346th Tactical Airlift Squadron

346th Tactical Airlift Squadron

C-130 Hercules delivering materiel in Viet Nam using the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System
Active 1949–1953; 1955–1956; 1956–1971
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Pacific Air Forces
Engagements Vietnam War
Decorations Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
Patch with 346th Tactical Airlift Squadron emblem

The 346th Tactical Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron that was last assigned to the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Republic of China, where it was inactivated in May 1971.

The squadron was first activated as the 346th Troop Carrier Squadron in the Air Force Reserve in 1949 and trained at Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee. In 1951 it was called to active duty for the Korean War and served until 1953.

In 1955 the unit was activated at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee as a rotary wing troop carrier assault unit in a test of the USAF's ability to support United States Army assault operations. It participated in Operation Sage Brush, which was, in part, a test of this concept. The squadron was inactivated the following year and its aircraft distributed to helicopter support organizations.

A few months later the squadron was activated as a fixed wing troop carrier assault unit at Sewart and equipped with Fairchild C-123 Provider aircraft. It moved to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina in 1958 when Tactical Air Command consolidated its C-123 units there and continued to fly the Provider until 1963, although after December 1961 most of the squadron was deployed to Southeast Asia.

In 1963 the squadron moved on paper to Dyess Air Force Base and converted the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The 346th moved to the Pacific in 1969 and began to deploy C-130s to Southeast Asia from Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, (commonly referred to as CCK) where it was assigned to the 314th Troop Carrier Wing. The squadron was inactivated at CCK as USAF operations in Southeast Asia were reduced.

History

Reserve training and Korean War callup

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

The squadron was activated in the reserves in 1949 and assigned to the 516th Troop Carrier Group. The squadron trained under the supervision of the 2584th Air Force Reserve Training Center at Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee until April 1951. The 346th was called to active duty that month[1] and participated in tactical exercises and worldwide airlift. The exercises included a cold weather exercise (Snowfall) and a desert exercise (Longhorn).[2] It converted from Curtiss C-46 Commando to Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar aircraft in 1952.[3] The 346th was inactivated and replaced by the 773d Troop Carrier Squadron in January 1953.[4][5]

Helicopter assault operations

Piasecki H-21 Workhorse
Patch with 346th Troop Carrier Squadron emblem

The squadron was reactivated in 1955 and assigned to the 516th Troop Carrier Group at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee as the 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Rotary Wing in part to test the United States Air Force's ability to provide helicopter airlift to the Army. The 346th was initially equipped with Sikorsky H-19 helicopters, but soon replaced them with Piasecki H-21s.[6] Its operations included participation in Operation Backlash II, which was a survey mission to fix the location of radar sites and support the construction of the Mid-Canada Line.[6][7] The group also tested the evacuation of key high ranking personnel from Washington DC in the event of a nuclear attack.[6]

The conflict between the Army and the Air Force concerning the use of Air Force helicopters to support Army assault operations was tested in Operation Sage Brush. The 346th operated as part of the aggressor force. The squadron's H-21s were dismantled and transported in Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft in a test of air mobility.[7] Following this test, the 346th was inactivated in July 1956. The helicopters of the squadron were transferred to the 23d Helicopter Squadron.[8]

C-123 operations

Operation Ranch Hand UC-123Bs in 1962

Three months later, the squadron was reactivated at Sewart as a Fairchild C-123 Provider unit.[9] The squadron trained to airlift troops, equipment and supplies into combat zones, to resupply forces, and evacuate casualties. In 1958, the squadron and most of the C-123s at Sewart were transferred to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina and the squadron's parent 513th Troop Carrier Wing was inactivated.[10][11] While at Pope the squadron was attached to the 464th Troop Carrier Wing.[12]

The C-123 was programmed to be removed from service in 1961, but events overtook this decision.[13] On 22 November 1961 the United States offered to provide increased airlift support to the government of the Republic of Viet Nam (South Vietnam). By January 1962, sixteen of the squadron's aircraft had deployed to the Pacific area. Initially, four aircraft were stationed "in country" at Tan Son Nhut Airport outside Saigon. Four more were at Clark Air Base in the Philippines while the remaining aircraft were en route to Clark, where they would be able to rotate "in country."[14] Among their duties, the instructor pilots of the 346th checked out pilots of Air America, which was beginning to operate C-123s as well.[13]

Three of these aircraft had been sent to Olmsted Air Force Base, Pennsylvania for modification, adding MC-1 tanks and aerial spray booms. On 13 January two of these aircraft flew the first mission of Operation Ranch Hand.[15] The Ranch Hand aircraft were later transferred to Detachment 1, 315th Troop Carrier Group, Commando.[16]

Vietnamese paratroopers jump from USAF C-123s in Operation Phi Hoa II in 1963

The remaining deployed aircraft flew as Operation Mule Train, which was intended to provide the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) with an assault capability with either airdrop or insertion. However, once in place, the unit also filled the need for logistic support to remote sites throughout the country. Mule Train crews often had to operate independently with little air traffic control under marginal weather conditions, flying in and out of small fields located in mountainous areas. In June the squadron was augmented by the 777th Troop Carrier Squadron. The Air Force placed great confidence in young Mule Train aircraft commanders, many of them first lieutenants. They were given authority to conduct operations with little oversight. Two Mule Train aircraft were maintained at Da Nang Air Base (at first referred to by its French name of Tourane Airport) to support northern outposts[13]

