465th Bombardment Wing
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| 465th Bombardment Wing | |
|---|---|
 465th Bombardment Wing Insignia |
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| Active | 1943 - 1945, 1953 - 1957, 1962 - 1968 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Bombardment |
| Part of | Strategic Air Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Robins AFB, Georgia |
The 465th Bombardment Group was a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization. It served primarily in the Mediterranean, African, and The Middle East Theatres of World War II. During the Cold War, the 465th Bombardment Wing was a United States Air Force Strategic Air Command combat organization, while the 465th Troop Carrier Wing served as a Military Air Transport Service organization.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Cold War Operational Units
- 780th Troop Carrier Squadron 1954-1957
- 780th Troop Carrier Squadron 1954-1957
- 780th Troop Carrier Squadron 1954-1957
- 781st Bombardment Squadron 1963-1968
- 912th Air Refueling Squadron 1963-1968
[edit] World War II Operational Units
- 780th Bombardment Squadron 1943-1945
- 781st Bombardment Squadron 1943-1945
- 782d Bombardment Squadron 1943-1945
- 783d Bombardment Squadron 1943-1945
[edit] Aircraft Flown
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943-1945
- Fairchild C-119 "Flying Boxcar", 1953, 1954-1957
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1963-1968
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1963-1968.
[edit] Stations Assigned
- Alamogordo AAF, NM 1 Aug 1943
- Kearns, UT Sep 1943
- McCook AAF, NE c. 5 Oct 1943-1 Feb 1944
- Pantanella Airfield, Italy Apr 1944-Jun 1945
- Waller Field, Trinidad 15 Jun-31 Jul 1945
- Mitchel AFB, NY, 25 Aug 1953-23 Mar 1954
- Toul-Rosières Air Base, France, 2 Apr 1954
- Évreux-Fauville Air Base, France, 23 May 1955-8 Jul 1957
- Robins AFB, Ga, 1 Feb 1963-25 Jul 1968.
[edit] Operational History
[edit] 465th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Constituted as 465th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on May 19, 1943, the Groupe was activated on August 1, 1943. Prepared for duty overseas with B-24's, it was moved to the Mediterranean theatre in 1944, where it received additional training in Tunisia before joining the ground echelon in Italy and was assigned to the Fifteenth AF.
The Bombardment Group entered combat on May 5, 1944, and served primarily as a strategic bombardment organization until late in April of 1945. During this time, the Group attacked marshalling yards, dock facilities, oil refineries, oil storage plants, aircraft factories, and other objectives in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans. On two different missions - to marshalling yards and an oil refinery at Vienna on July 8, 1944 and to steel plants at Friedrichshafen on August 3, 1944 - the group bombed its targets despite antiaircraft fire and fighter opposition, being awarded a DUC for each of these attacks. Other operations included bombing troop concentrations and bivouac areas in May of 1944 to aid the Partisans in Yugoslavia; attacking enemy troops and supply lines to assist the drive toward Rome, in May to June of 1944; striking bridges, rail lines, and gun emplacements prior to the invasion of Southern France in August 1944; bombing rail facilities and rolling stock in Oct 1944 to support the advance of Russian and Romanian forces in the Balkans; and hitting troops, gun positions, bridges, and supply lines during Apr 1945 in support of Allied forces in northern Italy.
In June of 1945, the Group was moved to the Caribbean area and assigned to Air Transport Command. It was inactivated in Trinidad shortly after on July 31 of the same year.
[edit] 465th Troop Carrier Wing
Established as the 465th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on August 21, 1953, it was activated August 25, 1953 at Mitchel AFB, NY. to replace the 313th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium. The 465th Troop Carrier Group operated under control of other wings from Aug through 30 Nov 1953, when it commenced an overseas movement. Meanwhile, the 465th Wing controlled the 313th Troop Carrier Group from 25 Aug to 30 Sep 1953 in normal troop carrier operations and training. From 1 Oct 1953 until the wing itself was relocated in Europe in early Apr 1954, no tactical operations were performed. The wing participated in numerous troop carrier and airlift operation's, tests, and exercises in the European area in support of USAFE and NATO, Apr 1954-Jul 1957.
The end of the 465th came on 8 July 1957 when it was deactivated and the 780th and 781st squadrons came under the command of the 317th Troop Carrier Wing. At this time, the two squadrons was directed to prepare their C-119s for return to Air Force Reserve Troop Carrier Wings in CONUS. By December, 37 C-119s departed. On 20 December the 782d squadron was deactivated.
On 6 January 1958, all the C-119s of the 317th TCW were transferred on paper to the 780th and 781st squadrons and they flew the aircraft back to CONUS. On 8 March 1958 they were also deactivated.
[edit] 465th Bombardment Wing
The Wing was redesignated 465th Bombardment Wing, Heavy and activated November 15, 1962. It was organized on February 1, 1963 at Robins AFB, Georgia, where it assumed the resources of the 4137th Strategic Wing. It conducted strategic bombardment training and air refueling operation.
Inactivated July 25, 1968
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- McAuliffe, Jerome J: U.S. Air Force in France 1950-1967 (2005), Chapter 12, Evreux-Fauville Air Base.
- Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984
- Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
- 465th Bombardment Wing @ strategic-air-command.com
