World War II edit

Replacement training unit edit

Established in mid-1942 under II Bomber Command as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Replacement Training Unit. Operated until March 1944.

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan edit

Redesignated on 1 April 1944 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field, Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

The squadron flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 12 April 1945 with a bombing mission over Koriyama, Japan to strike the Hodogaya Chemical Plant. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attacks, but the first ten-day-long blitz resulted in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.

The squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft were scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. The unit was inactivated as part of Army Service forces in December 1945.

Air Force reserve edit

Activated as a C-46 Commando Troop Carrier Squadron in June 1952. Inactivated in July 1952.

Vietnam War edit

Reactivated during the Vietnam War at Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam in 1966. Provided intratheater airlift in Vietnam, including airland and airdrop assault missions from, 1966–1972, being inactivated as part of the drawdown of United States forces and the closure of Cam Ranh AB. and military airlift operations worldwide from 1975 to 1978.

Executive airlift edit

It conducted airlift in Southwest Asia from August 1990 – May 1991.

Campaigns and decorations edit

• Campaigns: World War II: Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; Vietnam Air Offensive; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air/Ground 1968; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; TET 69/ Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Intratheater airlift in Southwest Asia, August 1990 – April 1991;
• Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations: Japan, 10 May 1945; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, 23–29 May 1945. Presidential Unit Citations (Southeast Asia) 21 Jan-12 May 1968; 1 Apr-30 June 1970; Navy Presidential Unit Citation: Vietnam, 20 Jan-1 April 1968; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device 1 Jan-30 April 1967; 1 May 1967 – 30 April 1968; 1 July 1970 – 31 December 1971. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 January 1967 – 30 April 1972; Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards-1 Jul-31 December 1975; 1 January 1976 – 31 January 1977; 1 June 1981 – 31 May 1982; 1 June 1982 – 30 June 1983; 1 June 1986 – 31 July 1988

458th Airlift Squadron

• Constituted as the 458th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 1 July 1942

Activated on 6 July 1942

Inactivated on 1 April 1944

• Redesignated 458th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy and activated, on 1 April 1944

Inactivated on 27 December 1945

• Redesignated 458th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium on 26 May 1952

Activated in the reserve on 14 June 1952

Inactivated on 14 July 1952

• Redesignated 458th Troop Carrier Squadron and activated on 12 October 1966 (not organized)

Organized on 1 January 1967

Redesignated 458th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967

Inactivated on 1 March 1972

• Consolidated with the 1401st Military Airlift Squadron as the 458th Airlift Squadron on 1 December 1991^[1]

1401st Military Airlift Squadron

• Designated as the 1401st Military Airlift Squadron and activated on 1 April 1975.
• Consolidated with the 458th Tactical Airlift Squadron as the 458th Airlift Squadron on 1 December 1991^[1]

Assignments edit

• 330th Bombardment Group, 6 July 1952 – 1 April 1944
• 330th Bombardment Group, 1 April 1944 – 27 December 1945
• 330th Troop Carrier Group, 14 June–14 July 1952
• Pacific Air Forces, 12 October 1966 (not organized)
• 483d Troop Carrier Wing (later 483d Tactical Airlift Wing), 1 January 1967 – 1 March 1972
• 89th Military Airlift Wing, 1 April 1975
• 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing (later 375th Military Airlift Wing), 15 March 1978
• 375th Operations Group, 1 December 1991 – present^[1]

Stations edit

Aircraft edit

Notes edit

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

• 375th Operations Group