The 519th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4709th Air Defense Wing, stationed at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as the 519th Air Service Group, a support unit for the 485th Bombardment Group at the end of World War II in Italy and then redeployed to the United States where it was inactivated in 1945.
The group was activated once again in 1953, when Air Defense Command ADC established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 52d Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.
History World War II and Post-War The group was activated as the 519th Air Service Group in Italy shortly before the end of World War II in early 1945 as part of a reorganization of Army Air Forces (AAF) support groups in which the AAF replaced service groups that included personnel from other branches of the Army and supported two combat groups with air service groups including only Air Corps units. Designed to support a single combat group,Coleman, p. 208 Its 945th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 769th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. It supported the 485th Bombardment Group in Italy. The group returned to the US, where it continued to support heavy bombardment groups. The group was scheduled to move overseas in 1946, but its movement was cancelled. It was reduced to nominal strength of 4 officers and 7 enlisted men in March 1946, but re-manned in April. The group deployed to Alaska with the 97th Bombardment Group.Mueller, pp. 143, 145See It was replaced by 97th Airdrome Group, 97th Maintenance & Supply Group, and 97th Station Medical Group as part of the Air Force Wing/Base reorganization (Hobson Plan) in 1947, which was designed to unify control at air bases.Goss, p. 59 note It was disbanded in 1948.Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
Cold War The 519th was reconstituted, redesignated as an air defense group, and activated at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 82 with responsibility for air defense of the Northeastern United States. It was assigned the 45th and 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons (FIS), which were already stationed at Suffolk County, flying North American F-86 SabresCornett & Johnson, p. 115Cornett & Johnson, p. 118 as its operational components.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 202Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 274 The 45th and 75th FIS had been assigned directly to the 4709th Defense Wing. The group replaced the 77th Air Base Squadron as USAF host unit at Suffolk County. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p.147 Eight days after the group activated, the 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, equipped with a radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed model of the SabreCornett & Johnson, p.136 was activated and assigned to the group.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p.408 In May 1953, the 45th FIS moved to Morocco and was reassigned away from the group. Later in 1953, the 75th FIS upgraded to improved radar equipped Sabres.
The 519th was inactivated and replaced by the 52d Fighter Group (Air Defense)Maurer, Combat Units, p. 114 as result of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6 The group was disbanded once again in 1984.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
Lineage Constituted as: 519th Air Service Group Activated on 20 January 1945 Inactivated 1 December 1947 Disbanded 8 October 1948 Reconstituted and redesignated as: 519th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 Activated on 16 February 1953 Inactivated on 18 August 1955 Disbanded on 27 September 1984
Assignments Unknown, 20 January 1945 – c. May 1945 20th Bombardment Wing (later VIII Bomber Command), c. 1945 Fifteenth Air Force, March 1946 – 1947 4709th Defense Wing (later 4709th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Stations Venosa Airfield, Italy, 20 January 1945 – 8 May 1945 Capodichino Airport, Naples, Italy, 8 May 1945 – 15 May 1945 Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, 24 May 1945 – 24 May 1945 Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, Jul 1945–8 September 1945 Salina Army Air Field, Kansas, 8 September 1945 – 4 October 1947(this was a paper transfer without personnel or equipment) Mile 26 Field, Alaska, 4 October 1947 – 1 December 1947 Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Components
Operational Squadrons 45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 28 May 1953 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 24 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
Support Units 519th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 519th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 519th Medical Squadron (later 519th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 769th Air Materiel Squadron, 20 January 1945 – 1 December 1947 945th Air Engineering Squadron, 20 January 1945 – 1 December 1947
Aircraft North American F-86A Sabre, 1953 North American F-86F Sabre, 1953 North American F-86D Sabre, 1953–1955
See also List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons List of F-86 Sabre units
References Notes Explanatory notes
Citations
Bibliography
Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
Further reading Grant, C.L., (1961) The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
External links