323d Expeditionary Operations Group

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323d Expeditionary Operations Group
Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
323d Air Expeditionary Group emblem (approved 25 September 1973)[2][note 1]
323d Bombardment Group emblem (Approved 16 February 1943)[3]
Tail marking (World War II)[1]Horizontal white band

The 323d Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional

United States Air Forces in Europe
. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time.

During

Air Force Reserves. It was called to active duty for the Korean War
, but was inactivated after its personnel were used to bring other units up to full strength.

The group was again active during the 1950s as the 323d Fighter-Bomber Group, flying

Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. It remained inactive until 1991, when it became the 323d Operations Group at Mather Air Force Base
, California, where it trained navigators until it was inactivated in 1993.

History

World War II
Martin B-26 Marauders of the 455th Bomb Squadron line up on the perimeter track[note 2]

Training in the United States

The unit was first activated in August 1942 at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina as the 323d Bombardment Group with the 453d, 454th, 455th and 456th Bombardment Squadron assigned as its original squadrons.[4][5][6][7][8] It trained under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States with Martin B-26 Marauders. The group moved to England beginning in April 1943. The flight echelons few via the southern ferry route except for that of the 456th Squadron, which flew the northern route. The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth.[4][9]

Combat in the European Theater

The group arrived at

VIII Bomber Command.[9]

In June 1943, the group and all other Eighth Air Force B-26 units became part of

airfields, industrial plants, military installations, and other targets in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.[4]

Along with other Marauder units of the 3d Wing, the 323d transferred to Ninth Air Force in October 1943, which moved from Egypt to absorb the resources of VIII Air Support Command. The group flew missions against V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites along the coast of France and attacked airfields at Leeuwarden and Venlo in conjunction with the Allied campaign against the Luftwaffe and aircraft industry during Big Week, from 20 to 25 February 1944.[4]

The 323d helped to prepare for

ammunition dumps.[4]

Between 16 and 26 August, the 323d moved to

Distinguished Unit Citation for its efforts.[4]

As Allied forces advanced into Germany, the group struck

AAF Station Gablingen, Germany and participated in the disarmament program. The group returned to the United States in December and was inactivated at the port of embarkation on 12 December 1945.[4]

Air Force Reserve

A-26 of the Air Force Reserve

The group was activated in September 1947 in the

323d Bombardment Wing. The wing was manned at 25% of normal strength but the group was authorized four squadrons rather than the three of active duty units.[12]
All reserve combat units were mobilized for the Korean war.[13] The group and was ordered to active duty in the second wave of reserve mobilizations for the Korean War on 10 March 1951. Its personnel were used as fillers for other units, with Strategic Air Command receiving first choice, and the group was inactivated a week later.[14][15]

North American F-100A landing with drag chute

Fighter operations

Main article: 323d Air Expeditionary Wing § 323d Fighter-Bomber Wing

The group was redesignated the 323d Fighter-Bomber Group and activated at

North American F-86F Sabres, these were quickly upgraded to the F-86H Sabre and then to the North American F-100 Super Sabre The 323d inactivated on 1 September 1957, when the base was transferred to Strategic Air Command.[14]

Navigator Training

Main article: 323d Air Expeditionary Wing § 323d Flying Training Wing

On 15 December 1991, Air Training Command implemented the Objective Wing concept at Mather Air Force Base and the group was reactivated as the 323d Operations Group of the 323d Flying Training Wing. The Base Realignment and Closure directed that Mather close on 30 September 1993. Group squadrons began to inactivate in early 1992 and the group and its remaining squadrons were inactivated on 31 May 1993,[4] and its mission and most of its Boeing T-43 aircraft were reassigned to the 12th Operations Group at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.[citation needed]

Expeditionary operations

In March 2003, the group was converted to provisional status and renamed the 323d Expeditionary Operations Group. It was assigned to

