The 444th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

unit. Its last assignment was with the

Washington Air Defense Sector The Washington Air Defense Sector (WaADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command (ADC) 26th Air Division, being stationed at Fort Lee Air Force Station (AFS), Virginia. It wa ...

stationed at

Charleston Air Force Base Charleston Air Force Base is a United States military facility located in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW), a subordinate element ...

, South Carolina, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1968.

History

World War II

The

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

was first activated at

Tonopah Army Air Field Tonopah may refer to: * Tonopah, Arizona, a community * Tonopah, Nevada, a community and eponym of the Boston-Tonopah Mining Company and Tonopah Club ** Tonopah Airport Committee, a community group for acquiring a 1940s airstrip ** Tonopah Times- ...

, Nevada in February 1943, when the

328th Fighter Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

expanded from three to four squadrons.Maurer, ''combat Units'', pp. 209–210 The squadron was initially a

Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...

replacement training unit. It moved to Concord Army Airfield, California and received

Bell P-63 Kingcobra The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...

aircraft for training replacement pilots. Moved again to

Santa Rosa Army Air Field Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

, continuing mission until it was disbanded on 1 May 1944 and its personnel and equipment were absorbed by the 434th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Replacement Training Unit – Single Engine).

Air defense

The squadron was reconstituted and activated in 1954 as part of

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...

as an

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

squadron, was equipped with the

North American F-86D Sabre The North American F-86D/K/L Sabre (initially known as the YF-95 and widely known informally as the "Sabre Dog",) was an American transonic jet fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force in the late 1940s, it was an interceptor ...

and stationed at

, South Carolina with a mission for the air defense of Charleston and the military facilities in the region. Was upgraded to the North American F-86L Sabre in 1957, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the

Semi Automatic Ground Environment The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of large computers and associated networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image of the airspace over a wide area. S ...

, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts. The 444th was re-equipped with new

McDonnell F-101B Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Initially designed by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a long-range bomber escort (known as a ...

supersonic interceptor, and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer in 1960. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. Operated the Voodoos until September 1968, the aircraft being passed along to the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

and the squadron inactivated as part of the general drawdown of the ADC active-duty interceptor force.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 444th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 19 February 1943 : Activated on 1 March 1943 : Disbanded on 31 March 1944 * Reconstituted, and redesignated 444th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, on 23 March 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1954Lineage, including assignments through 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p.550 : Inactivated 30 September 1968

Assignments

* 328th Fighter Group, 1 March 1943 – 31 March 1944 *

35th Air Division The 35th Air Division (35th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Hancock Field, New York. It was inac ...

, 16 February 1954 *

32d Air Division The 32d Air Division (32d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was last active with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama, where it was inactivated on 31 December 1969. The di ...

, 15 November 1958 *

, 1 July 1961 – 30 September 1968

Stations

* Hamilton Field, California, 1 March 1943 * Tonopah Army Air Field, Nevada, 6 June 1943 * Concord Army Air Field, California, 18 September 1943 * Santa Rosa Army Air Field, California, 15 December 1943 – 31 March 1944 * Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 16 February 1954 – 30 September 1968Mueller, p. 89

Aircraft

* Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1943–1944 * Bell P-63 Kingcobra, 1944 * North American F-86D Sabre, 1954–1957 * North American F-86L Sabre, 1957–1960 * McDonnell F-101B Voodoo, 1960–1968

References

; Notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed 444 Military units and formations established in 1853 Aerospace Defense Command units