456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

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 18 July 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 inactivated only to be reactivated again at Castle AFB in October 1955 with F-86D Sabre Interceptors. In 1957 began re-equipping with the North American F-86L Sabre, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE computer-controlled direction system for intercepts. The service of the F-86L destined to be quite brief, since by the time the last F-86L conversion was delivered, the type was already being phased out in favor of supersonic interceptors.

Upgraded in June 1958 into supersonic 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 5 October 1944
 * Activated on 15 October 1944
 * Inactivated on 25 August 1946


 * Redesignated 456th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 23 March 1953
 * Activated on 8 August 1954
 * Inactivated on 18 August 1955


 * Activated on 18 October 1955
 * Inactivated on 18 July 1968, personnel and equipment redesignated 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

Assignments

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

Stations

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

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

Aircraft

 * P-47 Thunderbolt, 1944–1946
 * F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1954–1955; 1955–1957
 * F-86L Sabre Interceptor (SAGE) 1957-1958
 * F-102 Delta Dagger 1958–1959
 * F-106 Delta Dart, 1959–1968