San Francisco Fighter Wing

San Francisco Fighter Wing
San Francisco Fighter Wing
Active	1942–1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army; United States Air Force
Role	Air defense and fighter training
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable; commanders	General Dean C. Strother
Insignia
Patch with San Francisco Fighter Wing emblem

The San Francisco Fighter Wing is a disbanded United States Air Force unit. The wing provided air defense of the central Pacific coast and trained fighter units and pilots. It was stationed at San Francisco, California, where it was disbanded on 7 June 1944.

History

Along the Pacific coast, Western Defense Command established a "vital air defense zone", extending from the coast approximately 150 miles (240 km) inland and 200 miles (320 km) to sea.^[2] To carry out this mission, Fourth Air Force organized regional air defense wings in August 1942.^[3] ^[4] The San Francisco Air Defense Wing was organized to provide air defense for the central Pacific coast area and train fighter groups and pilots.^[1]

The Army Air Forces later found that standard military units like the wing, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to the training mission, even more so to the replacement mission. Accordingly, the Army Air Forces adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit, with similar flexible units established for headquarters.^[5]

In this reorganization, the wing's mission, equipment and personnel were transferred to the 411th AAF Base Unit (Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1944,^[6] The wing remained a paper unit until 7 June, when the 411th was simultaneously redescribed as the 411th AAF Base Unit (Air Defense Region). In 1946, the 411th became the 411th AAF Base Unit (San Francisco Control Group). It was discontinued on 1 January 1947.

Lineage

Constituted as the San Francisco Air Defense Wing on 6 August 1942

Activated on 11 August 1942

Redesignated San Francisco Fighter Wing c. 2 July 1943

Disbanded on 7 June 1944^[1]

Assignments

IV Fighter Command, 11 August 1942
Fourth Air Force, 31 March 1944 – 7 June 1944

Components

328th Fighter Group: attached c. 28 October 1942, assigned 11 April 1943 – 1 March 1944^[7]
354th Fighter Group: attached 15 November 1942 - 2 June 1943^[8]
357th Fighter Group: c. April 1943 - c. 7 October 1943^[8]
363d Fighter Group, 12 April – 30 December 1943^[9]
367th Fighter Group: 15 July 1943 – c. 8 March 1944^[8]
369th Fighter Group: 1 August 1943 – c. 28 March 1944^[8]
372d Fighter Group: 28 October 1943 - c. 7 December 1943^[8]
478th Fighter Group: 1 December 1943 – c. 3 February 1944^[8]

Stations

San Francisco, California, 20 August 1942 - 7 June 1944^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ When the United States Air Force became a separate service in September 1947, all former Army Air Forces units, including disbanded units were transferred to its control.
^ Approved 5 February 1943.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Maurer, Combat Units, p. 429
^ Goss, Air Defense, p. 296, map, p. 297
^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 426-430; Goss, Air Defense, p. 296
^ White, p. 38
^ Goss, Organization & Responsibilities, p. 75
^ Abstract, History of San Francisco Fighter Wing Apr-Jun 1944 (retrieved Dec 10, 2012)
^ Butler, William M. (27 December 2007). "Factsheet 328 Armament Systems Wing (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 429 (year only)
^ Robertson, Patsy (10 July 2017). "Factsheet 363 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Goss, William A. (1955). "Tactical Demands, Chapter 8, Air Defense of the Western Hemisphere". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. I, Plans and Early Operations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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 (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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.
White, Jerry (August 1949). "Combat Crew and Unit Training in the AAF 1939-1945, USAF Historical Study No. 61" (PDF). Air Historical Office, United States Air Force. Retrieved 30 January 2022.