519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

History

World War II

The squadron was activated in April 1943 as the 637th Bombardment Squadron at Key Field, Mississippi, as one of the original squadrons of the 408th Bombardment Group. In August, along with other Army Air Forces (AAF) single engine dive bomber units, it became a fighter-bomber unit as the 519th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.

However, the AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were not proving well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, it adopted a more functional system in which each AAF base was organized into a separate numbered unit. In this reorganization the squadron was disbanded in 1944 as the AAF converted to the AAF Base Unit system.

Cold War air defense

During the Cold War the squadron was reconstituted, redesignated as the 519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and activated at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa in December 1954, where it was assigned to the 521st Air Defense Group. The squadron replaced the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which moved to England from Sioux City. At Sioux City, the squadron flew airborne intercept radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabre aircraft.

The 521st Group was inactivated and replaced by the 53d Fighter Group (Air Defense) in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow, which was designed to reestablish the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. The squadron was inactivated along with the group and its equipment and personnel were transferred to the 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 637th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) on 23 March 1943 : Activated on 5 April 1943 : Redesignated 519th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 10 August 1943 : Disbanded on 1 April 1944
• Reconstituted and redesignated 519th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 4 November 1954 : Activated on 8 December 1954 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Assignments

• 408th Bombardment Group (later 408th Fighter-Bomber Group), 5 April 1943 – 1 April 1944
• 521st Air Defense Group, 8 December 1954 – 18 August 1955

Stations

• Key Field, Mississippi, 5 April 1943
• Drew Field, Florida, 24 September 1943
• Abilene Army Air Field, Texas, 10 November 1943
• DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, 11 February 1944
• Woodward Army Air Field, Oklahoma, 26 March – 1 April 1944
• Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, 8 December 1954 – 18 August 1955

Aircraft

• Douglas A-24 Banshee, 1943–1944
• North American A-36 Apache, 1943–1944
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1943–1944
• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 1943–1944
• North American F-86D Sabre, 1954–1955

References

Notes

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)

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; Further reading

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 623–624
2. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 294
3. operational training unit]] with various aircraft, providing [[en cadre. cadres]] to "satellite groups" and as a [[Operational - Replacement Training Units#Replacement Training Units
4. Goss, p. 75
5. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 299–300
6. Cornett & Johnson, p.128
7. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 115
8. Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6