376th Expeditionary Operations Group
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376th Expeditionary Operations Group
Combat "V" Device[2] | |
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Insignia | |
376th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem[note 1] | ![]() |
376th Bombardment Group emblem (approved 8 November 1951)[1][note 2] | ![]() |
The 376th Expeditionary Operations Group was a provisional
Originally activated in
The 376th is the lead Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling unit for Afghanistan operations. Other USAF aircraft supporting the mission include Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs.
History
World War II
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/376bg-b24-1.jpg/220px-376bg-b24-1.jpg)
The 376th Bombardment Group has its origins in the British Mandate of Palestine, as a result of the buildup of American air power in the Middle East in January 1942.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President
The
To make matters worse, the German Afrika Korps under General Erwin Rommel was poised to attack Allied forces in Egypt. HALPRO was quickly diverted from its original mission to a new one again: interdictory raids from airfields in Egypt against shipping and North African ports supporting Axis operations as part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF) on 20 June 1942, a quickly assembled organization based in Cairo. The Halverson Project was dissolved and the organization was renamed the 1st Provisional Bombardment Group. Halvorsen returned to the U.S. in August.[4]
As early as 7 September,
Members of the 376th adopted the nickname "Liberandos". Initially, the 376th was formed with the 23 B-24Ds which had flown from Florida, along with a detachment of
Operating from bases in Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the 376th attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia,
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Lady_Be_Good_crash_photos_1960_-3.jpg/220px-Lady_Be_Good_crash_photos_1960_-3.jpg)
On 9 November 1958, British geologists flying over the Libyan Desert spotted an aircraft resting on the sand dunes approximately 400 statute miles (640 km) south of Benghazi, Libya. A ground party reached the site in March 1959 and discovered the plane to be the "Lady Be Good", a B-24D Liberator of the 514th Bombardment Squadron. The bomber had disappeared after a 4 April 1943 attack against Naples, Italy. In 1960, the remains of eight airmen were found; the body of the ninth crewman was never found.
With the move of Ninth Air Force to England in 1943, the 376th was reassigned to
It received a third Distinguished Unit Citation for attacking the oil industry at Bratislava on 16 June 1944. Also flew support and interdiction missions, assisting Allied forces at Anzio and Monte Cassino during February–March 1944, supporting Operation Dragoon, the Invasion of Southern France in August 1944, aiding the Russian sweep into the Balkans during the fall of 1944, and assisting Allied troops in northern Italy during April 1945.
Flying from North Africa and Italy, the Group flew 451 missions, was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations and earned 15 campaign awards. The Liberandos destroyed 220 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and suffered casualties totaling 1479 officers and enlisted personnel and 169 aircraft.
With the end of the war in Europe, the 376th moved to
Weather reconnaissance
The unit was redesignated the 376th Reconnaissance Group and activated at Gravelly Point, Virginia on 23 May 1947. The wartime 512th and 513th Squadrons were assigned to the group and equipped with B/WB-29s. The unit operated as a weather reconnaissance group until its inactivation on 20 September 1948.
Strategic Air Command
The unit once again became a bombardment unit and was activated under Strategic Air Command in 1951. However, Strategic Air Command was conducting a test of assigning its tactical squadrons directly to its wings, and the group's personnel were detached to wing headquarters. When the new organization became permanent in June 1952, the group was inactivated.
