445th Operations Group

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445th Operations Group
Distinguished Unit Citation
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
Battle honoursEuropean theater of World War II
Commanders
Current
commander		Col. Raymond A. Smith, JR.
Insignia
445th Operations Group Emblem

The 445th Operations Group (445 OG) is the flying component of the

United States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
, Ohio.

The

Gotha, in Central Germany, losing thirteen aircraft. The 445th also earned the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for its operations supporting the liberation of France. The 445th was actor Jimmy Stewart's original bombardment group
.

The

Air Force Reserve in 1947. In June 1949 it was inactivated when Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the wing base reorganization plan
.

After the

445th Troop Carrier Wing
.

In 1992 the group once again assumed its role as the operational element of the 445th Airlift Wing under the USAF objective wing organization and became an associate unit of the active duty

452d Air Mobility Wing or inactivated. The 445th was activated again later that year at Wright-Patterson as a stand-alone Lockheed C-141 Starlifter
organization.

Overview

The 445th Operations Group is a unit of

McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The 445 Operation Group's mission is to attain and maintain operational readiness; provide strategic transport of personnel and equipment; provide aeromedical evacuation; and recruit and train toward these goals.[1]

Assigned units

  • 89th Airlift Squadron
  • 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron
  • 445th Operations Support Squadron
  • 445th Airlift Control Flight

History

For additional history and lineage, see 445th Airlift Wing

World War II

B-24 Liberators
of the 445th Bomb Group on a mission over enemy-occupied territory

The 445th Bombardment Group was activated 1 April 1943 at Gowen Field in Idaho, where initial organization took place while key personnel traveled to

Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa in July 1943 to complete training. In late August and early September, the group lost three B-24s to training accidents. In September the group began to receive B-24H aircraft, the model of the Liberator they would fly in combat.[2]

On 20 October 1943 the ground echelon moved to Camp Shanks, New York and embarked on the RMS Queen Mary on 26 October 1943, sailing next day. The unit arrived in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland on 2 November 1943 and disembarked at Gourock. The air echelon departed Sioux City late in October 1943 and flew to the United Kingdom via the southern route: Florida, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and West Africa, although one plane was lost en route.[8] Upon arrival in England, the group was assigned to the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing and stationed at RAF Tibenham in East Anglia.[9] The group was initially given a tail code of "Circle-F".[10]

The 445th entered combat on 13 December 1943 by attacking

airfield at Munich, an ammunition plant at Duneberg, underground oil storage facilities at Ehmen, and factories at Münster.[7]

701st Bombardment Squadron
Showing Group Circle F tail marking

The group participated in the Allied campaign against the German aircraft industry during

Gotha on 24 February.[7] Thirteen of the group's twenty-five attacking aircraft were lost along with 122 aircrew.[12] This was the longest running, continuous air battle of World War II – some two and a half hours of fighter attacks and flak en route and leaving the target area.[13] Bomb damage assessment photographs showed that the plant was knocked out of production indefinitely.[12]

The group occasionally flew

D-Day, 6 June 1944 with 81 sorties[14] and supported ground forces at Saint-Lô by striking enemy defenses in July 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge, between December 1944 and January 1945 it bombed German communications. Early on 24 March 1945 the 445th dropped food, medical supplies, and ammunition to troops that landed near Wesel during the airborne assault across the Rhine and that afternoon flew a bombing mission to the same area, hitting a landing ground at Stormede.[7]

On occasion the unit dropped propaganda leaflets and hauled fuel to France. It was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm by the French government for operations in the theater from December 1943 to February 1945[7] supplying the resistance.

By far, the 445th's most tragic mission is the

361st Fighter Group intervened, preventing complete destruction of the Group. Twenty-nine German and 25 American planes went down in a 15-mile (24 km) radius. Only four 445th planes made it back to the base – two crashing in France, one in Belgium, another at RAF Old Buckenham.[15] Two landed at RAF Manston. Only one of the 35 attacking aircraft was fit to fly next day, but 445th sent 10 planes to the same target, Kassel.[16]

After the end of the air war in Europe, the 445th flew low level "Trolley" missions over Germany carrying ground personnel so they could see the result of their efforts during the war.

Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. Most personnel were discharged or transferred to other units, and only a handful were left[17] when the group was inactivated on 12 September 1945.[7]

During World War II, the group flew 280 missions, losing 138 B-24s.[18]

Cold War

B-29 Superfortress

The 445th Bombardment Group was activated again in the Reserve during the summer of 1947 at

302d Troop Carrier Wing.[20] It does not appear that the squadrons at Hill were ever equipped with aircraft[5][19] and reserve training at Hill was continued by the 9013th Volunteer Air Reserve Training Wing.[21]

The group was activated again in the reserves as the 445th Fighter-Bomber Group, an element of the

Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars. In 1955 the group moved a few miles to Niagara Falls Municipal Airport and converted to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet.[23]

Fairchild C-119
of the Air Force Reserve

In 1957 the

Donaldson AFB, South Carolina was reassigned to the group.[25]

In November, Continental Air Command reorganized under the dual deputy system. The group was inactivated,[23] and its squadrons transferred directly to the 445th Troop Carrier Wing.[22]

Modern era

Wright Patterson AFB

In 1992 the group once again assumed its role as the operational element of the 445th Airlift Wing under the USAF Objective Wing organization. The 445th wing had been a reserve associate of the active duty

730th Airlift Squadrons were reassigned from the wing to the group,[23]
while the 445th Operations Support Flight was activated under the group.

