456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Emblem of the 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Active	1944–1968
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Air Defense

Convair F-106A-135-CO Delta Dart 59-0148 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, Castle AFB, California, about 1962

3 F-106s on the flightline at Castle AFB, about 1966. The aircraft wore the squadron emblem on it's tail fin.

The 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command San Francisco Air Defense Sector stationed at Oxnard AFB, California. It was inactivated on July 18, 1968.

History

Established in late 1944 as a very long range P-47N Thunderbolt fighter squadron; trained under III Fighter Command. Deployed to Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), assigned to XXI Bomber Command as a long-range escort squadron for B-29 Superfortress bombers engaged in the strategic bombardment of Japan, based on Iwo Jima. After the Japanese Capitulation, moved to Luzon where the squadron was demobilized, the P-47Ns being returned to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated as a paper unit in 1946.

Reactivated in 1954 under Air Defense Command as an air defense interceptor squadron, stationed at George AFB, California for the air defense of Southern California. Initially equipped with F-86D Sabres. In August 1955 the unit was deactivated only to be reactivated again at Castle AFB in October 1955 with F-86Ds. In the fall of 1957 the unit transitioned into F-86L Sabres and in June 1958 into F-102A Delta Daggers. In September 1959 it received F-106 Delta Darts. The squadron along with its distinctive tail flash color markings moved to Oxnard AFB on 18 July 1968 and was redesignated the 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

Lineage

• Constituted 456th Fighter Squadron on October 5, 1944

Activated on October 15, 1944

Inactivated on August 25, 1946

• Redesignated 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on March 23, 1953

Activated on August 8, 1954

Inactivated on August 18, 1955

• Activated on October 18, 1955

Inactivated on July 18, 1968, personnel and equipment redesignated 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

Assignments

• 414th Fighter Group, October 15, 1944 – August 25, 1946
• 520th Air Defense Group, August 8, 1954 – August 18, 1955
• 28th Air Division, October 18, 1955
• San Francisco Air Defense Sector, July 1, 1960 – July 18, 1968

Stations

• Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, October 15, 1944
• Selfridge Field, Michigan, November 21, 1944
• Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina, March 19 – June 5, 1945
• North Field, Iwo Jima, July 7, 1945
• Clark Field, Luzon, December 23, 1945
• Floridablanca Airfield, Luzon, unkn-August 25, 1946
• George AFB, California, August 8, 1954 – August 18, 1955*
• Castle AFB, California, October 18, 1955 – July 18, 1968
• Oxnard AFB, California, July 18, 1968

* Note: Unit inactivated on August 18, 1955. 437th FIS redesignated as 456th FIS and reassigned to Castle AFB, California October 18, 1955. On July 18, 1968, 456th FIS reassigned to Oxnard AFB, California and redesignated 437th FIS. same date

Aircraft

• P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1946
• F-86 Sabre, 1954–1955; 1955–1958
• F-102 Delta Dagger 1958–1959
• F-106 Delta Dart, 1959–1968

References

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

• USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, AL: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.