701st Airlift Squadron

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701st Airlift Squadron
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1]
Insignia
701st Airlift Squadron Emblem[a][2]
701st Bombardment Squadron emblem (World War II)[3]
World War II Fuselage CodeMK

The 701st Airlift Squadron is part of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft providing global airlift.

The squadron was first activated in April 1943 as the 701st Bombardment Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed with its

French Croix de Guerre with Palm
for its actions. It returned to the United States in the summer of 1945 and was inactivated in September.

The squadron was reactivated in the reserves in 1947, although it is not clear whether it was fully manned or equipped before inactivating in 1949. It was activated again in the reserves in 1952 as the 701st Fighter-Bomber Squadron. It was inactivated in July 1957, but activated a few months later in the airlift role as the 701st Troop Carrier Squadron. The squadron was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Except for an inactive period from 1965 through 1970, the squadron has served as a reserve airlift unit.

Mission

To provide trained personnel to be a source of augmentation for the

aeromedical
airlift capability.

History

World War II

Organization and training in the United States

The 701st Bombardment Squadron was activated 1 April 1943 at

Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa in July 1943 to complete training. In September the squadron began to receive B-24H aircraft, the model of the Liberator they would fly in combat.[4]

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.[5] Upon arrival, the squadron was stationed at RAF Tibenham as part of the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing.[6] The group was initially given a fuselage code of MK.[3]

Combat in Europe

B-24H Liberator 42-7563, "Hell's Warrior" of the 701st BS. Aircraft was lost on 9 February 1944

The 701st 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.[8]

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

Gotha on 24 February.[8] 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.[9] Bomb damage assessment photographs showed that the plant was knocked out of production indefinitely.[10]

The unit occasionally flew

D-Day, 6 June 1944.[11] 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 701st 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.[8]

On occasion the unit dropped

Croix de guerre with Palm by the French government for operations in the theater from December 1943 to February 1945[8]
supplying the resistance.

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

The 701st'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 of the 445th group's planes made it back to the base—two crashing in France, one in Belgium, another at RAF Old Buckenham.[12] Two landed at RAF Manston. Only one of the 35 attacking aircraft was fit to fly next day.[13]

After the end of the air war in Europe, the 701st 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[14] when the unit was inactivated on 12 September 1945.[8]

Air Force reserve

Bombardment unit

The 701st Bombardment Squadron was activated again under

302d Troop Carrier Wing.[16]

Fighter operations

The squadron was activated again in the reserves in 1952 at

air defense missions for an indefinite period after mobilization independently of its parent wing.[18] In 1957, budget cuts led to a reduction in the number of reserve squadrons from 55 to 45. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission be given to the Air National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission.[19] As a result, the Air Force reduced its operations at Niagara Falls, eliminating the fighter mission, and the 701st was inactivated in July.[2]

Troop carrier operations

Fairchild C-119
of the Air Force Reserve

As the conversion of the reserves to a

Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.[21][17] The separation of squadrons from their parent wings, under what was called the Detached Squadron Concept, had evolved in the spring of 1955, when ConAC decided that moving squadrons to separate sites offered several advantages: communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. However, under this concept, support organizations remained with the wing.[22] The following year, the squadron converted from the Flying Boxcar to the Fairchild C-123 Provider.[1]

C-123Bs in flight

Although the dispersal of flying units under the Detached Squadron Concept was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the

919th Troop Carrier Group, which included the 701st and support organizations, was activated at Memphis.[25] In 1965, reserve operations at Memphis were terminated and the 701st was inactivated.[2]

Reserve associate

C-141B of the 315th and 437th Wings

By 1968 regular air force military airlift squadrons were operating the

Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado to Cape Canaveral, Florida for its launch to orbit Mars on 4 January 2001. It supported relief missions for damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 and Hurricane Ike in September 2008.[1]

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 701st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 March 1943
Activated on 1 April 1943
  • Redesignated 701st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 12 September 1945
  • Redesignated 701st Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
Activated in the reserve on 12 July 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 701st Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 24 June 1952
Activated on 8 July 1952
Inactivated on 1 July 1957
  • Redesignated 701st Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 24 October 1957
Activated 16 November 1957
  • Redesignated 701st Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault on 25 September 1958
Discontinued and inactivated on 15 December 1965
  • Redesignated 701st Military Airlift Squadron (Associate) on 16 September 1970
Activated on 25 September 1970

