Cross City Air Force Station

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Coordinates: 29°38′4.60″N 83°05′55.89″W / 29.6346111°N 83.0988583°W / 29.6346111; -83.0988583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the civil airport use of this facility, see Cross City Airport.
Cross City Air Force Station
Cross City Army Airfield
Air Defense Command, later
Aerospace Defense Command
Dixie County, near Cross City, Florida
Cross City AFS in the 1960s
Cross City Army Airfield, 1944
Cross City AFS is located in Florida
Cross City AFS
Cross City AFS
Coordinates29°38′4.60″N 83°05′55.89″W / 29.6346111°N 83.0988583°W / 29.6346111; -83.0988583.
TypeLong Range Radar Site
CodeADC ID: TM-200, NORAD ID: Z-200
Site information
Controlled by United States Air Force
Open to
the public		Yes
Site history
Built1942
Built byU.S. Air Force
In use1942-1970
Garrison information
GarrisonCross City, Florida

Cross City Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force facility, located 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of Cross City, Florida.

Overview

Originally a small civil airport, during

Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics and Third Air Force
.

Closed after the war and returned to civil control, in 1958 the

Air Defense Command ground interceptor radar site. Closed by the Air Force in 1970, the radars were turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Today it is part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS), designated by NORAD as Eastern Air Defense Sector
(EADS) Ground Equipment Facility J-10.

History

World War II

The airport was opened as a public airport in April 1940. In August 1942, the facility was requisitioned by the United States Army Air Forces, and construction began to convert the Civil Aeronautics Administration airport in Cross City to a dive bomber military training airfield. The construction included the addition of and improvements to buildings, taxiways, roads, and hard stands. Historical documents list three ranges at the Cross City AAF: a shoot-in-butt, a rifle range, and a skeet range.

Known as Cross City Army Airfield, it was used as part of the Army Air Forces Center (AAF Center)'s combat simulation school in Central and Northern Florida and as a unit training center by Third Air Force.

Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics / Army Air Forces Tactical Center

Activated on 27 October 1942 as part of the

Orlando Army Air Base, and came under the jurisdiction of the 50th Fighter Group
stationed at Orlando.

The 50th assigned the

P-47 Thunderbolts until 1 February 1944.[2]

In support of the training mission, the Horseshoe Point Auxiliary Airfield (29°28′19″N 083°18′18″W / 29.47194°N 83.30500°W / 29.47194; -83.30500) was constructed and used by the school as an auxiliary and emergency landing airfield. No personnel were permanently assigned to Horseshoe Point.

Third Air Force

The AAFTC training mission ended in late June 1944, when Cross City was officially reassigned to

Alachua Army Airfield
, near Gainesville, assigned to the Commando Squadron Fighter Training School.

A different mission of sorts was ordered by III Fighter Command, the training of Air Commando fighter units for the

C-64 Norseman
utility cargo aircraft, the pilots were schooled in low level flying, short field landings, tactical reconnaissance, and supply missions.

Closure

With the Air Commando units moving out at the end of 1944, the flying mission wound down at Cross City AAF and it was used as an auxiliary airfield of the

Air Technical Service Command
facilities at Alachua AAF. The airfield remained open, mostly seeing transient training aircraft from various training bases in Florida and South Georgia. The number of personnel was also reduced, being reassigned to other bases.

In January 1945, Third Air Force sent down orders to close the facility, and it was placed on inactive status on 1 February 1945. Jurisdiction of the airfield was transferred to

Air Technical Service Command (ATSC), whose mission was the transfer of any useful military equipment to other bases around the country. Under ATSC, buildings and equipment were sold and any useful military equipment was transferred to other military bases across the United States. The base was declared as surplus in 1946 and was turned over to the War Assets Administration (WAA) for disposal and return to civil use. After the war, the airfield was returned to civil control and the Cross City Airport was re-established.[3][4][5]

World War II units assigned

Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics / Army Air Forces Tactical Center

  • P-39 Airacobra
    )
  • P-47 Thunderbolt
    )

