385th Strategic Aerospace Wing
Encyclopedia
The 385th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force
unit assigned to Air Mobility Command
. It was last known to be stationed at Incirlik AB, Turkey. Its current status is undetermined.
During the Cold War
, the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing was a Strategic Air Command
wing assigned to the 818th Strategic Aerospace Division, being stationed at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska
. It was inactivated on 15 December 1964.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Great Ashfield
; the group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wulf Assembly Plant
at Marienburg
in East Prussia
on 9 October 1943.
In 1962, the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing was activated by Strategic Air Command to perpetuate the lineage of inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records. It conducted strategic air refueling operations and maintained ICBM readiness to meet SAC commitments. The wing served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission until inactivated in 1964 as part of the phaseout of the SM-65 Atlas ICBM from the USAF inventory.
Activated 1 December 1942 at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona. Unit formed in February 1943 at Geiger Field in Washington. Trained for two months and then moved to Great Falls AAD, on 11 April 1943. the unit completed training at the end of May 1943 with the aircraft moving to Kearney Field Nebraska prior to moving to England by the northern ferry route. Two aircraft were lost en route. The ground unit left Great Falls on 8 June 1943. The 548th BS sailed on the Queen Mary on 23 June 1943 and the other squadrons on the Queen Elizabeth on 1 July 1943.
Under Eighth Air Force
based in England, the 385th BG operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended, striking such targets as industrial areas, air bases, oil refineries, and communications centers in Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, and Norway. The group received two Presidential Unit Citations for bombing an aircraft factory at Regensburg
on 17 August 1943 after a long hazardous flight over enemy territory and leading the 4th Bomb Wing a great distance through heavy and damaging opposition for the successful bombardment of an aircraft repair plant at Zwickau
on 12 May 1944, being awarded another DUC for this performance. Other strategic targets included aircraft factories in Oschersleben
and Marienburg
, battery works in Stuttgart
, airfields in Beauvais
and Chartres
, oil refineries in Ludwigshafen and Merseburg
, and marshalling yards in Munich
and Oranienburg
.
Sometimes supported ground forces and struck interdictory targets. Attacked coastline defenses in June 1944 in preparation for the Normandy invasion
and hit marshalling yards and choke points during the landing on D-Day. Bombed enemy positions in support of ground forces at Saint-Lô
in July 1944. Attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 – January 1945. Bombed troop concentrations and communications centers in Germany and France, March–April 1945, to assist the final thrust into Germany.
On 6 March 1944 raid to Berlin (the most costly mission the Eighth ever carried out) the 3rd Division commander, Brigadier General Russell Wilson, took off from Great Ashfield in a radar-equipped B-17 in a leading group of the 385th. All of the 385th aircraft returned safely ... all. that is. except the one carrying General Wilson. which was seen to take several hits from flak. setting one engine on fire. Although four of the crew managed to parachute to safety (including Medal of Honor
hero First Lieutenant John C. Morgan
), eight of the others were killed when the bomber exploded.
In May 1945 dropped food to the starving Dutch population in the Netherlands as part of Operation Chowhound. The 385th suffered the last enemy action in the European part of the war. On 2 May 1945, a B-17 of the 385th BG was struck by enemy ground fire while on Operation Chowhound but returned safely to base. This was the last credited combat mission of the war.
After V-E Day, the 385th Bomb Group hauled displaced French slave laborers from Austria to France. Redeployed to the United States in June, and August 1945. the aircraft left between 19 June, and 29 June 1945. the ground unit left on 4 August 1945, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from Greenock on 5 August 1945. They arrived in New York on 11 August 1945. Group was then established at Sioux Falls, Army Air Field, South Dakota and inactivated on 28 August 1945.
, on 1 October 1959. A Strategic Air Command
, Second Air Force
unit, it was equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
es. Strategic Wings wings were established by SAC to disburse it's B-52 bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. A 4-Digit MAJCOM wing, it was considered a temporary, provisional unit.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4321st SW was redesignated as the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing (385th SAW) on 1 January 1963. It was designated as a Strategic Aerospace Wing as the new organization controlled a combination of KC-135 Stratotanker
and SM-65 Atlas-D ICBM squadrons. Its component units were also redesignated to historically-linked units of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. Therefore the history, lineage and honors of the 385th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation.
