441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron

441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron
Emblem of the 441st Bombardment Squadron (B-52 era)
Active	1942-1989
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

Squadron B-47-era medium bomber emblem

World War II squadron emblem

The 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron is a potentially active United States Air Force unit. Its known assignment was to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Mather Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 30 September 1989.

History

Established in mid-1942 as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. Trained under Third Air Force in Florida, deployed to England under the VIII Air Support Command, 3d Bombardment Wing.

Operated against targets on the continent during early fall of 1942; deployed to North Africa as part of Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch landings in Algeria in November. Flew tactical bombing missions against Axis forces in North Africa until the end of the Tunisian Campaign in May 1943. Participated in the Sicilian and Italian Campaigns; liberation of Corsica and Sardinia and the Invasion of Southern France. Supported Allied ground forces in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, spring 1945 and becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe Army of Occupation in Germany, fall 1945. Personnel demobilized in Germany and the squadron inactivated as a paper unit in December 1945.

Reactivated in the reserves in 1947. Never manned or equipped. Reactivated in 1952 as a B-47 Stratojet squadron,. Initially equipped with prototypes of the Boeing RB-47B Stratojet (YRB-47) to perform long-range photo-reconnaissance with a flight of B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned. In November 1953 began to receive production B-47E medium bomber aircraft; prototype reconnaissance aircraft already received exchanged for medium bomber versions. Participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to Europe and North Africa throughout the 1950s.

Squadron placed on non-operational status, 16 September 1960 and B-47 aircraft sent to storage at Davis-Monthan as part of phaseout of B-47. Remained as a paper unit while parent 320th Bombardment Wing in inactive status, 16 September 1960 – 15 November 1962. Reorganized and activated as a B-52F Stratofortress heavy bombardment squadron after 4134th Strategic Wing was redesignated as 320th Bombardment Wing, and 72d Bombardment Squadron of 4134th SW redesignated as 441st Bombardment Squadron. Operated B-52Fs until 1968 standing SAC nuclear alert duties, then upgraded to B-52G models. Performed rotational deployments to Western Pacific with B-52Gs, engaging in Arc Light combat missions over Indochina during Vietnam War. Maintained conventional bombing capabilities after end of United States involvement in Vietnam War until inactivation in 1989 as part of retirement of B-52G.

The squadron designation was converted to provisional status after 11 September 2001; being redesignated as the 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron (441 AEAS) and allocated to Air Education and Training Command. The 441 AEAS is deployed to Afghanistan as part of the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group and performs an advisory training mission for Afghanistan Air Force personnel at Kandahar Airfield. The lineage between the 441 AEAS and the 441st Bombardment Squadron has not been determined.

Lineage

• Constituted 441st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942

Activated on 1 July 1942

Inactivated on 6 December 1945

• Redesignated 441st Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 26 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 9 July 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 441st Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and activated, on 1 December 1952

Placed on non-operational status 15 September 1960

Redesignated 441st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 November 1962

Organized and activated on 1 February 1963, absorbing aircraft/equipment/personnel of 72d Bombardment Squadron

Inactivated on 30 September 1989

• Redesignated 441st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron after September 2001

Assignments

• 320th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1942 – 4 December 1945
• 320th Bombardment Group, 9 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 320th Bombardment Wing, 1 December 1952
• Department of the Air Force, 15 September 1960 (Non-Operational)
• Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962 (Non-Operational)
• 320th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1989

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 1 July 1942 Drane Field, Florida, 8–28 August 1942 RAF Hethel (AAF-114), England, 12 September 1942 RAF Tibenham (AAF-124), England, 1 October 1942 Oran Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, 9 January 1943 Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 28 January 1943 Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria, 14 April 1943 Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 29 June 1943 El Bathan Airfield, Tunisia, July 28, 1943

Decimomannu Airfield, Sardinia, 9 November 1943 Alto Airfield, Corsica, 20 September 1944 Dijon-Longvic Airfield (Y-9), France, 11 November 1944 Dôle-Tavaux Airfield (Y-7), France, 2 April 1945 AAF Station Fürth, Germany, 20 June 1945 Clastres Airfield, France, c. October-27 November 1945 Camp Shanks, New York, 4–6 December 1945 Mitchel Field, New York, 9 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 March Air Force Base, California, 1 December 1952 Mather Air Force Base, California, 1 February 1963 – 30 September 1989 Afghanistan 2001–Present?

Aircraft

• B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1952–1953
• YRB-47B Stratojet, 1953
• B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1960
• Boeing B-52F Stratofortress (1963–1968)

Boeing B-52G Stratofortress (1968–1989)

See also

• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

References

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

• 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.
• 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.