1st Air Command (Sweden)

The 1st Air Command, previously named Air Command and later named Attack Command was an air group unit in the Swedish Air Force. The 1st Air Command was the collective name given to the attack wings who would jointly carry out heavier attacks in the event of war. It was active in various formations from 1938 to 1995. It was directly subordinate to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces and therefore nicknamed ÖB:s klubba.

Naming

Since its foundation in 1926, the Swedish Air Force grouped its aircraft into Flygkår, this being the aviation equivalent of an army regiment. In 1936 the Swedish Air Force switched from army-like to navy-like naming of its flying units. Thus the "air corps" became "flying flotillas" with the respective geographic region added as an official name, thus the Second Air Corps established in 1926 became the Second Royal Roslagen Flying Flotilla in 1936. Following the naval nomenclature these flying flotillas were further divided into divisions like the navy's destroyer divisions.
In the end of 1938, the Swedish Air Force formed an air squadron in the end of 1938. In 1942, it became the 1st Air Squadron, with the 2nd and 3rd to follow in 1943 and the 4th in 1945. So the traditional Swedish naming of air units is as follows:Eskader or Flygeskader - USAF Air Division or RAF Air Group equivalent Flottilj or Flygflottilj - USAF Air Wing or RAF Station equivalent Division - Air SquadronGrupp - Flight

History

According to the Defence Act of 1936, an air group commander would in case of war carry out the immediate command of the Swedish Air Force units that were part of the air command. In peacetime, his duties were to plan exercises, inspect wing exercises, and conduct co-exercises and major practical exercises, that is, not to have constant command of Swedish Air Force wings. Flygeskadern was organized in response to the emergency preparedness in September 1939 and was resolved in the latter part of 1940. According to the Defence Act of 1942, four air commands would be permanently organized and in peacetime command the constituent wings regarding tactical and operational exercises. Its staff was located in Karlsborg from 1939 to 1942. In 1942, the Swedish Air Force expanded its war organization into four air commands and the Air Command was renamed 1st Air Command, with its staff in Stockholm. The distribution of the Swedish Air Force wings to the air commands varied from 1 July 1945, when all four air commands had been organized. The 1st Air Command had attack duties, the 2nd and 3rd Air Command had fighter duties and the 4th Air Command had reconnaissance duties.
The staff were merged with the staff of the Western Air Defence District on 1 October 1957, and was placed in Gothenburg. This air command was meant to have attack duties. Its command center Björn, was located south of Skara. In 1966, the 1st Air Command became the only air command in the Swedish Air Force, when the three others were decommissioned. The commander of the 1st Air Command was subordinate to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces according to instruction by the King in Council. Issues concerning unit training and production, the commander of the 1st Air Commandwas subordinate to the Chief of the Air Force. The 1st Air Command was then renamed Attackeskadern and was led by a joint staff based in Gothenburg until it was decommissioned in 1995. The decommissioning decision came in conjunction with the Defence Act of 1992, in which it was decided that three geographic air commands were to be established on 1 July 1993 and subsequently retrieved the duties from the 1st Air Command. At the decommissioning, the traditions and history of the 1st Air Command were transferred to the Chief of Air Force Staff, which on 30 June 1998 handed them over to the Air Force Center.

Commanding officers

Between 1938 and 1941 and 1994 to 1995 the commander had the rank of colonel. Between 1941 and 1994, the commander had the rank of major general.

Commanders

List of commanders:

1938-01-07 – 1942-06-30: Major General Bengt Nordenskiöld
1942-07-01 – 1952-03-31: Major General Paulus af Uhr
1952-04-01 – 1964-03-31: Major General Björn Bjuggren
1964-04-01 – 1966-09-30: Major General Stig Norén
1966-10-01 – 1973-03-31: Major General Gösta Odqvist
1973-04-04 – 1977-06-30: Major General Bengt Rosenius
1977-07-01 – 1980-09-30: Major General Sven-Olof Olson
1980-10-01 – 1983-09-30: Major General Erik Nygren
1983-10-01 – 1990-09-30: Major General Bertil Nordström
1990-10-01 – 1994-10-01: Major General Bert Stenfeldt
1994-10-01 – 1995-06-30: Colonel Christer Salsing

Deputy commanders

After the air defence districts were decommissioned on 30 September 1957, a deputy commander position was added. The deputy commander had the rank of colonel. When all the air groups were decommissioned in 1966, the deputy commander position disappeared.

1957–1964: Lieutenant Colonel Gösta Sandberg
1964–1966: Colonel Karl-Erik Karlsson