Third Air Force

  • P-51 Mustang
    )
  • 2d Fighter Squadron (Commando), 9–21 June 1944 (P-51 Mustang)
  • 127th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 21 June-17 August 1944
  • 155th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 21 June-17 August 1944
  • 156th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 21 June-17 August 1944
  • 157th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 19 August-6 October 1944
  • 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 19 August-6 October 1944
  • 160th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 19 August-6 October 1944

Air Defense Command / Aerospace Defense Command

Emblem of the 691st Radar Squadron

In 1958, the United States Air Force exercised a reversal clause option for a portion of the former Cross City AAF under the post-World War II WAA action that transferred the former military airfield back to the city as a civilian airport. As a USAF installation, the new facility would not have a flying mission, but would be an air defense radar site under the operational control of the

Air Defense Command
(ADC). The portion of the field used by ADC was renamed Cross City Air Force Station.

New military construction (MILCON) ensued, to include concrete structures for barracks, dining facilities, operations, administration, maintenance, and backup electrical power, as well as metal and masonry structures for radar antennas and associated systems. The 691st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (691 AC&WS) moved from

Imeson Airport
in Jacksonville, Florida.

During 1959, Cross City AFS joined the

691st Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 October 1959.[7]
The radar squadron provided information 24/7/365 to the SAGE Direction Center where it was analyzed to determine range, direction altitude speed and whether or not aircraft were friendly or hostile.

In 1962, the search radar was upgraded to an

AN/FPS-66 radar, and then to an AN/FPS-66A in 1967. In addition to the general radar surveillance, Cross City AFS supported CIM-10 Bomarc antiaircraft missile testing by the 4751st Air Defense Wing (Missile) and 4751st Air Defense Squadron (Missile) at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field #9 (Hurlburt Field)
, Florida.

In addition to the main facility, Cross City AFS also operated two

AN/FPS-14
Gap Filler sites:

On 1 April 1966, the

32d Air Division, which was reactivated at Gunter AFB on that date. In 1968, Air Defense Command was renamed Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), but all existing command relationships for the 691st Radar Squadron and Cross City AFS with the 32nd Air Division remained unchanged. In 1969, one AN/FPS-6 was removed and higher headquarters for the 691st and Cross City AFS shifted to the 20th Air Division
at Tyndall AFB.

The Air Force inactivated the 691st Radar Squadron on 30 September 1970[8] and closed the facility.[9]

Today what was Cross City Air Force Station is now the Florida Department of Corrections' Cross City Correctional Institution. Access by the general public is not permitted. Many former Air Force buildings are now utilized by the prison while the radar site is still used as part of the Joint Surveillance System (JSS).

Post-War Air Force units and assignments

Units:

  • 691st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, assigned 1 July 1958
Activated 1 March 1958 at Dobbins AFB, Georgia (not equipped or manned)
Redesignated 691st Radar Squadron (SAGE), 1 October 1959
Inactivated 30 September 1970

Assignments:

  • 35th Air Division, 1 December 1957
  • 32d Air Division
    , 15 November 1958
  • Montgomery Air Defense Sector
    , 1 November 1959
  • 32d Air Division, 1 April 1966
  • 20th Air Division, 19 November 1969 – 30 September 1970

See also

References

  1. ^ Maurer, Maurer. (ed.), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, Office of Air Force History, Washington, DC, 1969 (reprint 1982), p.369
  2. ^ Id., p.285
  3. ^ USAFHRA Document 00171241
  4. ^ USAFHRA Document 00117882
  5. ^ USAFHRA Document 00171240
  6. ^ Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980), p.161
  7. ^ Id.
  8. ^ Id.
  9. ^ USAFHRA Document 00463594
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
  • Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980 Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980).
  • Maurer, Maurer. (ed.), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force Office of Air Force History, Washington, DC, 1969 (reprint 1982)
    ISBN 0-405-12194-6
    .
  • Maurer, Maurer (ed.), Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Office of Air Force History, Washington, DC, 1961 (reprint 1983)
    ISBN 0-912799-02-1
    .
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
    ISBN 0-912799-12-9
    .
  • Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 2004.
  • Winkler, David F. & Webster, Julie L., Searching the Skies[dead link], The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, Champaign, IL (1997).
  • Information for Cross City AFS, FL

External links

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