19th Antisubmarine Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 19th Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 479th Antisubmarine Group
, based at RAF Podington
, England
. It was inactivated on 29 January 1944.
at Langley Field, Virginia
. It used B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator
s to fly patrols along the east coast.
Reassigned to RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland
to fly antisubmarine patrols over the North Atlantic, it also provided convoy escort duties. The squadron moved to RAF St Eval
in England
in late June 1943 due to requests by RAF Coastal Command
to provide submarine patrols south of England and over the Bay of Biscay.
The squadron's most effective antisubmarine patrols were conducted from 18 July to 2 August 1943, the period in which the unit made nearly all of its attacks on enemy U-boat
s. After that time the enemy avoided surfacing during daylight and adopted a policy of evasion, but the squadron continued its patrols, often engaging Luftwaffe
fighter interceptor aircraft such as the Junkers Ju 88
, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and the Messerschmitt Bf 110
) in combat. The Focke-Wulf 200 was also encountered.
The 19th was moved to RAF Dunkeswell in Dorset during early August 1943 and ended operations in October 1943 after aerial antisubmarine missions were turned over to the United States Navy
. B-24s reassigned to Navy Patrol Bomber Squadron VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7 at Dunkeswell were redesignated PB4Ys.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with the 479th Antisubmarine Group
479th Antisubmarine Group
The 479th Antisubmarine Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based at RAF Podington, England...
, based at RAF Podington
RAF Podington
RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was inactivated on 29 January 1944.
Lineage
- Constituted 363d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 15 July 1942
- Redesignated 19th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942
- Disbanded on 11 November 1943.
Assignments
- 304th Bombardment Group304th Bombardment GroupThe 304th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in Langley Field, Virginia...
, 15 July 1942 - 25th Antisubmarine Wing25th Antisubmarine WingThe 25th Anti-Submarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943-History:...
, 30 December 1942 - Army Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandArmy Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandThe Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
, 8 June 1943 - 479th Antisubmarine Group479th Antisubmarine GroupThe 479th Antisubmarine Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based at RAF Podington, England...
, 8 July – 11 November 1943.
Stations
- Salt Lake City AABSalt Lake City International AirportSalt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 15 July 1942 - Geiger Field, Washington, 15 September 1942
- Ephrata, WashingtonEphrata, WashingtonEphrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
, 1 October 1942 - Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 29 October – 19 March 1943 - RCAF Station GanderCFB GanderCanadian Forces Base Gander , is a Canadian Forces Base located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is home to air/marine search and rescue operations that cover a vast swath of the western North Atlantic and southern Arctic...
, NewfoundlandDominion of NewfoundlandThe Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, 19 March – c. 25 June 1943 - RAF St EvalRAF St EvalRAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, C. 30 June 1943 - RAF Dunkeswell, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 6 August 1943 - RAF PodingtonRAF PodingtonRAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 11 November 1943.
Operational history
The squadron received its personnel in July 1942 and began training on the US west coast. It then operated with Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, being reassigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing25th Antisubmarine Wing
The 25th Anti-Submarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943-History:...
at Langley Field, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It used B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s to fly patrols along the east coast.
Reassigned to RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
to fly antisubmarine patrols over the North Atlantic, it also provided convoy escort duties. The squadron moved to RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in late June 1943 due to requests by RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
to provide submarine patrols south of England and over the Bay of Biscay.
The squadron's most effective antisubmarine patrols were conducted from 18 July to 2 August 1943, the period in which the unit made nearly all of its attacks on enemy U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s. After that time the enemy avoided surfacing during daylight and adopted a policy of evasion, but the squadron continued its patrols, often engaging Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter interceptor aircraft such as the Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and the Messerschmitt Bf 110
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
) in combat. The Focke-Wulf 200 was also encountered.
The 19th was moved to RAF Dunkeswell in Dorset during early August 1943 and ended operations in October 1943 after aerial antisubmarine missions were turned over to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. B-24s reassigned to Navy Patrol Bomber Squadron VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7 at Dunkeswell were redesignated PB4Ys.