33rd Operations Group

Emblem of the 33d Fighter Group

The 33d Fighter Group was activated early in 1941 as the 33d Pursuit Group with the 58th,[8] 59th,[9] and 60th Pursuit Squadrons[10] assigned.[1] It trained with Bell P-39 Airacobras in 1941, but soon changed to Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and served as part of the United States defense force for the east coast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.[1] Its 58th and 59th squadrons were based on the West Coast in May and June 1942 to provide additional air defense there.[8][9]

The group was requested as air support for the Western Task Force of Operation Torch and assigned on 19 September 1942. Its 77 P-40Es moved from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to North Africa on the deck of the USS Chenango as part of the invasion force on 8 November 1942.[1] Pilots had been given brief training at Philadelphia in carrier launches but the Navy had serious misgivings about the aircraft's ability to withstand the strain and the pilot's ability to launch by catapult from the escort carrier.[11] With securing of the Port Lyautey airfield on 10 November the launch from Chenango began and was successful but the airfield's runways were so damaged that the launch was discontinued and not completed until two days later.[11] Two of the 77 aircraft were lost to a crash and vanishing in a fog with 17 damaged in landing with none getting into action.[11] The 35 planes of the group following on D+5 aboard the British carrier HMS Archer also were launched to land at the Port Lyautey airfield and suffered four loses on landing due to pilot inexperience.[11]

Meanwhile, the group's ground echelon sailed for Morocco aboard the USS Susan B. Anthony (AP-72). Shortly after the squadron's arrival in North Africa, a provisional "J Squadron", commanded by Lt. Col. Philip Cochran, at Rabat. The squadron was organized to provide an advanced replacement center for aircraft and pilots. On 6 December, the 58th squadron moved forward to Thelepte Airfield, where it became the first American air unit stationed in Tunisia.[12]

The unit operated with Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theater until February 1944, providing close air support for ground forces, and bombing and strafing personnel concentrations, port installations, fuel dumps, bridges, highways, and rail lines.[1] The 33d received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 15 January 1943 when nine German Junkers Ju 88 bombers escorted by four Italian Macchi C.202 fighters attempted to knock out the group's base at Thelepte. Group airplanes on combat air patrol drove off the escorting fighters. Other group planes took off while the field was being bombed. The group destroyed eight of the attackers, and the ninth was shot down by antiaircraft fire.[1][12]

Curtiss P-40L of 99th Fighter Squadron in North Africa 1943

In May 1943 the 99th Fighter Squadron, the first AAF unit to enter combat with black personnel, was attached to the group, and again from August to October 1943.[13] It took part in the reduction of Pantelleria and flew patrol missions while Allied troops landed after surrender of the enemy's garrison.[1] It also participated in the invasion and conquest of Sicily by supporting landings at Salerno.[1] The group supported additional landings in southern Italy, and the beachhead at Anzio.[1]

After moving to India in February 1944, the group trained with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. It then moved to China where it continued training and flew patrol and intercept missions.[1] Upon returning to India in September 1944, it flew dive bombing and strafing missions in Burma until the Allied campaigns in that area had been completed.[1]

33d Ftr Gp

In August 1946, the 33d Fighter Group took over the personnel and equipment of the 357th Fighter Group at Neubiberg Air Base and began service as part of the United States occupation force in Germany, initially operating North American P-51 Mustangs.[1][17] The 357th was inactivated and transferred to the National Guard.[18] In July 1947, the 33d's personnel became the cadre for the 86th Composite Group,[19] while the group made two moves without personnel or equipment to Bad Kissingen Airfield, Germany and Andrews Field, Maryland.[2][20]

Republic P-84C of the 59th Fighter Squadron[note 4]

The group was organized as an operational unit at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico on 16 August 1947, where it again equipped with Mustangs and became part of Eighth Air Force of Strategic Air Command.[2] At Roswell, the group participated in the experimental Wing Base organization, which was intended to unify control at air bases under a single wing.[21] As a result, the group was assigned to the 33d Fighter Wing.[2] The test proved successful, and the wing-base plan was adopted by the Air Force.[22]

A year later, in June 1948, it received its first jet aircraft, the Republic F-84 Thunderjet.[1] The group was the second in the Air Force to fly the F-84C model of the Thunderjet.[23] A few months later the group moved to Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, where it assumed an air defense role, first under Continental Air Command, then under Air Defense Command (ADC) as the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group.[1]

North American F-86As at Otis AFB.

There it trained to maintain tactical proficiency and participated in exercises and aerial demonstrations. In February 1949, the group transitioned to North American F-86A Sabres. By December the group had completed its transition to Sabres and assumed an air defense mission, providing air defense in the northeastern US.[2] Toward the end of 1949, ADC was inactivated and the group and its parent wing became elements of Continental Air Command. In December 1950 ADC was reactivated, and the group, which since spring had been designated as the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Group rejoined the command. Because of ADC's need to expand its coverage, the group dispersed the 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron to Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts in August 1950.[24] The group was inactivated in February 1952 along with the 33d Fighter Wing in a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[25] Fighter-interceptor groups and wings were replaced by regionally organized air defense wings.[26]

