IX Air Defense Command
| IX Air Defense Command | |
|---|---|
| File:425th Night Fighter Squadron P-61 Black Widow 42-5569 with D-Day invasion stripes.jpg | |
| Active | 1944–1946 |
| Country | File:Flag of the United States (23px).png United States |
| Branch | File:Flag of the United States Air Force.svg United States Air Force |
| Role | Air defense |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations[1] |
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The IX Air Defense Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was assigned throughout its time in combat to Ninth Air Force. Its final station was at Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Germany, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1946.
History
[edit | edit source]It was established in England on 19 July 1944, and activated on 1 July 1944. Mission was to provide air defense for liberated areas of Western Europe consisting of France and later, the Low Countries. Subordinate wing headquarters and subordinate units operated primarily from liberated airfields and newly built temporary Advanced Landing Grounds in continental Europe. Along with air defense, subordinate units engaged in combat in support of ground forces during the breakthrough at St. Lo in July 1944. Attacked tanks, trucks, and troop concentrations as enemy retreated; provided armed reconnaissance for advancing Allied armored columns. During September 1944, attacked flak positions near Eindhoven during Operation Market-Garden, the airborne landing in the Netherlands; bombed enemy communications and transportation lines in western Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance missions over Battle of the Bulge during December 1944 – January 1944. Flew missions against enemy transportation systems including motor vehicles, bridges, trains, railway bridges, and marshalling yards during February and March 1945. Moved to Germany in April 1945, flying last combat missions on 3 May 1945.
However, inactivation only occurred on 25 June 1946, and the unit was disbanded on 8 October 1948.
Lineage
[edit | edit source]- Constituted as the IX Air Defense Command on 19 June 1944
- Activated on 1 July 1944
- Inactivated on 25 July 1946
- Disbanded on 8 October 1948[1]
Assignments
[edit | edit source]- Ninth Air Force, 1 July 1944[2]
- Unknown, 28 November 1945
- United States Air Forces in Europe, 2 December 1945[3]
- Unknown, 1 February 1946 – 25 June 1946
Stations
[edit | edit source]
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|
Components
[edit | edit source]- Wing
- 71st Fighter Wing, 1 July 1944 – November 1945[1]
- Squadrons and companies
- 422d Night Fighter Squadron, 6 August – 7 October 1944[7]
- 425th Night Fighter Squadron, 10–20 June 1944; 6 August – 7 October 1944[8]
- 368th Ordnance Maintenance (AA) Company, 1945[9]
References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]- Explanatory notes
- ^ Aircraft is Northrop P-61A-10-NO, serial 42-5569 "Tabitha."
- Citations
- ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Units, p. 447
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Station number and detailed location in Anderson, pp. 13, 28
- ^ Station number in Johnson, p. 16.
- ^ Station information in Maurer, p. 447, except as noted.
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 518-519
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 522
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- Further reading
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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