The following year both wings and their subordinate elements moved to

452d Air Mobility Wing, while the 445th wing and group inactivated.[27]

The 445th was activated again later that year at

Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio as a stand-alone Lockheed C-141 Starlifter organization. It absorbed two squadrons already stationed at Wright-Patterson, the 89th Airlift Squadron from the 906th Operations Group[28] and the 356th Airlift Squadron from the 907th Operations Group.[29]

In 2006, the 356th inactivated

McDonnell Douglas C-17s. The group trained for and flew strategic airlift missions worldwide, performing channel flights and special assignment airlift missions. It participated in various contingency and humanitarian operations and training exercises. The group also tested and calibrated the laser detection and ranging (LADAR) system.[23]

Lineage

  • Established as 445 Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 March 1943
Activated on 1 April 1943
Redesignated 445 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 12 September 1945
  • Redesignated 445 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
Activated in the Reserve on 12 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 445 Fighter-Bomber Group on 24 June 1952
Activated in the Reserve on 8 July 1952
Redesignated 445 Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 6 September 1957
Inactivated on 25 September 1958
  • Redesignated: 445 Military Airlift Group on 31 July 1985 (Remained inactive)
  • Redesignated: 445 Operations Group and activated in the Reserve on 1 August 1992
Inactivated on 1 May 1994

Assignments

Components

  • 15th Bombardment Squadron: 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949
Located at Hill Field (later Hill AFB), Utah[19]
  • 89th Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1994 – present
  • 356th Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1994 – 30 June 2006
  • 357th Troop Carrier Squadron: 16 November 1957 – 25 March 1958
Located at Donaldson AFB, South Carolina[25]
  • 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron: 1 October 1994 – present
  • 700th Bombardment Squadron (later Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Troop Carrier Squadron, Airlift Squadron): 1 April 1943 – 12 September 1945; 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949; 8 July 1952 – 25 September 1958 (detached to 445th Troop Carrier Wing after 16 November 1957)
  • 701st Bombardment Squadron (later Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Troop Carrier Squadron, Airlift Squadron): 1 April 1943 – 12 September 1945; 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949; 8 July 1952 – 1 July 1957; 16 November 1957 – 25 September 1958
  • 702d Bombardment Squadron (later Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Troop Carrier Squadron): 1 April 1943 – 12 September 1945; 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949; 8 July 1952 – 1 July 1957; 16 November 1957 – 25 September 1958
Located at Hill Field (later Hill AFB), Utah from 1947 to 1949[5]
  • 703d Bombardment Squadron: 1 April 1943 – 12 September 1945; 1 January 1948 – 28 May 1948
  • 729th Airlift Squadron: 1 August 1992 – 1 May 1994
  • 730th Airlift Squadron: 1 August 1992 – 1 May 1994[30]
  • 445th Airlift Support Flight:[31] 1 August 1992 – 1 May 1994; 1 October 1994 – present
  • 445th Operations Support Flight (later 445th Operations Support Squadron):[31] 1 August 1992 – 1 May 1994; 1 October 1994 – present

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c "445th Airlift Wing". 445th Airlift Wing Office of Public Affairs. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-9845301-0-6
    . Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  3. ^
    OCLC 72556
    .
  4. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 707
  5. ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 707-708
  6. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 708-709
  7. ^
    LCCN 61060979
    .
  8. ^ Birsic, pp. 14, 17
  9. ^ Birsic, p. 15
  10. ISBN 978-0-7643-1987-7
    .
  11. ^ Birsic, p. 21
  12. ^ a b Birsic, p. 24
  13. ^ Birsic, p. 45 (Citation for Distinguished Unit Citation)
  14. ^ Birsic, p. 29
  15. ^ a b The Kassel Mission Historical Society: Dedicated to the 445th Bomb Group Archived 10 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 16 August 2013)
  16. ^ Birsic, pp. 33–34
  17. ^ a b c Birsic, p. 42
  18. ^ Birsic, p. 58
  19. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 83
  20. ISBN 0-912799-53-6
    .
  21. ^ Mueller, p. 242
  22. ^
    ISBN 0-912799-12-9
    .
  23. ^ a b c d e f Haulman, Daniel L. (28 December 2007). "445 Operations Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  24. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 245
  25. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 445
  26. ^ Haulman, Daniel L. (28 December 2007). "445 Airlift Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  27. ^ Endicott, Judy G. (28 December 2007). "452 Air Mobility Wing (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  28. ^ Haulman, Daniel L. (28 December 2007). "89 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  29. ^ a b Bailey, Carl E. (10 December 2007). "356 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  30. ^ a b c d Lineage, assignments, components, stations and aircraft in AFHRA Factsheet 445 Operations Group
  31. ^ a b 445th Airlift Wing – Units (retrieved 16 August 2013)
  32. ^ Station Number in Anderson

Bibliography

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

Further reading

External links
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