The 564th Air Base Group was activated on 1 February 1952 to replace the support elements of the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The group became the 564th Air Defense Group in February 1953 when it assumed control of fighter-interceptor squadrons at Otis. The unit was replaced by the reactivated 33d Fighter Group (Air Defense) as part of ADC's "Project Arrow", which reactivated fighter units that had achieved distinction in the two world wars.[27]

The 33d Fighter Group was assigned to ADC's 4707th Air Defense Wing, and in 1956 reunited with the 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense). Again, it provided air defense in northeastern US flying the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. It was also the host organization for USAF units until 1956, and was assigned several support organizations to fulfill this function.[28][29][30][31] when the 33d Fighter Wing was activated and the group was assigned to it once again, along with the support units assigned to the group.[32] The group was inactivated on 18 August 1957 and replaced by 4735th Air Defense Group when the 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing assumed host responsibilities for Otis from the 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing.[33]

On 8 July 1963 the 33d Tactical Group was activated in Viet Nam. It was equipped primarily with cargo aircraft. Its mission was to maintain and operate base support facilities at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, supporting the 2d Air Division and subordinate units by performing reconnaissance of Vietnam from various detachments flying Douglas RB-26 Invader, Martin RB-57 Canberra, and McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo aircraft.[2]

The 33d Tactical Group performed administrative and maintenance tasks and set up detachments at smaller, outlying airfields, the 33d assuming responsibility for Can Tho and Nha Trang Air Bases. The group inactivated in July 1965, and its aircraft, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 6250th Combat Support Group.[34] While the 33d Tactical Group was inactive, it was consolidated with the 33d Fighter Group as the 33d Tactical Fighter Group.[2]

Five F-15Cs from the 33d Fighter Wing during a deployment to Elmendorf AFB

As the 33d Fighter Wing reorganized under the Objective Wing system on 1 December 1991, the group was activated as the 33d Operations Group and once more assigned its original three squadrons, which were equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, together with an operations support squadron.[2] In May 1992 the group was enlarged by the assignment of the 728th Air Control Squadron at Duke Field when the 507th Air Control Wing inactivated.[35]

From 1992 through 2002 the group deployed aircraft and personnel to Saudi Arabia, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Jamaica, Iceland, Italy, and Puerto Rico and participated in various operations.[2] The group lost members of its 58th and 60th Fighter Squadron and 33d Operations Support Squadron in the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia on 25 June 1996 during one of these deployments.[4]

In 1999, as a result of the administration reductions in military spending, the group lost six of its F-15s. The 59th squadron inactivated on 15 April as a result and the remainder of its aircraft were split between the other two squadrons.[35]

The group engaged in air expeditionary operations in various combat areas as part of the Global War on Terrorism.[2]

In May 2008, the 728th Air Control Squadron was reassigned to the 552d Air Control Wing.[36] The group continued to shrink when, on 1 October 2008, the 60th Fighter Squadron flew its last sortie with the Eagle and became non-operational.[35] It inactivated on 1 January 2009. In July, the group stopped operating F-15s in anticipation of receiving the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. For more than a year, it would remain without assigned aircraft.[37]

The group mission changed in addition to its change of aircraft, and on 1 October 2009, the group became part of Air Education and Training Command in preparation for its new role of conducting joint training on the Joint Strike Fighter.[38]

However, the F-35 program was delayed and in January 2011, the group received its first aircraft in 17 months, when four General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft borrowed from the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona arrived to prepare the group's instructor pilots for the Lightning II. The F-16's flying characteristics are similar to those of the F-35, and would prepare group pilots to transition into its new plane on arrival.[37] On 14 July 2011, the group received its first Lightning II for training.[39] Lt Col Christine Mau, the deputy commander of the group, became the first woman to fly the F-35 on 5 May 2015, when she completed her first training flight.[40]

Tactical Squadrons

• 58th Pursuit Squadron (later 58th Fighter Squadron 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 58th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 18 August 1957; 1 December 1991 – present[42]
• 59th Pursuit Squadron (later 59th Fighter Squadron 59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 59th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 1 December 1991 – 15 April 1999[43]
• 60th Pursuit Squadron (later 60th Fighter Squadron 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 60th Fighter Squadron): 15 January 1941 – 8 December 1945; 20 August 1946 – 6 February 1952; 18 August 1955 – 18 August 1957; 1 December 1991 – 1 January 2009[24]
• 99th Fighter Squadron (attached): 29 May 1943 – c. 29 June 1943; 19 July 1943 – 16 October 1943[13]
• 459th Fighter Squadron: 12 May – 5 November 1945[44]
• 337th Air Control Squadron: 3 October 2012 – present[7][45]
• 728th Air Control Squadron: 1 May 1992 – 1 May 2008[46]

Support Units

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
• Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea (1983). Europe, Torch to Pointblank, August 1942 to December 1943. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Volume 2. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 091279903X. LCCN 83017288.
• Goss, William A (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. p. 59 (note). LCCN 48-3657.
• Foster Jr., Charles B. (2012). 33d Fighter Wing Heritage Pamphlet (PDF). Eglin Air Force Base, FL: 33d Fighter Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
• Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126
• Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 1, Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-912799-19-3.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Newton, Wesley P. Jr. and Senning, Calvin F., (1963) USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II, USAF Historical Study No. 85
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.