405th Air Expeditionary Group

405th Air Expeditionary Group
405th Air Expeditionary Group
	Emblem of the 405th Air Expeditionary Group
Active	1943–1945; 1952–1957; 2001–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Mascot(s)	MOVERE ET AGGREDI – "Deploy and Attack"

931st Air Refueling Group

at McConnell Air Force Base, KS, and was deployed to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing to hit Iraq-associated targets during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 405th Air Expeditionary Group (405 AEG) was a provisional unit assigned to the

B-52 Stratofortress

operations over combat areas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The group's

Third Army for support near Laneuveville-en-Saulnois

, two squadrons flying on instruments through rain and dense overcast, were directed by ground control toward a furious tank battle where, in spite of severe ground fire, one squadron repeatedly bombed and strafed enemy tanks; the second squadron, unable to find this target because of the weather, attacked a convoy of trucks and armored vehicles; later the same day, the third squadron hit warehouses and other buildings and silenced ground opposition in the area. It flew its last mission in early May 1945.

History

For additional history and lineage, see 405th Air Expeditionary Wing

World War II

Media related to 405th Fighter Group (United States Army Air Forces) at Wikimedia Commons

Advanced Landing Ground

Y-29 in Asch, Belgium in March–April 1945

The 405th Fighter Group was a fighter bomber unit of the

Third Army. The group consisted of the 509th, 510th

, and 511th Fighter Squadrons, plus headquarters elements. The group consisted of 73 aircraft.

The 405th Bombardment Group (Dive) was organized on 4 February 1943,

hurricane conditions, the group disembarked in Liverpool. The group traveled by train to Southampton then via lorrie to Christchurch, Dorset.^[4]

From March to 29 June 1944, the 405th operated out of the

anti-aircraft batteries would mistake P-47s for the German Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The 405th resumed flying on 10 June, providing close air support to the beachhead. On 18 June 1944,^[7] the group was redesignated to the 405th Fighter Group.^[3] A few weeks after the invasion, the 405th packed up and moved to a POE near Southampton.^[8]

While encamped at Christchurch, the Group officers bivouacked in Bure Homage, an English manor adjacent to the airfield that was requisitioned by the British Ministry of Defence for the war.^[9]

The group's most notable action was the destruction of an entire German

armored division near the town of Avaranches [sic

], France on 29 July 1944. After immobilizing leading and trailing elements of the 3-mile (4.8 km) long column, the rest of the tanks and trucks were systematically destroyed with multiple sorties.

The 405th also accepted the surrender of the highly decorated Luftwaffe ace, Hans-Ulrich Rudel and his officers at the end of the war.

Cold War

Republic F-84F-35-RE Thunderstreak 52-7043

North American F-100D-40-NH Super Sabre 55-2768

The 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing and Group were activated on 1 December 1952 at

108th Fighter-Bomber Group which had been called to active federal service for the Korean War and was returned to the New Jersey Air National Guard

and assumed its mission, equipment and personnel.

The group's 509th, 510th, and 511th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons also replaced the Air National Guard

F-47N Thunderbolts

inherited from the Air National Guard, the 405th was the last active duty USAF Thunderbolt fighter group.

On 1 May 1953, the F-47s were withdrawn and sent to AMARC, and the 405th was reassigned to

KB-29 Superfortress

tankers.

The group was heavily involved with operational training of TAC Thunderstreak pilots, both in gunnery and tactical bombardment, along with providing firepower demonstrations. The wing was committed to the TAC concept of the Composite Air Strike Force (CASF), which was, in part, to be prepared for rapid worldwide deployments. In September 1955 the 405th participated in Operation Mobile Able, a transatlantic exercise from Langley AFB to

RAF Wethersfield

, England.

Replaced F-84Fs with North American F-100 Super Sabre in December 1956, becoming TAC's first F-100 unit. Inactivated on 8 October 1957 when 405th FBW adopted Tri-Deputate organization plan and assigned all operational squadrons directly to the Wing.

Expeditionary operations

Reactivated as a provisional Expeditionary Operations Group after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks assigned to the

United States Air Forces Central

.

Assigned

PACAF

on regular deployment cycles.

During the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 405th launched 10 aircraft and struck 240 planned targets with Global Positioning System-guided JDAMS 2,000-pound bombs. Since then, the unit conducted almost daily bombing missions as well as responding to calls for close air support from ground units.

