87th Troop Carrier Group

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87th Troop Carrier Group
P-47 Thunderbolt as used by the 87th Fighter Group during World War II
Active1943–1944; 1949–1951; 1952–1953
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force

The 87th Troop Carrier Group is an inactive

Atterbury Air Force Base
, Indiana where it was inactivated on 1 February 1953.

The

group was disbanded five days after it was activated.[1]
It remained in this state until 1979 when it was consolidated with the 87th Troop Carrier Group in inactive status.

In the fall of 1943, a new unit, the 87th Fighter Group was activated at

Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia to serve as a replacement training unit. It served as a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt replacement training unit under First Air Force
until 1944 when it was disbanded in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units.

In 1949, the group was reactivated in the

12th Fighter-Escort Group
until it was ordered to active service in 1951. Its personnel were used to man active duty units and the group was inactivated two months after being called up.

The group was redesignated in 1952 as the 87th Troop Carrier Group, and activated at

434th Troop Carrier Group
.

History

World War II

87th Pursuit Group

Shortly after the Japanese

group was disbanded five days after it was activated. The same happened to the 304th, 305th, and 306th Pursuit Squadrons that had been assigned to the group[1] The pursuit group remained disbanded until 1979 when it was consolidated with the 87th Troop Carrier Group in inactive status.[citation needed
]

87th Fighter Group

The 87th Fighter Group was activated the following year at

Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey.[4][5] The 450th Squadron did not become operational until the move to Camp Springs.[2]

However, the

Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.[7] while the groups and squadrons acting as RTUs were disbanded or inactivated.[8] This resulted in the 87th, along with the 450th Squadron at Camp Springs, being disbanded in the spring of 1944[1] and being replaced by the 112th AAF Base Unit (Fighter), which assumed the group's mission, personnel, and equipment.[9] The 535th was replaced by the 125th AAF Base Unit (Fighter),[10] and the two squadrons at Millville were rolled into the 135th AAF Base Unit (Fighter).[11]

Air Force Reserves

F-84E Thunderjets of the 12th Fighter-Escort Group

The group was reactivated in 1949 in the

12th Fighter-Escort Group. The group was called to active service in May 1951. After its personnel were used to man other units, the group was inactivated in June.[1]

Main article: 87th Air Base Wing

In 1952 the group was redesignated as the 87th Troop Carrier Group, and assigned to the newly constituted

434th Troop Carrier Group was released from active duty and activated in the reserves, assuming the mission, personnel and equipment of the group.[15]

Lineage

87th Pursuit Group

  • Constituted as the 87th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 13 January 1942
Activated on 10 February 1942
Disbanded on 15 February 1942[1]
  • Reconstituted in 1979 and consolidated with the 87th Troop Carrier Group as the 87th Troop Carrier Group

87th Tactical Airlift Group

  • Constituted as the 87th Fighter Group (Single Engine) on 24 September 1943
Activated on 1 October 1943
Disbanded on 10 April 1944
  • Reconstituted on 16 May 1949 and allotted to the reserve
Activated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 87th Fighter-Escort Group on 16 March 1950
Ordered into active service on 1 May 1951
Inactivated on 25 June 1951
  • Redesignated 87th Troop Carrier Group, Medium on 26 May 1952 and allotted to the reserve
Activated on 15 June 1952
Inactivated on 1 February 1953[1]
  • Consolidated with the 87th Pursuit Group in 1979
Redesignated 87th Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July 1985[16] (not active)

Assignments

  • III Interceptor Command
    : 10 February 1942 – 15 February 1942
  • Philadelphia Air Defense Wing
    until c. December 1943)
  • Eighth Air Force, 27 June 1949 – 25 June 1951 (attached to 27th Fighter Group (later 27th Fighter-Escort Group) until 5 December 1950; 12 Fighter Escort Group until 25 June 1951)
  • 87th Troop Carrier Wing, 15 June 1952 – 1 February 1953[15]

Components

  • 87th Communications Squadron, 27 June 1949 – 25 June 1951[12]
  • 87th Finance Disbursing Unit, 27 June 1949 – 16 March 1950[12]
  • 304th Pursuit Squadron, 10 February 1942 – 15 February 1942[1]
  • 305th Pursuit Squadron, 10 February 1942 – 15 February 1942[1]
  • 306th Pursuit Squadron, 10 February 1942 – 15 February 1942[1]
  • 450th Fighter Squadron, 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944[2]
  • 535th Fighter Squadron (later Fighter-Escort Squadron, Troop Carrier Squadron), 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944; 27 June 1949 – 25 June 1951; 15 June 1952 – 1 February 1953[3]
  • 536th Fighter Squadron (later Troop Carrier Squadron), 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944; 15 June 1952 – 1 February 1953
Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, 7 January 1944 – 10 April 1944[4]
  • 537th Fighter Squadron (later Troop Carrier Squadron), 1 October 1943 – 10 April 1944; 15 June 1952 – 1 February 1953
Millville Army Air Field, New Jersey, 7 January 1944 – 10 April 1944[5]

Stations

  • Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia, 1 October 1943
  • Camp Springs Army Air Field, Maryland, 21 January 1944 – 10 April 1944
  • Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 27 June 1949 – 25 June 1951
  • Atterbury Air Force Base, Indiana, 15 June 1952 – 1 February 1953[1]

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 153–154
  2. ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 556–557
  3. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 642–643
  4. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 643
  5. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 644
  6. ^ Craven & Cate, Vol. VI, Men & Planes, p. xxxvi
  7. ^ Craven & Cate, The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2: The AAF p. 75
  8. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 7
  9. ^ See Mueller, p. 8
  10. ^ See Mueller, p. 114
  11. ^ See Abstract, History of Millville AAF 1940–1944 Retrieved 16 December 2013
  12. ^ a b c Mueller, pp. 29–34
  13. ^ a b c d e f Robertson, Patsy, AFHRA 535 Airlift Squadron Fact Sheet Archived 8 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine 19 December 2007
  14. ^ The 923d had been activated in 1951 when the reserve 434th Troop Carrier Wing was called to active duty for the Korean War.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Ravenstein, p. 122
  16. ^ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

Bibliography

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

  • Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
    LCCN 48-3657
    .
  • 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
    .
  • Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
    ISBN 0-912799-53-6
    .
  • 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
    .

Further reading
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