Air Force Combat Units of WWII
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AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS-GROUPS 191 Nov 1948. Trained with C-47, C-82, and Tunisia, 26 Jun 1943; Castelvetrano, Sic- GI19 aircraft. ily, 24 Aug 1943-13 Feb 1944; Saltby, Moved to Japan, Aug-Sep 1950, and England, Feb 1944; Poix, France, Feb attached to Far East Air Forces for duty 1945; Villacoublay, France, 15 Oct 1945- in the Korean War. Operated primarily 15 Feb 1946; Bolling Field, DC, 15 Feb- with C-119 aircraft. Transported troops Sep 1946; Albrook Field, CZ, I Oct 1946; and supplies from Japan to Korea and Curundu Heights, CZ, 10 Mar-Oct 1948; evacuated wounded personnel. Partici- Smyrna AFB, Tenn, 21 Oct 1g48-Aug pated in two major airborne operations: 1950; Ashiya, Japan, Sep 1950-15 Nov dropped paratroops and equipment over 1954; Sewart AFB, Tenn, 15 Nov 1954-. Sunchon in Oct 1950 in support of the UN COMMANDERS.2d Lt L C Lillie, z Mar assault om Pyongyang; dropped para- 1942; 2d Lt J W Blakeslee, 14 May 1942; troops over Munsan-ni during the airborne Maj Leonard M Rohrbough, 26 Tun 1942; attack across the 38th Parallel in Mar 1951. COl Clayton Stiles, g Apr 1943; Lt Col Remained in Japan after the armistice to Halac G Wilson, 22 Aug 1945; Col Charles transport supplies to Korea and evacuate W Steinmetz, 29 Nov 1945-c. Feb 1946; prisoners of war. Col Richard W Henderson, 8 Oct 1948; Transferred, without personnel and Col William H DeLacey, 27 Aug 1951; equipment, to the US in Nov 1954. Col David E Daniel, 28 Sep 1951; Lt Col Manned, and equipped with C-1x9's. Re- Harold L Sommers, I May 1952; Col Wil- ceived an AFOUA for an airborne exer- liam H DeLacey, Nov 1g54-. cise, Jan-Feb 1955, when the group trans- CAMPAIGNS.World War ZZ: American ported elements of a regimental combat Theater; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome- team from Tennessee to Alaska, dropped Arno; Normandy; Northern France; paratroops over the exercise area, and Rhineland; Central Europe. Korean completed the return airlift. War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF SQUADRONS. 20th: 19461949. 30th: Intervention; 1st UN Counteroffensive; 1942. 3ZSt: 1942. 32d: 1942-1945. CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall 50th: 1942-1946, I949-. 6zs.t: 1943-1945, Offensive ; Second Korean Winter ; Korea I**. 62d: 1943-1946,194*. 3ozst: 1945- Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Win- 1946. 302d: 1945-1946. pzst: 1945-1946, ter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1953. 1955-. 323d: 1945-1946. 334th: I946 DECORATIONS.Distinguished Unit Cita- 1949. tions: Sicily, 11 Jul 1943; France, [67] STATIONS.Drew Field, Fla, 2 Mar 1942; Jun 1944; Korea, 28 NOV-10 Dec 1950. Bowman Field, Ky, 24 Jun 1942; Knob- Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Cita- noster, Mo, 4 Nov 1942; Lawson Field, tion: I Jul 1951-27 Jul 1953. Air Force Ga, c. 20 Feb-4 May 1943; Berguent, Outstanding Unit Award: 11 Jan-14 Feb French Morocco, May 1943; Kairouan, '9559 192 AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR I1 INSIGNE.ShieZd: Or, on clouds in fess, gliders. A detachment was sent to Al- azure, two boots passant of the field, geria in May 1943, and although not par- ornamented, gules. Motto: VIRI ticipating in the airborne phase of the VENIENTE-Men Will Come. (Ap- invasions of Sicily and Italy, it did sup proved 17 Aug 1942. This insigne was port those operations by transporting sup- replaced 17 Jun 1954.) plies in the theater. In Mar 194 the de- tachment returned to England and re- 3 15th TROOP CARRIER GROUP joined the group, which had been assigned to Ninth AF in Oct 1943. Prepared for the invasion of the Continent, and dropped paratroops near Cherbourg early on D- Day in Jun 1944, receiving a DUC for its action in the Normandy invasion. Dropped paratroops of 82d Airborne Divi- sion on 17 Sep 1944 when the Allies launched the air attack on Holland; flew reinforcement missions on succeeding days, landing at Grave on 26 Sep to unload paratroops and supplies. Released British paratroops near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Fol- Constituted as 315th Transport Group lowing each airborne operation, the group resumed transport activities, hauling cargo on 2 Feb 1942 and activated on 14 Feb. Redesignated 315th Troop Carrier Group such as medical supplies, signal equipment, rations, and gasoline, and evacuating in Jul 19q2. Trained for combat opera- tions with G47’s and C-53’~. Departed wounded personnel. Moved to France in the US, Oct-Nov 1942, for assignment to Apr 1945. Transported cargo and evacu- Eighth AF in England. Encountering ated prisoners of war until after V-E Day. bad weather while flying the North At- Moved to Trinidad in May 1945 and as- lantic route, the air echelon was detained signed to Air Transport Command. Used for about a month in Greenland, where (2-47’s to transport troops returning to the it searched for missing aircraft along the US. Inactivated in Trinidad on 31 Jul east coast and dropped supplies to crews. 