701st Tactical Air Support Squadron

401st Bombardment Squadron

401st Bombardment Squadron Patch
Active 1942–1945; 1967–1980
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Tactical Air Support
Engagements European Theater of World War II
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
WW II Group Marking Triangle A[1]
WW II Squadron Code LL[1]

The 701st Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 601st Tactical Air Control Wing at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, where it was inactivated on 31 January 1980.

During World War II the squadron was active as the 401st Bombardment Squadron and served in combat in the European Theater of Operations. It was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations for combat in Germany.

History

The squadron was established as the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron in early 1942. Shortly after activation, the squadron was redesignated the 401st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy). It trained under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States with final training under Second Air Force in Washington. The squadron deployed with its parent group to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), where it became part of VIII Bomber Command in England,[2] being one of the first heavy bomb squadrons arriving in England.

The 401st flew combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Most personnel were demobilized in England immediately after the end of the war in Europe, The squadron returned to the United States with a small headquarters staff and was planned to be re-equipped and remanned as a B-29 Superfortress squadron. The Japanese capitulation canceled plans to deploy to the Pacific and the 401st was inactivated in the United States during November 1945.[2]

In 1967, the 701st Tactical Air Support Squadron activated at Bergstrom AFB to provide light airlift and forward control support for the Tactical Air Control System (TACS), the deployable command and control system of Tactical Air Command under the control of Twelfth Air Force. It continued this mission, maintaining readiness to deploy and participating in exercises for the next thirteen years until inactivating early in 1980.

In 1985, the United States Air Force consolidated these squadrons into a single unit, but the unit has remained inactive since consolidation.

Lineage

401st Bombardment Squadron

Activated on 15 April 1942
Redesignated as 401st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942
Redesignated as 401st Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 Aug 1943[3]
Inactivated on 7 November 1945[2]

701st Tactical Air Support Squadron

Organized on 3 April 1967
Inactivated on 31 January 1980[5]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Awards

Distinguished Unit Citation

Hamm, Germany 4 March 1943
Germany, 11 January 1944

European Theater

Air Offensive, Europe
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Ardennes-Alsace
Central Europe
Air Combat, EAME Theater

Notes

  1. 1 2 Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-7643-1987-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 490–491. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
  3. ↑ See Robertson, Patsy, AFHRA Factsheet 91 Operations Group 5/28/2010 (retrieved May 9, 2013)
  4. 1 2 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  5. ↑ See Mueller
  6. ↑ UK Station Numbers are in Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 19–34. ISBN 0-912799-53-6.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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