The 65th Air Division 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 ...

organization. Its last assignment was with

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

, assigned to

Seventeenth Air Force The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and AFAFRICA, United Sta ...

, being stationed at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. It was inactivated on 30 June 1991.

History

Established as the 4 Air Defense Wing, the unit was not activated or manned. Redesignated 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, marshaling yards, missile sites, industrial areas, ordnance depots, oil refineries, trains, and highways. During

Big Week Big Week or Operation Argument was a sequence of raids by the United States Army Air Forces and RAF Bomber Command from 20 to 25 February 1944, as part of the Strategic bombing during World War II#US bombing in Europe, European strategic bombin ...

n lateFebruary 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 Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...

(June 1944); the Allied ground troops during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

(December 1944 through January 1945); the Allied airborne attack on the Netherlands (

Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...

, September 1944); the defense of the

Remagen bridgehead The Battle of Remagen was an 18-day battle during the Allied invasion of Germany in World War II from 7 to 25 March 1945 when American forces unexpectedly captured the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine intact. They were able to hold it against ...

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 , colours = , colours_label = , march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem , mascot = , anniversaries = 10 December , equipment ...

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 air division "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 United States Sixth Fleet. In June 1985, the 65th assumed responsibility for integrating the

's electronic combat systems to maximize overall warfighting potential." In this role, it supervised the

66th Electronic Combat Wing The 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing that was last active in September 2010 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it had served as the host organization since 1994. It was replaced at Hanscom by the small ...

and

601st Tactical Control Wing The 601st Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force organization. It was last active as the 601st Air Base Wing with the Seventeenth Air Force at Sembach Air Base, Germany, where it was inactivated on 31 March 1995. The ...

. The division was inactivated in June 1991 as the Air Force eliminated air divisions to shorten the chain of command.

Lineage

* Established as the 4th Air Defense Wing on 25 March 1943 : Activated on 27 March 1943 : Redesignated 65th Fighter Wing on 24 July 1943 : Inactivated on 21 November 1945 * Redesignated 65th 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 65th Air Division and activated on 1 June 1985 : Inactivated on 30 June 1991

Assignments

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reser ...

, 27 March 1943 *

Army Service Forces The Army Service Forces was one of the three autonomous components of the United States Army during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces, created on 9 March 1942. By dividing the Army into three large comman ...

, Port of Embarkation 6 May 1943 *

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as 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 The 85th Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with United States Air Forces in Europe at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, assigned as a unit of the 48th Fighter Wing whose home station is at RAF ...

, 24 April 1952 – 8 March 1954 *

Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...

, 8 April 1957 *

, 1 July 1960 – 1 January 1965 *

, 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991

Components

Wings *

52d Tactical Fighter Wing The 52nd Fighter Wing (52 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It flies the F-16CJ fighter aircraft. It was activated in 1948, but derives significant elements of its history from the predeces ...

: 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991 *

: 1 June 1985 – 31 July 1987 Groups *

4th Fighter Group The 4th Fighter Group was an American element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force during World War II. The group was known as the Debden Eagles because it was created from the three Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force: ...

, c. 7 August 1943 – c. 31 May 1945 * 56th Fighter Group, c. 7 August 1943 – c. 31 May 1945 *

78th Fighter Group The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961. During World War II the group was an Eighth ...

, c. 24 July 1943 – c. 18 August 1943 *

355th Fighter Group 355th may refer to: Aviation * 355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force * 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Ai ...

, c. 18 August 1943 – c. 31 May 1945 *

356th Fighter Group The 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945. During World War II the gro ...

, c. 31 October 1943 – c. 8 August 1944 *

361st Fighter Group The 127th Operations Group is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard. It is stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 1s one of two flying groups assigned to the 127th Wing. The group operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt ...

, c. 8 August 1944 – c. 24 December 1944; c. 10 April 1945 – c. 31 May 1945 *

479th Fighter Group 479th may refer to: * 479th Antisubmarine Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 479th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 479th Field Artillery Brigade (United States), field artillery brigade of the United States ...

, 31 May 1944 – 31 May 1945 Flight * 1 Gunnery and Tow Flight: 17 November 1944 – 29 May 1945 Squadrons *

1st Fighter-Day Squadron The 1st Fighter Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently based at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where it operated McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting advanced fighter training. Missio ...

(later 1st Tactical Fighter Squadron): attached 27 June 1958 – c.12 November 1958. *

82d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

: 1 April 1953 – 8 March 1954. *

157th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 157th Fighter Squadron (157 FS) is a unit of the South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing located at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Columbia, South Carolina. The 157th FS is one of the few Air National Guard squadrons to ope ...

: 23 November 1961 – 17 July 1962. *

307th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 307th Fighter Squadron is a McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle unit and is part of Air Force Reserve Command's 414th Fighter Group stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The mission of the 307 FS is to assist the 4th ...

: attached 13 March 1959 – c.31 July 1959. * 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached c. August 1959 – 16 November 1959. *

334th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 334th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 334th was constituted on 22 August 1942 as an incorporation of the No. ...

: attached 1 April 1963 – 13 August 1963. *

336th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 336th Fighter Squadron (336th FS), nicknamed ''the Rocketeers'', is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 4th Operations Group and stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 336th was constituted on 22 ...

: attached 13 August 1963 – 6 January 1964. *

430th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Operations Group. The 430th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed "The Backdoor Gang", was first activated durin ...

: attached 25 September 1961 – 25 November 1961. * 431st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: assigned 1 September 1958 – 1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960 – c.18 May 1964. * 434th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 18 March 1960 – unknown; 14 August 1961 – 25 September 1961. * 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 15 December 1960 – 14 April 1961; 6 August 1962 – 1 November 1962; 2 April 1964 – 18 June 1964. * 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron: attached 1 November 1962 – 3 April 1963. *

474th Tactical 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 reo ...

: attached 15 November 1958 – 14 March 1959. *

476th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It flew North American F-100 Super Sabre and Lockheed F-104 Starfighter fighters at George Air Force Base, California from October 1957 until 1968, when moved to ...

: attached 16 November 1959 – 18 March 1960; 16 April 1961 – 11 August 1961; 6 January 1964 – 2 April 1964. *

497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron 497th may refer to: *497th Air Refueling Wing, inactive United States Air Force unit * 497th Bombardment Group, inactive United States Air Force unit * 497th Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 497th Combat Training Squadr ...

: 5 July 1958 – 1 July 1960; attached 1 July 1960 – 17 June 1964 * 871st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Villatobas Air Station, Spain * 872d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Constantina Air Station, Spain * 874th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Inoges Air Station, Spain * 875th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Rosas Air Station, Spain * 876th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Alcoy Air Station, Spain * 877th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Elizondo Air Station, Spain * 880th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, : Soller Air Station, Mallorca, Spain

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 *

Elveden Hall Elveden Hall is a large stately home on the Elveden Estate in Elveden, Suffolk, England. The seat of the Earls of Iveagh, it is a Grade II* listed building. It is located centrally to the village and is close to the A11 and the Parish Church. Curre ...

, England (AAF-116), c. 1 September 1945 * RAF Troston, England (AAF-595), c. 25 October – 21 November 1945 * Keflavik Airport, Iceland, 24 April 1952 – 8 March 1954 *

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, Spain, 8 April 1957 * Torrejon Air Base, Spain, 1 October 1957 – 1 January 1965 * Sembach Air Base, Germany, 1 June 1985 * Lindsey Air Station, Germany, 1 October 1987 – 30 June 1991

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II 065 1945 establishments in the United States