| rdfs:comment | - The organization was established during the early days of World War II as an air defense command and control wing assigned to First Air Force at Mitchel Field, New York. By February 1943, it was clear that no German planes were heading to attack the East Coast, and the organization was realigned to become a command and control organization for Twelfth Air Force, engaged in combat as part of the North African Campaign. The wing moved to North Africa in February 1943 and supported combat operations with a warning and control system, and, occasionally, augmenting the operations section of the XII Air Support Command in the Tunisian campaign.
|
| abstract | - The organization was established during the early days of World War II as an air defense command and control wing assigned to First Air Force at Mitchel Field, New York. By February 1943, it was clear that no German planes were heading to attack the East Coast, and the organization was realigned to become a command and control organization for Twelfth Air Force, engaged in combat as part of the North African Campaign. The wing moved to North Africa in February 1943 and supported combat operations with a warning and control system, and, occasionally, augmenting the operations section of the XII Air Support Command in the Tunisian campaign. During the Sicilian and Italian campaigns (1943–1944), it administered fighter and fighter-bomber support to ground forces in a wide range of operations that included cover patrols, battle-area patrols, invasion coverage, escort missions, dive bombing missions, and reconnaissance. In Italy, the 64th directed close air support operations against enemy objectives in advance of Allied troops. Its primary targets included enemy gun positions, road junctions, traffic concentrations, assembly areas, bridges, and targets of opportunity. In August 1944 during the invasion of southern France, wing personnel, applying techniques developed in the invasion of Sicily and Italy, controlled air operations while aboard ships patrolling the assault beaches. With the landing of troops, a beachhead control unit directed aircraft to hit enemy strong points, ammunition dumps, troop concentrations, road intersections, supply lines, and communications. As Allied forces advanced northward along the Rhone valley, the wing implemented a plan to give more rapid support to the ground troops. Forward control units, equipped with the latest in air ground communications, directed sector air ground support. During the operations in France and Germany (1944–1945), the 64th continued to coordinate the close air-ground support of its fighter aircraft. After the end of hostilities in May 1945, the wing served in the occupation of Germany as part of the XII Tactical Air Command, United States Air Forces in Europe. In Occupied Germany the wing performed many occupation duties such as destroying captured enemy aircraft, repairing roads, bridges and processing Prisoners of War. It also commanded combat units which were inactivating and sending their aircraft to storage, disposal or return to the United States. It was inactivated in Germany on 5 June 1947.
|