Global War on Terrorism
Manas Air Base operations began 16 December 2001 and included the 86th Contingency Response Group from
Lineage
- Constituted as the 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 October 1942
- Activated on 31 October 1942
- Redesignated 376th Bombardment Group, Heavy on 3 May 1944
- Redesignated 376th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 18 May 1945
- Inactivated on 10 November 1945
- Redesignated 376th Reconnaissance Group
- Activated on 23 May 1947
- Inactivated on 20 September 1948
- Redesignated 376th Bombardment Group, Medium and activated on 1 June 1951
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952[5]
- Redesignated 376th Expeditionary Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 4 December 2001. Assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed
Assignments
- Bomber Command, Middle East Air Forces, 31 October 1942
- IX Bomber Command, November 1942
- 5th Bombardment Wing, 26 September 1943
- 47th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1943 – 19 April 1945
- Second Air Force, 8 May-10 November 1945
- Air Weather Service, 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948
- 376th Bombardment Wing, 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952[7]
- Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at any time after 4 December 2001
- 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, 21 December 2001 – c. 3 June 2014[6]
Components
- 512th Bombardment Squadron (later 512th Reconnaissance Squadron, 512th Bombardment Squadron), 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 376th Bombardment Wing)
- 513th Bombardment Squadron (later 513th Reconnaissance Squadron, 513th Bombardment Squadron), 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 376th Bombardment Wing)
- 514th Bombardment Squadron (later 514th Reconnaissance Squadron, 514th Bombardment Squadron), 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945; 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948; 1 June 1951 – 16 June 1952 (attached to 376th Bombardment Wing)
- 515th Bombardment Squadron, 31 October 1942 – 10 November 1945[1]
Stations
- RAF Lydda, Palestine, 31 October 1942
- RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt, 8 November 1942
- RAF Gambut, Libya, c. January 1943
- Soluch Airfield, Libya, 22 February 1943
- Benina Airport, Libya, c. 6 April 1943
- Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, 26 September 1943
- San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy, c. 17 November 1943 – 19 April 1945
- Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, 8 May 1945
- Grand Island Army Air Field, Nebraska, 25 June – 10 November 1945
- Gravelly Point, Virginia, 23 May 1947 – 20 September 1948
- Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 1 June 1951
- Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952[8]
- Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyz Republic, 21 December 2001 – c. 3 June 2014[6]
Aircraft
- B-17D Flying Fortress, 1942
- B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
- B/WB-29 Superfortress, 1947–1948
- From since 2001, supported attached transitory Air Expeditionary aircraft, including KC-135 Stratotanker.
See also
- List of B-29 Superfortress operators
References
- Notes
- ^ The group uses the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing emblem with the group designation on the scroll. Air Force Instruction 84-105, Organizational Lineage, Honors and Heraldry, 19 March 2013, para 3.3.3
- ^ This emblem is based on the emblem used by the group during World War II, with the sphinx facing the opposite direction. Watkins, pp. 90–91.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d Maurer, pp. 264–265
- ^ "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 30 January 2017. (search)
- ^ John Sweetman, Ploesti: oil strike, New York, Ballantine, 1974
- ^ St. Petersburg Times, 17 Dec 1942, page 18
- ^ Lineage through 1952 in Maurer, p. 264-265
- ^ a b c d Despain, Lt Col Max (4 June 2014). "The End of an Era: 376th Air Expeditionary Wing inactivation ceremony". USAF Public Affairs. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ Ravenstein, pp. 200–202
- ^ Stations through 1952 in Maurer, p. 264-265
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Byers, Richard G. Attack: Death in the Skies Over the Middle East. Winona, Minnesota: Apollo Books, 1984.
- Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- McClendon, Dennis E. The Lady Be Good: Mystery Bomber of World War II. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1962 (2nd edition 1982).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, UK: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
- Walker, James W. The Liberandos: A World War II History of the 376th Bomb Group (H) and Its Founding Units. Waco, Texas: 376th Heavy Bombardment Group Association, 1994.
- Watkins, Robert A. (2009). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II. Vol. IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-3401-6.
- Uncredited. 200th Mission, Liberator-Athens-Tatos A/D 14 December 1943. APO 681, Italy: 376th Bomb Grp.,1943.
- Uncredited. A Short History of the 376th Bombardment Group, 20 May 1942 – 22 February 1945. N.p. 1945.
- "US Air Force Air Power Directory" World Airpower Journal. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1992. ISBN 1-880588-01-3.
External links
Media related to 376th Bombardment Group (United States Army Air Forces) at Wikimedia Commons
- "376th Air Expeditionary Wing Cycle 6 AEF9/10 Summary September–December 2007" (PDF). Air Forces Central Public Affairs. 2 January 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- 376th Heavy Bombardment Group, Inc. Veterans Association
- 376th Mission History
- Joe's USAF Blue Book
- 376th Heavy Bombardment Group Oral Histories, a digital collection of audio and video oral histories with veterans serving in the 376th Heavy Bombardment Group during World War II