405th Air Expeditionary Wing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

405th Air Expeditionary Wing

A B-52 being refuled over the Indian Ocean, as seen from the refueling operator on a KC-135. The KC-135 crew is from the 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and is deployed to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing to support Operation Iraqi Freedom
Active 2001-Present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Garrison/HQ Thumrait AB, Oman
Mascot NOVERE ET AGGREDI - "Deploy and Attack"
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 James Ferguson
James E. Hill
William T. Hobbins
Chuck Horner

The United States Air Force's 405th Air Expeditionary Wing is an Air Expeditionary unit possibly located at Thumrait AB, Oman.

As the AEW concept operates under temporary orders by the owning MAJCOM for a specific purpose or mission, the specifics of the current mission and status of the AEW is unknown.

Contents

[edit] Mission

[edit] History

[edit] Lineage

The 405th Air Expeditionary Operations Group is the successor to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 405th Bombardment Group (Dive), activated on 1 Mar 1943 at Drew Army Airfield, Florida.

The United States Air Force 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing was established and activated at Godman AFB, Kentucky on 1 December 1952. In 1952, the wing was bestowed the World War II honors and history of the USAAF 405th Bombardment (Later Fighter) Group. Inactivated: 1 July 1958. Redesignated: 405th Fighter Wing, Activated on 9 April 1959. Inactivated on 16 September 1974. Redesignated: 405th Tactical Training Wing, Activated 29 August 1979. Inactivated 1 October 1991. Reactivated as: 405th Air Expeditionary Wing in 2001.

[edit] Major Commands

[edit] Stations

  • United States Army Air Forces
    • Drew Army Airfield, Florida (1943)
    • Walterboro Army Airfield, South Carolina (1943-44)
    • RAF Christchurch, England (1944)
    • Various Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) locations in Europe (1944-45)
    • Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia (1945)

[edit] Squadrons assigned

World War II:

  • 624th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
    Redesignated: 509th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
  • 625th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
    Redesignated: 510th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
  • 626th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)
    Redesignated: 511th Fighter Squadron (1943-46)
  • 627th Bombardment Squadron (Dive) (1943)

Cold War:

Global War On Terrorism:

  • 405th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (???-Present)

[edit] Aircraft Operated

[edit] Operations

[edit] 405th Fighter Group (1943-45)

Sister group P-47D on an Advanced Landing Ground in Normandy
Sister group P-47D on an Advanced Landing Ground in Normandy

The 405th Fighter Group was a fighter bomber unit of the United States Army Air Force in World War II. They group flew P-47 Thunderbolts in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) starting with the buildup to the Invasion of Normandy ("D-Day") through the end of the war in Europe. The 405th was a unit of the Ninth Air Force, IX Fighter Command, IX Tactical Air Command, 84th Fighter Wing.[1] The 405th was primarily assigned to support Patton's 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,[2] at Drew Field near Tampa, Florida, and activated on 1 March 1943.[2] The group was initially equipped with a few Douglass Dauntless and Curtis Helldiver dive bombers. The group gained some P-39 Airacobras before they left Drew. The group was redisignated as the 405th Fighter Bomber Group on 15 August 1943.[3] In September 1943 the group moved to Walterboro, South Carolina. In Walterboro the group was outfitted with the original "razorback" design P-47 Thunderbolts. In February 1944 the group moved by train to a point of embarkation (POE) camp near New York City. The group soon embarked the RMS Mauritania for transport to England. After six days at sea, two of them in hurricane conditions, the group disembarked in Liverpool. The group traveled by train to Southampton then via lorrie to Christchurch, Dorset.[4]

US Flag, a gift from the 405th, hangs in Christchurch Priory
US Flag, a gift from the 405th, hangs in Christchurch Priory

From March to 29 June 1944, the 405th operated out of the RAF Christchurch.[5] After setting up camp and training over England, the group began combat operations over France. During this period their primary task was ground attack ahead of the coming Operation Overlord invasion of Normandy. The group disrupted German positions and transportation infrastructure. Train locomotives were a favorite target. The group destroyed the Seine River bridge at Mantes-Gassicourt, northeast of Paris, just before the invasion, to inhibit movement of German materiel.[6] The group was grounded during the 6 June invasion activities because Allied command was concerned that inexperienced anti-aircraft batteries would mistake P-47s for the German 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 bivouaced 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.[10]

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

[edit] 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing (1952-58)

Operated Godman AFB, Ky, Dec 1952-Apr 1953, and Langley AFB, Va, May 1953-Oct 1957. At the latter base, replaced 4430th Air Base Wing and operationally controlled numerous tactical and support components until Oct 1957.

Operations included gunnery and bombardment training, firepower demonstrations, weapons delivery training, and numerous tactical exercises, 1952-1958, plus air refueling, 1954-1958.

[edit] 405th Fighter Wing (1959-74)

Replaced 6200th Air Base Wing at Clark AB, Philippines, in Apr 1959. Provided air defense and offensive fighter operations in the Philip-pines, Taiwan, and other Far Eastern points, Apr 1959-Jun 1962.

Operated Clark AB and its satellite facilities, Apr 1959-Mar 1965 and Dec 1971-Sep 1974.

Provided air defense training for Royal Thai Air Force personnel, from a base in Thailand, Nov 1961-Feb 1966.

From mid-1962 until the end of the conflict in Southeast Asia, frequently deployed assigned and attached components to bases in Southeast Asia for air defense and combat operations under operational control of other organizations.

[edit] 405th Tactical Training Wing (1979-91)

Formed with the F-15B/D and F-5E squadrons of the 58th Tactical Training Wing and conducted Replacement Training Unit (RTU) operations. Later added the F-15E RTU mission and closed the F-5 school. Absorbed into the 58th TTW in 1991.

[edit] 405th Air Expeditionary Wing (2001-?)

Supporting operations on three fronts of GWOT -- the Horn of Africa, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. B-1, KC-135, RJ-135 Aircraft, possibly others.

[edit] References

  • ArmyAirForces.com 406th Fighter Group http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=226
  • Donald, David, "Century Jets. USAF Frontline Fighters Of The Cold War", 1995
  • Endicott, Judy G., USAF Active Flying, Space, and Missile Squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Office of Air Force History
  • Freeman, Roger A., UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now, 1994
  • Menard, David W., "Before Centuries. USAFE Fighters 1948-1959", 1992.
  • Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
  • Ravenstein, Charles A., Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977, Office of Air Force History, 1984

[edit] External links