The first large airdrop mission by Mule Train took place on 28 June 1962. Sixteen C-123s accompanied by a dozen Douglas C-47 Skytrains of the Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) dropped paratroops about 35 miles north of Saigon despite a 500 foot ceiling. The Providers even added napalm bombing to their mission. The plane would carry nine wooden pallets, each holding three 55-gallon drums of napalm mixed with gasoline. With a good kicker, the load could go out the back ramp in less than five seconds and leave a pattern of flame 1,200 feet long.[13]

In April 1963 the squadron moved on paper to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas,[10][17] where it became a Lockheed C-130 Hercules squadron. Its aircraft at Pope were transferred to the newly activated 309th Troop Carrier Squadron, Commando, which moved to Viet Nam three months later.[18]

C-130 operations

At Dyess, the squadron performed tactical airlift worldwide, deploying to the Far East, Europe and the Panama Canal Zone. The squadron participated in a constant stream of exercises and operations.[19]

As the United States Air Force (USAF) built up its forces in the Pacific as the Vietnam War grew larger the squadron moved to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Republic of China (usually called "CCK").[20] Although the squadron itself was not stationed in Viet Nam, it flew C-130s to augment task forces and other operational organizations during Vietnam War until it was inactivated in 1971 when the 314th wing returned to the US. Its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron, which moved on paper to CCK from Naha Air Base, Okinawa.[21]

Generally, the aircrew work-rest cycle for deployed C-130 crews in 1968 through 1970 was 12 hours on and 14 hours off for five cycles. The crew reported for duty in the evening, worked 12 hours, rested 14 hours, then reported for duty two hours later than the previous evening. By the 5th cycle, the crew had delayed its report time 10 hours and was now reporting in the morning. The crew worked 12 hours that day, ate, slept for 12 hours, and then reported for work again that evening. At the end of that night, the crew had been awake for 24 hours. As a result of this work-rest schedule the crews were never properly rested [22]

Lineage

Redesignated 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Rotary Wing on 8 December 1954
Redesignated 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault, Fixed Wing on 27 July 1956
Redesignated 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Assault on 1 July 1958
Redesignated 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 1 April 1963
Redesignated 346th Troop Carrier Squadron on 1 March 1966
Redesignated 346th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 May 1967

Assignments

Stations

  • Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 26 June 1949 – 16 January 1953
  • Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 8 March 1955 – 9 July 1956
  • Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 8 October 1956[11]
  • Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 1 July 1958[10]
  • Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, 1 April 1963[17]
  • Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, 15 March 1969 – c. 31 May 1971[20]

Aircraft

  • Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1949–1952
  • Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1952–1953
  • Sikorsky H-19, 1955
  • Piasecki H-21 Workhorse ("Flying Banana"), 1955–1956
  • Fairchild C-123B Provider, 1956–1963
  • Fairchild UC-123B Provider, 1962–1963
  • Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1963–1971

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award28 November 1961 – 1 May 1963346th Troop Carrier Squadron[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 1964 – 31 December 1965346th Troop Carrier Squadron[27]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm1 April 1968 – 6 May 1968346th Tactical Airlift Squadron[28]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III1 April 1968 – 6 May 1968346th Tactical Airlift Squadron[27]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Abstract, History 346 Troop Carrier Squadron Apr–Jun 1951". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Abstract, History 346 Troop Carrier Squadron Jan–Mar 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Abstract, History 516 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Abstract, History 463 Troop Carrier Wing Jan–Jun 1953". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. ↑ See Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 338–339
  6. 1 2 3 "Abstract, Initial History 516 Troop Carrier Group". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Abstract, History 314 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1955". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Abstract, Vol. 1, History 314 Troop Carrier Wing Jan–Jun 1956". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 "Abstract, Vol. 1, History 314 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1956". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Mueller, p. 485
  11. 1 2 "Abstract, History 513 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  12. 1 2 Ravenstein, p. 259
  13. 1 2 3 4 Boyne. Mule Train
  14. ↑ "Talking Paper for the Chairman, JCS, for meeting with the President of the United States on Current US Military Actions in South Vietnam, 9 January 1962". Extracted from the Pentagon Papers, Gravel edition, Vol. 2 pp. 654–659. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Boyne, Ranch Hand
  16. ↑ Buckingham, p. 100
  17. 1 2 Mueller, p. 121
  18. ↑ Robertson, Patsy (2010-05-25). "Factsheet 309 Airlift Squadron (USAFE)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  19. 1 2 Ravenstein, p. 284
  20. 1 2 "Abstract, Vol. 1 History 314 Tactical Airlift Wing Jan–Mar 1969". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  21. ↑ See Kane, Robert B. (2010-04-29). "Factsheet 21 Airlift Squadron (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  22. ↑ Miller
  23. ↑ See "Abstract, Vol. 1 History 314 Troop Carrier Wing Jan–Jun 1956". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  24. 1 2 Ravenstein, p. 280
  25. 1 2 "Factsheet 315 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  26. ↑ Ravenstein, p. 162
  27. 1 2 3 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 1971, p. 332
  28. ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 Sep 1976, p. 61

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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