527th Air Defense Group

The group was activated as the 527th Air Service Group in Italy shortly after VE Day[1] in 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.[2] Its 953rd Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 777th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[2] The group supported the 461st Bombardment Group in Italy. It returned to the US, passing through Camp Patrick Henry, VA, and was inactivated.[3] It was disbanded in 1948.[4]

F-89 Scorpion as flown by the 63d FIS in 1955

During the Cold War, the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 527th Air Defense Group, and activated at Wurtsmith AFB in 1953[5] with responsibility for air defense of the Great Lakes area. The group was assigned the 63d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Oscoda Air Force Base, (renamed Wurtsmith Air Force Base the day before the 527th was activated[6]), and flying North American F-86 Sabres[7] as its operational component.[8] The 63rd FIS had been assigned directly to the 4706th Defense Wing.[8] The group also replaced the 84th Air Base Squadron as USAF Host unit at Wurtsmith. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[9][10]

The 63d FIS upgraded to later model Mighty Mouse rocket armed and airborne intercept radar equipped Sabres in May 1954[7] and to two-seat Northrop F-89 Scorpions in early 1955.[7] The 527th was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 412th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[11][12] as part 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.[13] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[14]

• Unknown, 27 May 1945 – 28 August 1945 (probably Air Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations)
• 4708th Defense Wing (later 4708th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[5]

• Santuario dell' Incoronata, Italy, 27 May 1945 – 1945[1]
• Torretto, Italy, 1945–1945
• Sioux Falls Army Airfield, SD, 1945 – 28 August 1945[3]
• Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Operational Squadron

• 63d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[15]

Support Units

• 527th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 527th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[9]
• 527th Medical Squadron (later 527th USAF Infirmary),[10] 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 777th Air Materiel Squadron, 27 May 1945 – 28 August 1945
• 953rd Air Engineering Squadron, 27 May 1945 – 28 August 1945

• North American F-86F Sabre, 1953–1954
• North American F-86D Sabre, 1954–1955
• Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1955

 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)
• Coleman, John M (1950). The Development of Tactical Services in the Army Air Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• 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.
• 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.