| 483d Composite Wing | |
|---|---|
483d Tactical Airlift Wing Insignia |
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| Active | 1943–1972 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Composite transport/special ops. |
| Part of | Pacific Air Forces |
| Engagements |
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The 483d Composite Wing was a tactical airlift and composite wing assigned to Pacific Air Forces during the Vietnam War. It was the host organization at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base South Vietnam from 1970–1972.
The units history can be traced back to the World War II 483d Bombardment Group, which was a 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 Korean War, the 483d Troop Carrier Group was an airlift organization assigned to Tactical Air Command but attached to Far East Air Forces for duty.
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Constituted as 483d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 September 1943 and activated on 20 September. Trained with B-17's under Third Air Force in Florida.
Was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy; France; Southern Germany; Austria and the Balkans.
Received a Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 18 July 1944 when, without fighter escort, the group engaged numerous enemy aircraft in the target area and also bombed the objective, an airdrome and installations at Memmingen.
Assisting the strategic bombardment of enemy industry the group received another DUC for braving fighter assaults and antiaircraft fire to bomb tank factories at Berlin on 24 May 1945. Struck targets in southern France in preparation for the invasion in August 1944. Operated in support of ground force in northern Italy during the Allied offensive in April 1945. Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945.
After V-E Day, was assigned to Air Transport Command Green Project which was the movement of troops from Pisa Airfield staging area in Morocco. B-17s were dearmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed. Crew consisted of Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator and Flight Engineer. Carried passengers from Pisa to Port Lyautey Airfield, French Morocco where ATC transports moved them across the Atlantic or to Dakar for movement via South Atlantic Transport Route. Inactivated in Italy on 25 September 1945. Flew 215 combat missions; 75 aircraft lost.
Activated at Ashiya AB, Japan as the 483d Troop Carrier Wing on 1 January 1953 and replaced 403rd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium. Assigned to Tactical Air Command but attached to the Far East Air Forces 315th Air Division for duty in the Korean War.
Performed troop carrier and air trans-port operations in the Far East, including landing of troops and cargo in for-ward areas of the combat zone, air transportation of airborne troops and equipment, and air evacuation of casualties. In June 1953, as the Korean war neared an armistice, all wing C-119s airlifted the entire 187th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) from Japan to Seoul and Chunch'on, South Korea, to preclude enemy breakthroughs. This was the largest mass movement of personnel in the history of combat cargo to that time.
Between April 1953 and September 1954, the wing aided the French Air Force in Indochina by training air-crews, evacuating wounded, and maintaining aircraft. Returned to Ashiya AB, and performed theatre transport duties until inactivated in Japan on 23 June 1960.
The 483d Tactical Airlift Wing was activated on 15 October 1966. With the deactivation of the 12th Tactical Fighter wing. The 483d TAW became the host wing at Cam Ranh Air Base South Vietnam on 31 March 1970 assigned to the 834th Air Division.
The 483d TAW was assigned the mission of providing intra-theater airlift in support of United States military civic actions, combat support and civic assistance throughout the Republic of Vietnam. In addition, the wing was transferred ex-United States Army CV-2B "Caribou" light transports. Upon transfer to the USAF, the aircraft was redesignated as C-7A. In addition to the Caribous, the 483d provided support to three rotational C-130B squadrons that were attached to the wing from the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, Clark AB, Philippines.
The C-7s provided the light load-short haul transport to rough landing strips in the northern part of South Vietnam; while the C-130s provided the intra-theater transport within all of South Vietnam and to United States bases in Formosa and the Philippines.
The unique capabilities of the C-7 for short landing and takeoff made Caribou transports absolutely vital to the war effort. On many occasions the C-7A's flew emergency airlift missions to airstrips and combat areas that no other aircraft could reach. Most notable were those in support of special forces camps in the central highlands.
In June 1968 the wing flew a record 2,420 combat troops in three days between Dak Pek, Ben Het and Dak To. In August 1968 pinpoint night airdrops were accomplished at Duc Lap, Ha Thanh and Tonle Cham Special Forces camps. Ammunition and medical supplies were parachuted into 75-foot-square drop zones while the camps were under attack.
In June 1969 during the siege of Ben Het more than 200 tons of ammunition, POL, rations, water and medical supplies were airdropped into a 100 x 200-foot zone with every load on target and 100 per cent recovered.
Again in April 1970, the 483d TAW helped break the siege of Dak Seang. The wing flew 100 air-drop sorties under heavy hostile fire in ten days delivering some 400,000 pounds of vital supplies. When three C-7s were shot down with the loss of all crewmen between 2 and 6 April, the operation switched to low-level night drops in conjunction with AC-119G Shadow gunships. On 15 May 1970 the 459th TAS ceased operations in preparation for inactivation 1 June as part of the U.S. forces drawdown in Vietnam, and on 31 August 1971 its sister unit at Phut Cat AB, the 537th TAS, inactivated in place, followed shortly thereafter by the 536th TAS at Vung Tau.
During their five years' flying for the 483d TAW, the C-7A Caribous carried more than 4.7 million passengers, averaging more than one million a year during 1967–1969. At the same time the wing averaged more than 100,000 tons of cargo each year.
On 31 August/1 September 1971, five squadrons from deactivating units were assigned to the 483d TAW, which was rediesginated the 483d Composite Wing. All inactivated at Cam Ranh AB between 1 December 1971 and 15 April 1972.
The three remaining C-7 squadrons inactivated in early 1972 (535th TAS on 24 January, 458th on 1 March, and 457th on 30 April). Most of the C-7 Caribous were transferred to the VNAF. The C-130 squadrons and the mixture of reassigned squadrons from other units which were sent to Cam Rahn were all inactivated or returned to their home bases by the end of May.
The 483d Composite Wing was inactivated on 31 May 1972. For its service in Vietnam, the 483d TAW was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with combat "V" (Valor) device.
C-7A Caribou Squadrons, all assigned 1 Jan 1967 – 1 Mar 1972
C-130B Squadrons (Attached from the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, Clark AB, Philippines) 1 Jan 1967 – 31 May 1972
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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