United States Air Forces Europe to activate and inactivated as needed for contingency operations, but there have been no reported activations of the unit.[4]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 323d Bombardment Group (Medium) on 19 June 1942
Activated on 4 August 1942
  • Redesignated 323d Bombardment Group, Medium on 5 August 1944
Inactivated on 12 December 1945
  • Redesignated 323d Bombardment Group, Light
Activated in the reserve on 9 September 1947
Ordered to active duty on 10 March 1951
Inactivated on 17 March 1951
  • Redesignated 323d Fighter-Bomber Group on 9 May 1955
Activated on 8 August 1955
Inactivated on 1 September 1957
  • Redesignated 323d Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985 (not active)
  • Redesignated 323d Operations Group
Activated on 1 September 1991
Inactivated on 31 May 1993

Assignments

Components

  • 323d Operations Support Squadron: 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 450th Flying Training Squadron
    : 15 December 1991 – 10 November 1992
  • 451st Flying Training Squadron: 15 December 1991 – 15 January 1992
  • 452d Flying Training Squadron
    : 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 453d Bombardment Squadron (later 453d Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 453d Flying Training Squadron): 4 August 1942 – 12 December 1945; 10 May 1949 – 17 March 1951; 8 August 1955 – 1 September 1957; 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 454th Bombardment Squadron (later 454th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 454th Flying Training Squadron): 4 August 1942 – 12 December 1945; 10 May 1949 – 17 March 1951; 8 August 1955 – 1 September 1957; 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 455th Bombardment Squadron(later 455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 455th Flying Training Squadron): 4 August 1942 – 12 December 1945; 10 May 1949 – 17 March 1951; 8 August 1955 – 1 September 1957; 15 December 1991 – 31 May 1993
  • 456th Bombardment Squadron: 4 August 1942 – 12 December 1945; 26 September 1947 – 17 March 1951[4]

Stations

Aircraft

  • Martin B-26 Marauder (1942–1945)
  • Douglas B-26 Invader (1949–1951)
  • North American F-86 Sabre (1955–1957)
  • North American F-100 Super Sabre (1956–1957)
  • Boeing T-43 (1991–1993)
  • Cessna T-37 Tweet (1991–1993)[4]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation
 24–27 December 1944 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 1 May 1943 – 5 June 1944 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 323d Bombardment Group[4]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 1 May 1943 – 11 May 1945 323d Bombardment Group[4]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ The group uses the wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Robertson, AFHRA Facsheet
  2. ^ Martin B-26C-15-MO Marauder serial 41-34871 (foreground) is identifiable.

Citations

  1. ^ a b Watkins, pp. 101–102
  2. ^ Ravenstein, p. 174
  3. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 203–204
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Robertson, Patsy (28 May 2010). "Factsheet 323d Expeditionary Operations Group (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  5. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 558–559
  6. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 559–560
  7. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 560–561
  8. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 561–562
  9. ^ a b c Freeman, p. 249
  10. ^ a b Freeman, p. 58
  11. ^ See Mueller, p. 549
  12. ^ Cantwell, p. 74
  13. ^ Cantwell, p. 87
  14. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 174–176
  15. ^ Cantwell, p. 96
  16. ^ Maurer indicates that the group was assigned to the 3d Bombardment Wing during this period. The 98th Wing was an element of these commands during the relevant period. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 413–414. Freeman agrees for the period the group was part of Eighth Air Force. Freeman, p. 249. Rust states that all B-26 groups transferred to Ninth Air Force in October 1943 were assigned to the 3d Bombardment Wing. Rust, p. 47.
  17. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 413–414; Freeman, p. 249; Rust, p. 47.
  18. IX Bomber Command
    after 18 February 1944
  19. ^ a b Lineage and station information in Robertson, AFHRA Factsheet, except as noted
  20. ^ a b c Station number in Anderson
  21. ^ a b c d Station number in Johnson

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Volume IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations

Further reading

External links
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