Lineage

Constituted as the 405th Bombardment Group (Dive) on 4 February 1943^{[citation needed]}

Activated on 4 February 1943

Redesignated as 405th Fighter-Bomber Group in August 1943

Redesignated as 405th Fighter Group in May 1944

Inactivated on 29 October 1945

Reactivated as 405th Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 December 1952

Inactivated on 8 October 1957

Redesignated 405th Tactical Training Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
Redesignated 405th Expeditionary Operations Group and converted to provisional status on 4 December 2001
Redesignated 405th Air Expeditionary Group on 21 April 2010

Assignments

III Fighter Command, 1 March 1943
IX Fighter Command, 7 March 1944
303d Fighter Wing

Attached to: XIX Tactical Air Command, 1 August 1944

100th Fighter Wing

Attached to: XIX Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944

XXIX Tactical Air Command
, 8 February – July 1945
Army Service Forces, October 1945
405th Fighter-Bomber Wing
, 1 December 1952 – 8 October 1957
405th Air Expeditionary Wing, 5 December 2001 – 21 April 2010

Components

509th Fighter (formerly 624th Bombardment) Squadron: 1 March 1943 – 15 October 1945; 1 December 1952 – 8 October 1957
510th Fighter (formerly 625th Bombardment) Squadron: 1 March 1943 – 15 October 1945; 1 December 1952 – 8 October 1957
511th Fighter (formerly 626th Bombardment) Squadron: 1 March 1943 – 15 October 1945; 1 December 1952 – 8 October 1957
627th Bombardment Squadron: 1 March–18 August 1943

Stations

Drew Field
, Florida, 1 March 1943
Walterboro Army Airfield, South Carolina
, 14 September 1943 – 14 February 1944

RAF Christchurch (AAF-416), England, 7 March – 22 June 1944
Picauville Airfield (A-8),^[10] France, 30 June 1944
St-Dizier Airfield (A-64),^[10]
France, 14 September 1944

Ophoven Airfield (Y-32),^[10] Belgium, February 1945

AAF Station Kitzingen (R-6),^[10]
Germany, 30 April 1945

AAF Station Straubing

, Germany, 8 May–July 1945

Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, October-29 October 1945
Godman Air Force Base
, Kentucky, 1 December 1952
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 16 April 1953 – 8 October 1957
Thumrait Air Base
, Oman, 5 December 2001 - unknown
Bagram Air Base
, Afghanistan, 26 June 2019 - present

Aircraft

B-1
B (2001–present)
KC-135R
(2001–present)
F-100
(1956–1958)
KB-50
(1956–1958)
VC-131
(1955)
VC-54
(1955)
C-119
(1954–1956)
VC-47
(1954–1956)
C-47
(1954–1956)
C-45 (1954–1956)

KB-29
(1954–1956)
RB-29
(1954)
B-57
(1954–1957)
RB-57
(1954–1957)
L-20 (1953–1956)
H-19
(1953–1956)
B-26
(1953–1956)
B-45
(1953)
F-84
(1953–1956)
P/F-47
(1943–1945; 1952)

References

Notes

^ "U.S.Ninth Tactical Air Force". Retrieved 3 March 2007.
^
ISBN 978-1-4116-4864-7
.

^ ^a ^b "405th Fighter Group" (in French). Retrieved 3 March 2007.
^ Henkels, pp. 78–111.
^ "CHRISTCHURCH Resident Aircraft". Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
^ Henkels, p. 113.
^ Wyllie lists this change as May.
^ Henkels, pp. 161–164.
^ "HISTORY OF THE BAE SYSTEMS CHRISTCHURCH SITE". Retrieved 11 March 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Station number in Johnson

Bibliography

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

Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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
.

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
OCLC 72556
.

[9thtaf-1] "U.S.Ninth Tactical Air Force". Retrieved 3 March 2007.

[Wyllie-2] 
ISBN 978-1-4116-4864-7
.

[french-3] "405th Fighter Group" (in French). Retrieved 3 March 2007.

[4] Henkels, pp. 78–111.

[5] "CHRISTCHURCH Resident Aircraft". Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2007.

[6] Henkels, p. 113.

[7] Wyllie lists this change as May.

[8] Henkels, pp. 161–164.

[bae-9] "HISTORY OF THE BAE SYSTEMS CHRISTCHURCH SITE". Retrieved 11 March 2007.

[Johnson-10] Station number in Johnson

[4]

[7]

[3]

[8]

[9]

[10]