Assignments

  • 445th Bombardment Group: 1 April 1943 – 12 September 1945
  • 445th Bombardment Group: 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • 445th Fighter-Bomber Group: 8 July 1952 – 1 July 1957
  • 445th Troop Carrier Group: 16 November 1957
  • 445th Troop Carrier Wing: 25 September 1958 (detached)
  • 919th Troop Carrier Group: 11 February 1963 – 15 December 1965
  • 943d Military Airlift Group
    : 25 September 1970
  • 315th Military Airlift Wing (later 315th Airlift Wing): 1 July 1973
  • 315th Operations Group: 1 August 1992 – present[1]

Stations

  • Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 April 1943
  • Wendover Field, Utah, 8 June 1943
  • Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 8 July 1943 – 20 October 1943
  • RAF Tibenham (Station 124),[27] England, 2 November 1943 – 30 May 1945
  • Fort Dix Army Air Base
    , New Jersey, 9 June 1945 – 12 September 1945
  • McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 12 July 1957 – 27 June 1949
  • Buffalo Municipal Airport, New York, 8 July 1952
  • Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York, 15 June 1955
  • Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 16 November 1957 – 15 December 1965
  • Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 25 September 1970 – present[1]

Aircraft

  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1943–1945)
  • North American T-6 Texan (1952–1954)
  • North American F-51 Mustang (1953–1954)
  • Lockheed T-33 T-Bird
    (1954–1957)
  • Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star (1954–1956)
  • North American T-28 Trojan (1955–1956)
  • Republic F-84 Thunderjet (1956–1957)
  • Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (1957–1958)
  • Fairchild C-123 Provider (1958–1965)
  • Douglas C-47 Skytrain (1962)
  • Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (1970–1997)
  • Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (1997–present)[1]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Distinguished Unit Citation
 24 February 1944 Gotha, Germany 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
 1 July 1972-30 June 1973 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 11 January 1982-31 December 1983 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1988-30 June 1989 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1989-30 June 1990 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 21 September-31 October 1989 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1993-30 June 1995 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1995-30 June 1997 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1998-30 June 2000 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 September 1998-31 August 2000 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 11 September 2001–10 September 2003 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 August 2005–31 July 2007 701st Airlift Squadron[1]
French Croix de Guerre with Palm
 December 1943 – February 1945 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm
 25 September 1970-28 January 1973 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 2 November 1943 – 5 June 1944 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 2 November 1943 – 11 May 1945 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 701st Bombardment Squadron[1]
Just Cause 20 December 1989 – 31 January 1990 Panama 701st Military Airlift Squadron[1]

See also

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Approved 20 February 1961. Description: On a white scroll [sic] bordered red, a green turtle, eyeball white, pupil Air Force blue, his red shell trimmed Air Force golden yellow and equipped with Air Force golden yellow airplane wings; tied on the turtle's black with Air Force golden yellow rope, a stack of light blue boxes shaded Air Force blue; on the turtle's head a pair of Air Force blue headphones, details light blue; outlines and details Air Force blue throughout.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Robertson, Patsy (28 February 2011). "Factsheet 701 Airlift Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 707
  3. ^ a b Watkins, pp. 88–89
  4. ^ a b Birsic, pp. 11–12
  5. ^ Birsic, pp. 14, 17
  6. ^ Birsic, p. 15
  7. ^ Birsic, p. 21
  8. ^ a b c d e Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 319–320
  9. ^ Birsic, p. 45 (Citation for Distinguished Unit Citation)
  10. ^ Birsic, p. 24
  11. ^ Birsic, p. 29
  12. ^ a b Giesler, Duane. "The Kassel Mission Historical Society: Dedicated to the 445th Bomb Group". The Kassel Mission Historical Society. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  13. ^ Birsic, pp. 33–34
  14. ^ a b c Birsic, p. 42
  15. ^ See Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 707 (no aircraft listed), Robertson (aircraft unknown from 1947–1949).
  16. ^ See Mueller, pp. 391–396
  17. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 241–242
  18. ^ Cantwell, p. 148
  19. ^ Cantwell, pp. 168–169
  20. ^ Ravenstein, pp. 169–170
  21. ^ a b Haulman, Daniel (9 August 2017). "Factsheet 445 Operations Group (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  22. ^ Cantwell, pp. 156, 169
  23. ^ Cantwell, pp. 189–191
  24. ^ Cantwell, pp. 188–191
  25. ^ See Robertson (reassignment of 701st to 919th Group).
  26. ^ Cantwell, p. 210
  27. ^ Station number in Anderson.

Bibliography

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