483d Airlift Group

483d Airlift Group

483d BG 840th BS Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-50-DL Fortress 44-6405 "Big Yank" credited with 3 Me 262 kills and one probable 24 Mar 1945. Salvaged at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas 28 Dec 1945.
Active 1943–1945, 1953-1958, 1991-1992
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Pacific Air Forces
Motto(s) Efficient Airlift Support
Engagements

  • World War II - EAME Theater[1]

  • Korean War[1]
Decorations

  • Distinguished Unit Citation (2x)[1]

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (8x)

  • Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation[2]
Insignia
Emblem of the 483d Bombardment Group

The 483d Airlift Group is an inactive unit last assigned to Pacific Air Forces at Osan AB Korea. It was assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force as a VIP transport unit for Headquarters, Seventh Air Force. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992.

During World War II, the 483d Bombardment Group was the last B-17 Flying Fortress unit trained in the United States. It was deployed to Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in 1944. It was later re-activated during the Korean War as a troop carrier group.

History

World War II

The group was constituted as 483d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 September 1943 and activated on 20 September.[1] Its original squadrons were the newly activated 815th,[3] 816th,[4] 817th Bombardment Squadrons,[5] and the 818th Bombardment Squadron, which moved from Gulfport Army Air Field, where it had been performing anti-submarine warfare as the 21st Antisubmarine Squadron to join the group at Ephrata Army Air Base.[6] The group trained with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses under Third Air Force in Florida.[1] While in training at MacDill Field, the 818th Bombardment Squadron and the 840th Bombardment Squadron, assigned to the 488th Bombardment Group,swapped designations.[5][6]

B-17s of the 483d Bombardment Group in formation during a combat mission. Note the "Y" tail code, red painted rudder on the vertical stabilizer

The 483d deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy.[1] It began operations in April 1944 and 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, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans.[1] The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action on 18 July 1944 when, without cover from its fighter escort, the group engaged numerous enemy aircraft in the target area and bombed the objective, an airdrome and installations at Memmingen, despite losing 15 bombers.[1]

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 March 1945.[1] It struck targets in southern France in preparation for Operation Dragoon, the invasion in August 1944.[1] The group also operated in support of ground force in northern Italy during the Allied offensive in April 1945 and continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945.[1]

After V-E Day, assisted with Air Transport Command (ATC)'s Green Project which was the movement of troops from Pisa Airfield staging area in Morocco in preparation for return to the United States.[1] The group's B-17s were dearmed with flooring and seats for 25 passengers installed. The flight crew for this operation consisted of a pilot, copilot, navigator and flight engineer. The 483d 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. The group was inactivated in Italy on 25 September 1945. It flew 215 combat missions and 75 aircraft lost.

Korean War

See 483d Tactical Airlift Wing for additional history during the Korean War

The group was once again activated at Ashiya AB, Japan as the 483d Troop Carrier Group on 1 January 1953 and replaced the 403d Troop Carrier Group, Medium and absorbed its mission, personnel and equipment. The group was assigned to the 483d Troop Carrier Wing and controlled the wing's operational squadrons.

It performed troop carrier and air transport operations in the Far East, including landing of troops and cargo in forward areas of the combat zone, air transportation of airborne troops and equipment, and air evacuation of casualties.[1] It received a Korean Presidential Unit Citation for these actions.[1] For its actions in transporting United Nations troops in Korea and training with airborne units, the group was one of the first units to earn an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Between April 1953 and September 1954, the wing aided the French Air Force in Indochina by training personnel and hauling supplies.[1] In 1956, the group became non-operational and its squadrons were attached to the 483d Troop Carrier Wing as Far East Air Forces began to convert to the dual-deputy organizational model. It was inactivated in 1958 as the conversion was complete and its squadrons reassigned to the wing.

The group was briefly reactivated in the early 90s as the 483d Airlift Group of Military Airlift Command at Osan Air Base, Korea as VIP airlift units were being realigned.

Lineage

Activated on 20 September 1943
Re-designated as 483d Bombardment Group, Heavy on 25 January 1944
Inactivated 25 September 1945
Activated on 1 January 1953
Inactivated on 8 December 1958 (not operational after 15 March 1956)[7]
Activated ca. 1 September 1991
Inactivated ca. 1 June 1992

Assignments

Components

Stations

Aircraft flown

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 354–355. ISBN 0-912799-02-1.
  2. ↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 71, p. 403
  3. ↑ 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. 765–766. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
  4. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 766
  5. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 767
  6. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 777-778
  7. ↑ See Ravenstein, p. 268
  8. ↑ AFHRA Factsheet, 21st Airlift Squadron (accessed Oct 26, 2012)

References

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

  • Dye, John (1962). Golden Leaves. Los Angeles, CA: Ward Ritchie Press. ISBN 1111466505. 
  • Epperson, W.B.; Yudain, Bernie, eds. (1945). 483rd Bombardment Group (H) Italy 1944-1945. Rome, Italy: Novissima. 
  • Futrell, Ribert F. (1983). The United States Air Forces in Korea 1950-1954. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-71-4. 
  • Grimm, Jacob L.; Cole, Verne H.; Barnes, Clyde M. (1997). Heroes of the 483d: Crew Histories of a Much Decorated B-17 Bomber Group During World War II With a Tribute to the Men Who Kept Them Flying. Ann Arbor, MI: 483d Bombardment Group Association. 
  • Stern, Donald E. (1994). 483d Bomb Group (H). Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Co. ISBN 1563111551. 
  • "Valor A Day of Records". Air Force Magazine. May 1997. 

External links

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