64th Fighter Wing
| 64th Fighter Wing | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1942 - 1947 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Wing |
| Role | Control of Fighter-Bomber forces |
| Part of | XII Tactical Air Command |
| Motto(s) | Mors Semper Tyrannis (Latin for 'Death always to Tyrants') |
| Equipment |
|
| Commanders | |
| Tunisia | Col Robert Scott Israel Jr (December 1942 - July 1943) |
| Sicily | Brig. Gen. John Reynolds Hawkins (July 1943 - April 1944) |
| Italy & France | Brig. Gen. Glenn O. Barcus (April 1944 - January 1945) |
| France & Germany | Col. Nelson P. Jackson (January 1945 - September 1945) |
| Germany | Brig. Gen. Ned Schramm (September 1945 - June 1946) |
| Germany | Col. Henry W Dorr (June 1946 - June 1947) |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | P-47 Thunderbolt |
The 64th Fighter Wing was a World War II tactical air control wing of the Twelfth Air Force, operating in the Mediterranean and European theaters. From its initial deployment in North Africa through campaigns in Sicily, Italy, France, and ultimately Germany, the wing advanced and refined close air support (CAS) of forward ground-based radar control in coordination with Allied aircraft.
As the oldest of the tactical air control wings it played a key role in developing techniques for integrating fighter-bombers with army divisions in a fully coordinated combat strategy. This collaboration between air and ground forces proved critical in the advance to Rome, the invasion of Southern France, and the Ardennes Campaign, where precise fighter-bomber support was a key factor to the Allies success.