55th Fighter Wing

55th Fighter Wing
F-51D Mustang from the Wing's 166th Fighter Squadron^{[note 1]}
Active	1943–1945; 1947-1950
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Wing
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Ohio Air National Guard
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Insignia
Unofficial 55th Bombardment Wing emblem^{[note 2]}

This article is about the 55th Fighter Wing. For the 55th Reconnaissance Wing, see 55th Wing.

The 55th Fighter Wing is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. It was withdrawn from the Ohio Air National Guard and inactivated on 31 October 1950 when the Guard adopted the Wing Base organizational model and formed the cadre for the 121st Fighter Wing.

During World War II, the wing served as the 55th Bombardment Wing in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, flying strategic bombardment missions against areas under Axis control.

History

World War II

The wing was first activated as the 55th Bombardment Operational Training Wing in March 1943 at MacDill Field, Florida. Various groups were attached to the wing for short periods for training, but none were permanently assigned.^[1]

Assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Bari, Italy and was inactivated on 9 September 1945.^[1]

Air National Guard

Allocated to the Ohio Air National Guard for command and control origination for units in the Ohio River Valley region of the United States. Extended federal recognition and activated on 21 August 1946.

At the end of October 1950, the Air National Guard converted to the wing-base (Hobson Plan) organization. As a result, the wing was withdrawn from the Ohio ANG and was inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 121st Fighter Wing was established by the National Guard Bureau, allocated to the state of Ohio, recognized and activated 1 November 1950; assuming the personnel, equipment and mission of the inactivated 55th Fighter Wing.

Lineage

Constituted as the 55th Bombardment Operational Training Wing (Medium) on 17 March 1943

Activated on 31 March 1943

Redesignated 55th Bombardment Wing (Medium) in October 1943

Redesignated 55th Bombardment Wing (Heavy) in December 1943

Inactivated 9 September 1945

Redesignated 55th Fighter Wing and allotted to the National Guard on 21 August 1946

Activated and extended federal recognition on 7 December 1947

Inactivated on 31 October 1950^[1]

Disbanded on 15 June 1983^[2]

Assignments

III Bomber Command, 31 March 1943
XV Bomber Command, March 1944 – 9 September 1945
Ohio Air National Guard, 7 December 1947 – 31 October 1950

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 31 March 1943 – c. February 1944
Spinazzola Airfield, Italy, March 1944
Bari Airfield, Italy, c. July – September 1945
Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 7 December 1947 – 31 October 1950^[1]

Components

World War II

460th Bombardment Group,^[1] c. 5 February 1944 – 15 June 1945^[3]
461st Bombardment Group,^[1] 5 February 1944 – 15 June 1945^[4]
464th Bombardment Group,^[1] 2 October 1943 – 31 June 1945
465th Bombardment Group,^[1] 1 April 1944 – 15 June 1945
485th Bombardment Group,^[1] 1 April 1944 May-15 May 1945

Ohio Air National Guard

121st Fighter Group, 26 June 1948 – 31 October 1950
122d Fighter Group, 7 December 1947 – 31 October 1950 (Indiana ANG)
123d Fighter Group, 7 December 1947 – 10 October 1950 (Kentucky ANG)
112th Bombardment Squadron (Light), 7 December 1947 – 31 October 1950
149th Fighter Squadron, 21 June 1947 – 31 October 1950 (Virginia ANG)
162d Fighter Squadron, 7 December 1947 – 26 June 1948
164th Fighter Squadron, 20–26 June 1948
166th Fighter Squadron, 10 November 1947 – 26 June 1948
167th Fighter Squadron, 7 March 1957 – 10 October 1950 (West Virginia ANG)

References

Notes

↑ Aircraft is North American F-51D-25-NA Mustang serial 44-73029.
↑ Maurer indicates the wing had no approved emblem. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 397-398

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 397-398
↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 498q, 15 June 1983, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
↑ Robertson, Patsy (December 28, 2007). "Factsheet 460 Space Wing (AFSPC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
↑ Robertson, Patsy (April 9, 2012). "Factsheet 461 Operations Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved November 22, 2016.

Bibliography

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

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.

