66th Fighter Wing

66th Fighter Wing
Illinois Air National Guard 169th Fighter Squadron F-51H Mustang 44-64661
Active	1943–1945;; 1946-1950
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Wing
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Illinois Air National Guard

The 66th Fighter Wing (66 FW) is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force, last stationed at Chicago Municipal Airport, Illinois. It was withdrawn from the Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) and inactivated on 31 October 1950.

This wing is not related to the United States Air Force 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing or subsequent units that was constituted on 15 November 1952 and activated on 1 January 1953.

History

World War II

Established in March 1943 at Norfolk Army Airfield Virginia. Supervised training of fighter units for overseas duty.

Reorganized and deployed to England, became an intermediate-level command and control organization for VIII Fighter Command with responsibility for fighter-escort groups of Eighth Air Force. Assigned groups provided fighter escort to B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator heavy bomber groups during combat missions over Occupied Europe July 1943-May 1945. Inactivated in England, 21 November 1945.

Air National Guard

Allocated to the Illinois Air National Guard for command and control origination for units in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Extended federal recognition and activated on 26 November 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 As a result, the wing was withdrawn from the Illinois ANG and was inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 126th Composite Wing was established by the National Guard Bureau, allocated to the state of Illinois, recognized and activated 1 November 1950; assuming the personnel, equipment and mission of the inactivated 66th Fighter Wing.

Lineage

Constituted as 5th Air Defense Wing on 25 March 1943

Activated on 27 March 1943

Re-designated 66th Fighter Wing on 3 July 1943.

Inactivated on 21 November 1945.

Allotted to the Illinois ANG on 24 May 1946

Extended federal recognition and activated on 26 November 1946

Inactivated, and returned to the control of the Department of the Air Force, on 31 October 1950

Disbanded on 15 June 1983

Assignments

Eighth Air Force, 27 March 1943
VIII Fighter Command, 3 July 1943 – 21 November 1945
Illinois Air National Guard, 26 November 1946 – 31 October 1950

Components

World War II

4th Fighter Group: 23 July – 4 November 1945
55th Fighter Group: 14 September 1943 – 23 July 1945
56th Fighter Group: 15 September – 11 October 1945
66th Carrier Squadron: 18 January 1942 – 31 December 1945
78th Fighter Group: April 1943 – October 1945
339th Fighter Group: 4 April 1944 – October 1945
353d Fighter Group: 3 August 1943 – October 1945

357th Fighter Group, 31 January 1944 – 8 July 1945
358th Fighter Group, 20 October 1943 – 3 July 1944
359th Fighter Group: October 1943 – November 1945
361st Fighter Group: 30 November 1943 – 1 February 1945; April 1945
479th Fighter Group: 15 May 1944 – 21 November 1945

Illinois Air National Guard

126th Bombardment Group, 29 June 1947 – 31 October 1950
169th Fighter Squadron, 21–29 June 1947
122d Fighter Group, 9 December 1946 – 7 December 1947 (Indiana ANG)
127th Fighter Group, 29 September 1946 – 31 October 1950 (Michigan ANG)
128th Fighter Group, 29 June 1948 – 31 October 1950 (Wisconsin ANG)
112th Bombardment Squadron, 2 December 1946 – 7 December 1947 (Ohio ANG)
162d Fighter Squadron, 22 November-7 December 1947 (Ohio ANG)
166th Fighter Squadron, 10 November-7 December 1947 (Ohio ANG)

Stations

Norfolk Airport, Virginia, 27 March-c. 11 May 1943
RAF Duxford (AAF-357), England, c. 3 June 1943
Sawston Hall (AAF-371), England, 20 August 1943
RAF Troston (AAF-595), England, C. 25 October – 21 November 1945
Chicago Municipal Airport, Illinois, 26 November 1946 – 31 October 1950

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force: World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1982.

External links

United States Air Force

Leadership

Structure

Commands	Reserve Air National Guard Field Operating Agencies Installations

Direct Reporting Units	District of Washington Operational Test and Evaluation Center USAF Academy

Major Commands	Air Combat Air Education and Training Air Mobility Global Strike Materiel Reserve Space Special Operations Europe & Africa Pacific

Numbered Air Forces	First Second Third Fourth Fifth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Seventeenth Eighteenth Nineteenth Twentieth Twenty-Second Twenty-Third Twenty-Fourth Twenty-Fifth

Wings (ANG) Groups (ANG) Squadrons (ANG) Civilian auxiliary: Civil Air Patrol

Personnel and
training

Uniforms and
equipment

History and
traditions

Category
Portal

Air National Guard (ANG)

State and Territorial units	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Centers	Air National Guard Readiness ANG AFRC Test ANG Weather Readiness I.G. Brown Air National Guard Training and Education

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 Eighth Air Force in World War II

Stations

United Kingdom	Alconbury Aldermaston Andrews Field Atcham Attlebridge Bassingbourn Bodney Bottisham Bovingdon Boxted Bungay Burtonwood Depot Bury St. Edmunds Bushey Hall Chalgrove Cheddington Chelveston Chipping Ongar Daws Hill Debach Debden Deenethorpe Deopham Green Duxford Earls Colne East Wretham Eye Fersfield Fowlmere Framlingham Glatton Goxhill Grafton Underwood Great Ashfield Great Dunmow Halesworth Hardwick Harrington Hethel Honington Horham Horsham St. Faith Ibsley Keevil Kimbolton Kings Cliffe Kirton In Lindsey Knettishall Lavenham Leiston Little Walden Martlesham Heath Membury Mendlesham Metfield Molesworth Mount Farm North Pickenham Nuthampstead Old Buckenham Podington Polebrook Rackheath Ramsbury Rattlesden Raydon Ridgewell Seething Shipdham Snetterton Heath Steeple Morden Sudbury Thorpe Abbots Thurleigh Tibenham Wattisham Watton Wendling Westhampnett Wormingford

Okinawa	Bolo Ie Shima Kadena Futenma Yontan

Units

Commands

VIII Air Support
VIII Bomber
VIII

Air Divisions

Wings

Bombardment	1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 12th 316th

Fighter	6th 65th 66th 67th 301st

Groups

Bombardment	34th 44th 91st 92d 93d 94th 95th 96th 97th 100th 301st 303d 305th 306th 310th 319th 320th 322d 323d 333d 346th 351st 379th 381st 382d 383d 384th 385th 386th 387th 388th 389th 390th 392d 398th 401st 445th 446th 447th 448th 452d 453d 457th 458th 466th 467th 486th 482d 487th 489th 490th 491st 492d 493d 801st (Provisional)

Fighter	1st 4th 14th 20th 31st 48th 55th 56th 78th 318th 339th 350th 352d 353d 354th 355th 356th 357th 358th 361st 362d 364th 413th 479th 495th 496th 507th

Troop Carrier	60th 62d 315th

Reconnaissance	3d 7th 25th 67th

United States Army Air Forces

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