The 385th SAW continued to conduct strategic air refueling operations and maintain ICBM readiness to meet SAC commitments. The wing served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission. Inactivated on 15 December 1964
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 assigned to Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
. It was last known to be stationed at Incirlik AB, Turkey. Its current status is undetermined.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing was a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
wing assigned to the 818th Strategic Aerospace Division, being stationed at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. It was inactivated on 15 December 1964.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Great Ashfield
RAF Great Ashfield
RAF Great Ashfield was a World War II airfield in England. It is located 10 miles east of Bury St. Edmunds and two miles south of Great Ashfield village in Suffolk. Great Ashfield Airfield is still in private use although much reduced in size...
; the group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wulf Assembly Plant
22nd Air Base
The 22nd Air Base is an Air Force Base east of Malbork, Poland, near the village of Królewo Malborskie. It was officially constituted on 1 January 2001, replacing the disbanded 41st Fighter Aviation Regiment...
at Marienburg
Malbork
Malbork is a town in northern Poland in the Żuławy region , with 38,478 inhabitants . Situated in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously assigned to Elbląg Voivodeship...
in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
on 9 October 1943.
In 1962, the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing was activated by Strategic Air Command to perpetuate the lineage of inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records. It conducted strategic air refueling operations and maintained ICBM readiness to meet SAC commitments. The wing served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission until inactivated in 1964 as part of the phaseout of the SM-65 Atlas ICBM from the USAF inventory.
World War II
Under Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
based in England, the 385th BG operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended, striking such targets as industrial areas, air bases, oil refineries, and communications centers in Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, and Norway. The group received two Presidential Unit Citations for bombing an aircraft factory at Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
on 17 August 1943 after a long hazardous flight over enemy territory and leading the 4th Bomb Wing a great distance through heavy and damaging opposition for the successful bombardment of an aircraft repair plant at Zwickau
Zwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
on 12 May 1944, being awarded another DUC for this performance. Other strategic targets included aircraft factories in Oschersleben
Oschersleben
Oschersleben is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2005 about 18,000.-Geography:...
and Marienburg
Marienburg
-The historical German names of these places:*Ordensburg Marienburg , the large brick castle built by the Teutonic Knights**Malbork, Poland, site of the Ordensburg Marienburg, formerly Marienburg in Westpreußen and during World War II, Nazi Stalag XX-B for enlisted men*Alūksne, Latvia*Feldioara,...
, battery works in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, airfields in Beauvais
Beauvais
Beauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
and Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
, oil refineries in Ludwigshafen and Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
, and marshalling yards in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Oranienburg
Oranienburg
Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
.
Sometimes supported ground forces and struck interdictory targets. Attacked coastline defenses in June 1944 in preparation for the Normandy invasion
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and hit marshalling yards and choke points during the landing on D-Day. Bombed enemy positions in support of ground forces at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July 1944. Attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944 – January 1945. Bombed troop concentrations and communications centers in Germany and France, March–April 1945, to assist the final thrust into Germany.
On 6 March 1944 raid to Berlin (the most costly mission the Eighth ever carried out) the 3rd Division commander, Brigadier General Russell Wilson, took off from Great Ashfield in a radar-equipped B-17 in a leading group of the 385th. All of the 385th aircraft returned safely ... all. that is. except the one carrying General Wilson. which was seen to take several hits from flak. setting one engine on fire. Although four of the crew managed to parachute to safety (including Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
hero First Lieutenant John C. Morgan
John C. Morgan
John Cary "Red" Morgan was a United States Army Air Forces pilot in World War II who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a 1943 bombing run over Germany, which also inspired a character of the novel and film Twelve O'Clock High.-Background:Born August 24, 1914, at Vernon, Texas, and...
), eight of the others were killed when the bomber exploded.
In May 1945 dropped food to the starving Dutch population in the Netherlands as part of Operation Chowhound. The 385th suffered the last enemy action in the European part of the war. On 2 May 1945, a B-17 of the 385th BG was struck by enemy ground fire while on Operation Chowhound but returned safely to base. This was the last credited combat mission of the war.
After V-E Day, the 385th Bomb Group hauled displaced French slave laborers from Austria to France. Redeployed to the United States in June, and August 1945. the aircraft left between 19 June, and 29 June 1945. the ground unit left on 4 August 1945, and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth from Greenock on 5 August 1945. They arrived in New York on 11 August 1945. Group was then established at Sioux Falls, Army Air Field, South Dakota and inactivated on 28 August 1945.