External links

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Wings and Groups

Wings

Composite	108th 113th 118th 119th 127th 140th 154th 175th 176th 178th 188th

Air Control	116th

Airlift	103d 105th 107th 109th 120th 123d 130th 133d 136th 139th 143d 145th 146th 152d 153d 156th 164th 165th 166th 167th 172d 179th 182d 189th

Air Refueling	101st 117th 121st 126th 128th 134th 137th 141st 151st 155th 157th 161st 168th 171st 185th 186th 190th

Attack	110th 174th

Bomb	131st

Fighter	52d* 53d* 54th* 55th* 60th* 61st* 62d* 63d* 66th* 67th* 71st* 86th* 104th 106th* 111th 114th 115th 122d 124th 125th 132d 138th 142d 144th 148th 149th 150th 159th 162d 169th 173d 177th 180th 183d 187th 192d

Intelligence	102d 181st 184th

Reconnaissance	147th 163d

Regional Support	194th

Rescue	106th 129th

Special Operations	150th 193d

Groups

Composite	170th

Airlift	135th*

Air Operations	102d 152d 157th

Air Refueling	112th* 127th 160th*

Combat Communications	162d 163d 201st 226th 252d 254th 281st*

Cyberspace Engineering Installation	251st 253d

Operations	140th

Reconnaissance	214th

Squadrons

Flying

Air Command and Control	12th 128th

Airlift	105th 109th 115th 118th 130th 135th* 136th 137th 139th 142d 143d 144th 155th 156th 158th 164th 165th 167th 169th 172d 180th 181st 183d 186th 187th 189th* 192d 198th 200th 201st 204th 249th

Air Refueling	106th 108th 116th 117th 126th 132d 133d 141st 145th 146th 147th 150th 151st 153d 166th 168th 171st 173d 174th 185th 191st 197th 203d

Attack	138th

Bomb	110th

Fighter	100th 103d 104th 107th 112th 114th 119th 120th 121st 122d 123d 124th 125th 131st 134th 148th 149th 152d 157th 159th 160th* 163d 170th* 175th 176th 179th 182d 184th 190th 194th 195th 199th

Reconnaissance	111th 162d 178th 196th 214th

Rescue	101st 102d 103d 129th 130th 131st 188th 210th 211th 212th

Special Operations	193d

Training	154th

Non-Flying

Air Control	103d 116th 117th 128th 141st 176th

Air Operations	112th

Air Support	113th ASOS 172d

Air Traffic Control	270th 245th

Civil Engineering	285th Civil Engineering Squadron

Combat Communications	143d 147th 149th 206th 221st 222d 223d 225th 228th 231st 232d 234th 236th 239th 240th 242d 244th 256th 261st 262d 263d 264th 265th 267th 269th 271st 272d 280th 282d 283d 291st 292d 293d

Command and Control	119th 127th 153d 222d

Engineering Installation	130th 202d 205th 210th 211th 212th 213th 214th 215th 217th 218th 219th 220th 241st 243d 270th 272d

Force Support	187th

Information Warfare Aggressor	177th

Intelligence	101st 117th 123d 152d 161st 194th 234th

Joint Communications Support	224th 290th

Logistics Readiness	187th

RED HORSE	202d 203d 819th

Security Forces	187th

Space Control	114th

Space Operations	111th 148th

Space Warning	137th 213th

Special Operations Communications	193d 280th

Special Tactics	125th

Asterisk (*) denotes an inactive unit

Links to related articles

USAAF Fifteenth Air Force in World War II

Stations

Tunisia	Bizerte Depienne Enfidaville Massicault Oudna Pont du Fahs Sainte Marie du Zit Soliman

Italy	Amendola Bari Castelltuccio Cattolica Celone Cerignola Fano Foggia Gioia del Colle Grottaglie Giulia Lesina Lucera Madna Manduria Marcianise Mondolfo Pantanella Piagiolino Pisa Rimini Salsosa San Giovanni San Pancrazio San Severo Spinazzola Sterparone Tortorella Torremaggiore Torretto Triolo Venosa Vincenzo

Units

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Groups

Bombardment	2nd Bombardment 97th Bombardment 98th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 376th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 463rd Bombardment 464th Bombardment 465th Bombardment 483rd Bombardment 484th Bombardment 485th Bombardment

Fighter	1st Fighter 14th Fighter 31st Fighter 52nd Fighter 82nd Fighter 325th Fighter 332nd Fighter

United States Army Air Forces

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