Kalmar Wing
Kalmar flygflottilj
Active1942–1980
CountrySweden
AllegianceSwedish Armed Forces
BranchSwedish Air Force
TypeWing (1940–1957)
Sector wing (1957–1978)
Wing (1978–1980)
RoleFighter wing
Part ofFirst Air Group (1942–1948)
Second Air Group (1948–1966)
Southern Military District (1966–1980)
Garrison/HQKalmar
March"Kalmar flygflottiljs marsch" (Hartog)[note 1]
Insignia
Roundel
Aircraft flown
BomberB 4, B 5, B 17C
FighterJ 21A, J 21B, J 29A, J 32B, J 35F
Reconnaissance 14
TrainerSk 12, Sk 14, Sk 15, Sk 16 Sk 50
G 101, S 102, Se 103, Se 104, P 1

Kalmar Wing (Swedish: Kalmar flygflottilj), also F 12 Kalmar, or simply F 12, is a former Swedish Air Force wing with the main base located on the south-east coast of Sweden.

History

The wing started out with three squadrons of B 17C in 1942.

In 1947, F 12 was converted to a fighter wing by replacing the light bombers with the J 21A-2 which were upgraded to -3 before they were obsolete.

Through 1952 to 1953, the three wings replaced the J 21's with J 29As which were only kept for five years until they were replaced by the J 32B Lansen in 1958. However, one of the squadrons were decommissioned after only two years.

In 1962, the Air Force Meteorology School moved to F 12 Kalmar from F 2 Hägernäs.

The two squadrons were upgraded to J 35F in 1968 which were kept until the decommissioning of the wing in 1980.

The base with the meteorology school continued to operate under the F 17K name as a detachment to Blekinge Wing (F 17) until 1983 when the school moved to the Swedish Air Force Flying School.

The airfield has been used for general and commercial aviation as Kalmar Airport (IATA: KLR, ICAO: ESMQ) since 1980.

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

Blazon: "Argent, the town badge of Kalmar, from a waved base azure a tower embattled gules, gate and window or issuant between two etoiles gules."[2]

Colours, standards and guidons

Colour

A colour was presented to the wing on 17 September 1944 at F 8 in Barkarby by His Majesty the King Gustaf V.[3] The colour is preserved at Blekinge Wing. Blazon: "On blue cloth in the centre the badge of the Air Force; a winged two-bladed propeller under a royal crown proper. In the first corner from a waved base a yellow tower embattled issuant between two mullets".[3]

March

”Kalmar flygflottiljs marsch” was composed by Bo Hartog, the wing's music director. It has not been officially established.[3]

Commanding officers

Commanding officers from 1942 to 1980.[4] The commanding officer was referred to as flottiljchef ("wing commander") and had the rank of colonel. From 1976 to 1978, the wing commander was referred to as sektorflottiljchef ("sector wing commander"). The deputy sector wing commander was sometimes referred to as wing commander.

Names, designations and locations

Name Translation From To
Kungl. Kalmar flygflottilj Royal Kalmar Wing 1942-07-01 – 1974-12-31
Kalmars flygflottilj Kalmar Wing
Kalmar Air Group[5] 		1975-01-01 – 1980-06-30
Designation From To
F 12 1942-07-01 – 1957-09-30
F 12/Se S2 1957-10-01 – 1978-??-??
F 12 1978-??-?? – 1980-06-30
Location From To
Törneby 1942-07-01 – 1980-06-30
Kalmar Airport 1942-07-01 – 1980-06-30

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The march was never officially established for the wing.[1]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Sandberg 2007, p. 37
  2. ^ Braunstein 2006, p. 60
  3. ^ a b c Braunstein 2005, p. 87
  4. ^ Braunstein 2005, p. 88
  5. ^ Appich 1988, p. 42

Print

Web

Further reading

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56°40′34″N 16°17′09″E / 56.6761°N 16.2858°E / 56.6761; 16.2858

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