III Fighter Command

The III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.

GHQ Air Force (GHQ, AF) had been established with two major combat functions, to maintain a striking force against long range targets, and the air defense of the United States. In the spring of 1941, the War Department established four strategic defense areas and GHQ, AF reorganized its Southeast Air District as 3rd Air Force with responsibility for air defense planning and organization in the southeastern. 3rd Air Force activated 3rd Interceptor Command at Drew Field, Florida in 1941, under the command of Major General Walter H. Frank. The command's initial tactical component was the 8th Pursuit Wing.

The attack on Pearl Harbor put all units on heightened alert. The command was charged with control of "active agents" for air defense in its area of responsibility, which included interceptor aircraft, antiaircraft artillery and barrage balloons. Civilian organizations provided air raid warnings and enforced blackouts and came under the authority of the Office of Civilian Defense and the command worked "feverishly" to create a ground observer corps as elements of its Aircraft Warning Service. However, it soon became apparent that having two commands responsible for air defense in the Eastern Theater of Operations was impractical. 1st Interceptor Command was given the mission of defending the East and Gulf coasts, while 3rd concentrated on the training mission starting early in 1942. Although the command retained responsibility for air defense on the Gulf coast west of the Apalachicola River, no "vital air defense zone" was established for this area, as it was for the Pacific and East coasts.

The command trained fighter organizations and personnel. By the end of 1942, the command's training consisted almost entirely of Replacement Training Units (RTU).

The command was inactivated in April 1946. It was transferred in inactive status to the newly-independent United States Air Force in September 1947, and was disbanded in October 1948.

• Constituted as the 3rd Interceptor Command on 26 May 1941

Activated 17 June 1941

Redesignated 3rd Fighter Command on 15 May 1942

Redesignated III Fighter Command c. 18 September 1942

Inactivated on 8 April 1946

Disbanded on 8 October 1948

• 3rd Air Force (later Third Air Force), 17 June 1941
• Fifteenth Air Force 21 March 1946 – 8 April 1946

Wings

• 8th Pursuit Wing (later 8th Fighter Wing), assigned c. 1 July – 1 November 1941; attached 28 July – c. 28 October 1942
• 19th Bombardment Wing, attached 24 July 1942 – 28 September 1942
• 22d Bombardment Training Wing, 6–15 August 1943

Groups

Squadrons

• 32d Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter): 15 August – 1 September 1943
• 34th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter): 15 August – 1 September 1943
• 99th Fighter Squadron: attached 19 August 1942 – 24 April 1943
• 403d Fighter Squadron: 15 March – 7 August 1943
• 439th Fighter Squadron: 22 February 1943 – 1 March 1944

Other

• 555th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion: 4 July – 8 October 1942

• Drew Field, Florida, 17 June 1941
• MacDill Field, Florida, c. 1 December 1945 – 8 April 1946

Explanatory notes

Citations

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

• Cate, James L.; Williams, E. Kathleen (1948). "Prelude to War, Chapter 4, The Air Corps Prepares for War, 1939-41". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. I, Plans and Early Operations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Goss, William A. (1955). "Tactical Demands, Chapter 8, Air Defense of the Western Hemisphere". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. I, Plans and Early Operations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2021.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2016.