1945 After the air and ground echelons were Activated in the US on 19 May 1947. united in England in Dec, the group be- Apparently was not manned. Inactivated gan ferrying cargo in the British Isles on 10 Sep 1948. and training with airborne troops and Redesignated 315th Troop Carrier Group (Medium). Activated in Japan on AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS-GROUPS 193 10 Jun 1952. Assigned to Far East Air mandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Forces for operations in the Korean War. Central Europe. Korean WM: Korea Used G46 aircraft to participate in the air- Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Win- lift between Japan and Korea. Trans- ter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1953. ported cargo such as vegetables, clothing, DECORATIONS.Distinguished Unit Cita- ordnance supplies, and mail; evacuated tion: France, [6] Jun 1944. Republic of patients and other personnel. Remained Korea Presidential Unit Citation: [ 10 Jun in the theater after the armistice and con- 19521-27 Jul 1953. tinued to fly transport missions until 1955. INSIGNE.Shield: Azure, a winged pack- Inactivated in Japan on 18 Jan 1955. ing box bend sinisterwise or. Motto: SQUADRONS.zgth: 1952-1955. 33d: ADVENIAM-I Will Arrive. (Ap 1942. 34th: 1942-1945; 1947-1948; 1952- proved 22 May 1942.) 1955. 35th: 1942. 43d: 194-1945; 1947- 1948; 1952-1955. 54th: 1942. 309th: 316th TROOP CARRIER GROUP 1944-1945. 3~0th: 1944-1945. 344th: 1952-1955. STATIONS.Olmsted Field, Pa, 14 Feb \ 1942; Bowman Field, Ky, 17 Jun 1942; 1, I Florence, SC, 3 Aug-11 Oct 1942; Alder- maston, England, c. I Dec 1942; Welford, i England, 6 Nov 1943; Stanhoe, England, 7 Feb 1944; Amiens, France, 6 Apr-May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, May-31 Jul b 1945. Langley Field, Va, 19 May 1947- 10 Sep 1948. Brady AB, Japan, 10 Jun 1952-18 Jan 1955. COMMANDERS.Capt Thomas J Scho- field, 14 Feb 1942; Col Hamish McLel- Constituted as 316th Transport Group land, 17 Apr 1942; Col Howard B Lyon, on 2 Feb 1942 and activated on 14 Feb. 27 Sep 1944; Lt Col Robert J Gibbons, 27 Redesignated 316th Troop Chrier Group Mar 1~5-unkn. Unkn, May 1~7-Sep in Jul1942. Trained with C-47 and C-53 1948. Lt Col Jack L Crawford, 10 Jun aircraft. Moved to the Mediterranean 1952; Lt Col Gene I Martin, 5 Dec 1952; theater, assigned to Ninth AF, and began Col Kenneth L Glassburn, 11 Aug 1953; operations, in Nov 1942. Transported Lt Col Jacob P Sartz Jr, g Nov 1954-18 supplies and evacuated casualties in sup- Jan 1955. port of the Allied drive across North CAMPAIGNS.World War ZZ: American Africa. In May 1943 began training for Theater; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Nor- the invasion of Sicily; dropped paratroops 194 AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR I1 over the assault area on the night of 9 Jul. nel and equipment, to Japan on 15 Nov Carried reinforcements to Sicily on 11 Jul 1954. Assigned to Far East Air Forces, and received a DUC for carrying out that manned, and equipped with GI19’s. mission although severely attacked by SQUADRONS.16th: 1950-1954. j6th: ground and naval forces. Received an- 1942-. 37th: I942-. 38th: 1942. #h: other DUC for supporting aerial and 1942-1945. 45th: 1942-1945. 75th: 1945- ground operations in Egypt, Libya, Tu- 1949,1952-. 77th: 19453946. nisia, and Sicily, 25 Nov 1942-25 Aug 1943, STATIONS.Patterson Field, Ohio, 14 by transporting reinforcements and sup- Feb 1942; Bowman Field, Ky, 17 Jun plies. Assigned to Twelfth AF and moved 1942;Lawson Field, Ga, 9 Aug 1942;Del to Sicily to take part in the invasion of Valle, Tex, 29 Sep-12 Nov 1942;Deversoir, Italy; dropped paratroops over the beach- Egypt, 23 Nov 1942; El Adem, Egypt, 10 head south of the Sele River on the night Dec 1942; Fayid, Egypt, Jan 1943; of 14 Sep 1943. Transported cargo in the Nouvion, Algeria, 9 May 1943; Guercif, theater until Feb 1944,then joined Ninth French Morocco, 29 May 1943; Enfida- AF in England and prepared for the in- ville, Tunisia, 21 Jun 1943;Mazzara, Sicily, vasion of France. Dropped paratroops 3 Sep 1943;Borizzo, Sicily, 18 Oct 1943-12 near Ste-Mere-Eglise on D-Day 1944 and Feb 1944; Cottesmore, England, 15 Feb flew a reinforcement mission on 7 Tun, re- 1g44-May 1945;Pope Field, NC, 25 May ceiving a third DUC for these operations. 1945;Greenville AAB, SC, 25 Aug 1947; During the air attack on Holland in Sep Smyrna AFB, Tenn, 4 Nov 194g-15 Nov 1944, dropped paratroops and released 1954;Ashiya, Japan, 15 Nov 1954-.