Active 1945, 1953–1955 Type Fighter Interceptor Part of Air Defense Command | Role Air Defense | |
 | ||
Branch | ||
The 528th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4711th Air Defense Wing at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for the 97th Bombardment Group at the end of World War II in Italy.
Contents
The group was activated once again in 1953, when 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 23d Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.
World War II
The group was first activated in Italy as the 528th Air Service Group about VE Day 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. Its 954th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 778th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The group provided support for 97th Bombardment Group in Italy in 1945. It was disbanded in 1948.
Cold War
During the Cold War, the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 528th Air Defense Group, and activated at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine in 1953 with responsibility for air defense of Northeastern US. The 529th was assigned the 74th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Presque Isle flying cannon armed and airborne intercept radar armed Lockheed F-94 Starfires as its operational component. The 74th FIS had been assigned directly to the 4711th Defense Wing. The group also replaced the 85th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at Presque Isle. it was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.
In March, the 57th FIS, flying Northrop F-89 Scorpions was activated at Presque Isle as the group's second operational squadron. In June, the 74th FIS converted to "Scorpions" as well. The 74th FIS moved to Greenland and was reassigned away from the group in August 1954. A few days earlier, in a swap of units, the 318th FIS had moved from Greenland and was reassigned to the group to replace the 74th FIS. Upon arrival at Presque Isle, the 318th FIS converted to newer model Scorpions armed with Mighty Mouse rockets. A second swap of units began when the 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron arrived from Iceland the same day the 74th FIS left, and also converted to "Scorpions". The 57th FIS then moved to Iceland and was reassigned away from the group in November of the same year. The group was inactivated and replaced by the 23d Fighter Group (Air Defense) in 1955 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. Disbanded once again in 1984.