| 446th Operations Group | |
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Emblem of the 446th Operations Group |
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| Active | 1943–1945; 1948–1951; 1955–1959; 1992–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
The 446th Operations Group (446 OG) is a United States Air Force Reserve unit assigned to the 446th Airlift Wing. It is stationed at McChord Air Force Base, Washington.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 446th Bombardment Group was a Eighth Air Force B-24 Liberator unit in England. Assigned to RAF Bungay in late 1943, the group led the Eighth Air Force and the 2d Bombardment Division on the first heavy bomber mission of D-Day. The group's 706th Bomb Squadron flew 62 consecutive missions and 707th Bomb Squadron had 68 missions without loss.
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The 446th Operations Group manages the aircrew and flight operations of the 446th Airlift Wing. Col. David Pavey is the group commander.
The 446th Operations Group is made up of four squadrons
Activated 1 April 1943 at Davis-Monthan AAB, Arizona were Initial assembly began. The unit moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico on 6 June 1943, but immediately moved again to Lowry AAB, Colorado, where the training was completed. The ground unit left on 18 October 1943 for Camp Shanks, New York and embarked on the Queen Mary on 25 October 1943. They sailed on 27 October 1943 and arrived in Clyde on 2 November 1943. The aircraft left Lowry AAB on 20 October 1943 for Lincoln AAB, Neb. The aircraft flew via the southern route from Florida, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Dakar, and Marrakash to England. One aircraft was lost on the Puerto Rico leg, and one aircraft was shot down when it strayed off course into France. Upon arrival in England, the 446th was assigned to the Eighth Air Force 20th Combat Bombardment Wing and the group tail code was a "Circle-H".
included U-boat installations at Kiel, the port at Bremen, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, ball-bearing works at Berlin, aero-engine plants at Rostock, aircraft factories at Munich, marshalling yards at Coblenz, motor works at Ulm, and oil refineries at Hamburg.
Besides strategic missions, the group often carried out support and interdictory operations. It supported the Normandy invasion in June 1944 by attacking strong points, bridges, airfields, transportation, and other targets in France. Aided ground forces at Caen and Saint-Lô during July by hitting bridges, gun batteries, and enemy troops. Dropped supplies to Allied troops near Nijmegen during the airborne attack on Holland in September. Bombed marshalling yards, bridges, and road junctions during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945. Dropped supplies to airborne and ground troops near Wesel during the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The 446th Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April, attacking a bridge near Salzburg.
Redeployed to the US June/July 1945. First of the aircraft departed the United Kingdom on mid-June 1945. One aircraft was lost over the Azores on the return flight to the US. The ground echelon sailed from Greenock on the Queen Mary on the sixth of July 1945, arriving in New York on 11 July 1945. Personnel to Camp Kilmer and had 30 days R and R. Some assembled at Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota where the Group was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
Beginning March 1948, the group evidently conducted bombardment training with B-29 Superfortresses at Carswell AFB near Dallas as part of the Air Force Reserve. As a result of the Korean War, the group was activated on 1 May 1951. Its personnel and aircraft were reassigned to units under Far East Air Force as replacements. It was inactivated on 25 June 1951 as a paper unit.
Reactivated in 1955 as a reserve medium troop carrier group at Ellington AFB near Houston. The unit trained for and flew various airlift missions until being inactivated in 1959 as a result of its parent unit, the 445th Troop Carrier Wing converting to the Air Force tri-deputate organization and all assigned units and personnel were assigned directly to the Wing.
Activated as the 446th Operations Group at McChord AFB on 1 August 1992 under the "Objective Wing" concept adapted by the Air Force. The airlift squadrons of the renamed 446th Airlfit Wing were reassigned to the newly established group, along with the lineage, honors and history of the 446th Bombardment (Troop Carrier) Group.
Since 1992, the group has flown channel, special assignment, and humanitarian airlift missions worldwide and taken part in joint and combined training exercises, both within the United States and abroad.
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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