24 April 1952 – 8 March 1954
• Madrid, Spain, 8 April 1957
• Torrejon AB, Spain, 1 October 1957 – 1 January 1965
• Sembach AB, West Germany, 1 June 1985
• Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany), 1 October 1987 – 30 June 1991.

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

• 4th Fighter Group, 7 August 1943-4 November 1945
• 56th Fighter Group, 7 August 1943-10 October 1945
• 355th Fighter Group, 18 August 1943-3 July 1945
• 356th Fighter Group, 26 August 1943-8 August 1944
• 361st Fighter Group, 8 August 1944-24 December 1944; 10 April 1945-3 November 1945

Attached to: Ninth Air Force XIX Tactical Air Command, 24 December 1944-1 February 1945

Attached to: VIII Fighter Command, 1 February-10 April 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.

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
• Air Force Historical Research Agency: 65th Air Division (Defense)