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''For the civil airport use of this facility, see Frankfurt-Hahn Airport '' Hahn Air Base was a frontline NATO facility in Germany for over 40 years during the Cold War . It was the home of the United States Air Force '''50th Fighter Wing''' (in various designations) for most of those years as part of the United States Air Forces In Europe (USAFE). It was one of several USAFE bases in Germany ( Zweibrucken Air Base , Ramstein , Sembach , Bitburg , Spangdahlem , and Rhein-Main ) all within 100 km (62.5 miles) of each other. Beyond their location in the heart of US troop concentrations, these air bases were well situated to reach all locations within Europe and the Mediterranean region. History In 1951, occupying French forces founded an air base on the site which about 40 years later would become Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. In September 1952, the United States took over the installation, and began to erect the seventh largest United States Air Force base in Europe and the second largest in Germany. The initial USAF unit at Hahn was the 7356th Air Base Group, whose mission was to get the base up and running and into an operational state. Base facilities then consisted of pre-fabricated barrack buildings, heated by coke-burning pot belly stoves, outdoor latrines, and tents for motorpool personnel to work in. An L-5B was the first aircraft assigned to Hahn to fill administrative flight requirements. 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing With most of the construction completed by mid-1953, the primary mission of the Hahn Air Base was the reception of the 50th Fighter Bomber Wing. The aircraft was deployed to Hahn from Clovis AFB New Mexico during Operation Fox Able 20 on 10 August 1953 . This marked the first mass flight of an entire tactical wing from the U.S. to continental Europe. The operational squadrons of the 50th FBW were:
The 417th FBS was commanded for a time by Chuck Yeager . The 81st flew the North American F-86F Sabre , with squadron markings of dark blue for the 10th, yellow for the 81st and red for the 417th. The wing conducted tactical operations in support of USAF, NATO, and U.S. Army forces. In the autumn of 1955, the wing was upgraded to the F-86H. The primary mission of the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was the delivery of tactical nuclear weapons against Warsaw Pact forces in the event of an invasion of Western Europe. Its secondary missions were tactical air defense and support for NATO ground forces. Due to the vulnerability of West Germany to Soviet attack, USAF planners did not want their tactical nuclear weapons in locations that could be quickly overrun by Warsaw Pact forces. When construction was completed at Toul-Rosieres Air Base France , the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was moved there on 17 July 1956 . 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron In August 1954 the Air Defense Command 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron from Hamilton AFB California arrived at Hahn flying the North American F-86D Saber to stand air defense alert. Although based at Hahn, the 496th FIS was assigned to the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Ramstein Air Base . The squadron won the Hughes Trophy as the best fighter-interceptor squadron in the USAF in 1955. It stood alert and deployed regularly to Wheelus Air Base , Libya , for rocketry practice. Later added other European bases as weapons training deployments. On 10 December 1959 the 496th was upgraded to the Convair F-102A/TF-102B "Delta Dagger" . The 496th was the second European squadron, after the 525th FIS at Bitburg Air Base to receive the F-102. With the transition to the F-102, the 496th operated under the USAFE 86th Air Division (Defense) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960. This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command. The squadron remained attached to the 86th AD until the F-102s were withdrawn from Europe and it was transferred to the 50th TFW on 25 November 1968 . 7425th Air Base Group With the move of the F-86s to France, the 7425th Air Base Group became the "parent" organization at Hahn, providing support for the following units:
Note: 701st TMW deactivated on 18 June 1958. Groups transferred to 38th TMW. Each of these tactical missile groups had several missile squadrons for operations, support and maintenance.
On 3 August 1956 the 701st Tactical Missile Wing, equipped with the Martin TM-61A "Matador" cruise missile, was activated Hahn. This was the first U.S. Air Force tactical missile wing. On 18 June 1958 The 38th Tactical Missile Wing replaced the 701st TMW at Hahn, being transferred from Laon-Couvron Air Base France . The 38th was headquartered at Sembach Air Base and was composed of launch and maintenance squadrons at Hahn and Bitburg Air Base s. Along with the Matador, the 38th TMW had the distinction of bringing the Martin MGM-13A Mace missile operational in August 1959, while maintaining the Matador combat ready until September 1962. The mission of the 701st and 38th TMW was the dispersal and maintenance these cruise missiles. These were the first operational surface-to-surface missiles built by the United States, similar in concept to the World War II German V-1 Flying Bomb . Both the Mace and Matador missiles were designed to carry a conventional or nuclear warhead. In 1959 disagreements arose concerning atomic weapons storage and custody issues within NATO, resulting in a decision to remove United States Air Force atomic-capable units from the French soil, and it was decided to move the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing from Toul AB back to Hahn. In August 1960, a few months prior to the return of the 50th from France, the 38th Tactical Missile Wing was transferred to Sembach Air Base. 50th Tactical Fighter Wing |
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