Cold War
The origins of the 416th Bombardment Wing come from the establishment of the 4321st Strategic Wing at Offut AFB, NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, on 1 October 1959. A Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
unit, it was equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es. Strategic Wings wings were established by SAC to disburse it's B-52 bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike. A 4-Digit MAJCOM wing, it was considered a temporary, provisional unit.
In 1962, in order to retain the lineage of its MAJCOM 4-digit combat units and to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, Headquarters SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCOM strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate AFCON units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.
The 4321st SW was redesignated as the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing (385th SAW) on 1 January 1963. It was designated as a Strategic Aerospace Wing as the new organization controlled a combination of KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
and SM-65 Atlas-D ICBM squadrons. Its component units were also redesignated to historically-linked units of the newly-established wing. As under the Tri-Deputate organization, all flying components were directly assigned to the wing, no operational group element was activated. Therefore the history, lineage and honors of the 385th Bombardment Group were bestowed upon the newly established wing upon activation.
The 385th SAW continued to conduct strategic air refueling operations and maintain ICBM readiness to meet SAC commitments. The wing served as a deterrent force and also supported SAC's global air refueling mission. Inactivated on 15 December 1964
Lineage
- Constituted as the 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 25 November 1942
- Activated on 1 December 1942.
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945
- Established as 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing, Heavy on 15 November 1962
- Activated on 15 November 1962. Scheduled to replace the 4321st Strategic Wing on 1 January 1963
- Organized on 1 January 1963 assuming the resources (Manpower, Aircraft, Equipment, Weapons, & Facilities) of the 44321st Strategic Wing
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 December 1964.
- Redesignated 385th Air Expeditionary Group, and converted to provisional status, on 12 Jun 2002.
Assignments
- IV Bomber CommandIV Bomber CommandThe IV Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Fourth Air Force, based at San Francisco, California. It was inactivated on 31 March 1944.-Lineage:...
, 1 December 1942 – 1 February 1943 - II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
, 1 February – 19 June 1943 - 4th Bombardment Wing, June 1943
- Attached to: 401st Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, June-13 September 1943
- 93d Combat Bombardment Wing, 1 January
- 20th Bombardment Wing20th Bombardment Wing (World War II)The 20th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Eighth Air Force, based at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 10 November 1946.-History:...
, 18 June-4 August 1945 - Army Service ForcesArmy Service ForcesThe Army Service Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Ground Forces. They were created on February 28, 1942 by Executive Order Number 9082 "Reorganizing the Army and the War Department"...
(for inactivation). August – 28 August 1945 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 14 November 1962 - 818th Air Division818th Air DivisionThe 818th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Second Air Force, being stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska...
, 1 January 1963 – 15 December 1964 - Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
to activate or inactivate at any time after 12 Jun 2002
Components
Squadrons- 34th Air Refueling Squadron34th Air Refueling SquadronThe 34th Strategic Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 11th Strategic Group, stationed at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain...
, 1 January – 15 December 1964 (detached 10–15 December 1964) - 548th Bombardment Squadron (GX), 1 December 1942 – 19 June 1945
- 549th Bombardment (later Strategic Missile) Squadron549th Strategic Missile SquadronThe 549th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing, stationed at Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska. It was inactivated on 15 December 1964.-World War II:...
(XA), 1 December 1942 – 19 June 1945; 1 January 1963 – 15 December 1964 (not operational, 1–15 December 1964) - 550th Bombardment Squadron (SG), 1 December 1942 – 19 June 1945
- 551st Bombardment Squadron (HR), 1 December 1942 – 19 June 1945
- 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, 2002-Undetermined
- Squadron assigned to: NSA Souda Bay, CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Stations
- Davis-Monthan AAF, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, 1 December 1942 - El Paso AAFBiggs Army AirfieldBiggs Army Airfield or Biggs AAF is a military airport located at Fort Bliss near El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. The airfield was previously Biggs Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command installation, between 1947 and 1966. The U.S. Army began operations supporting Ft...
, Texas, 21 December 1942 - Geiger FieldSpokane International AirportSpokane International Airport is a commercial airport located about west of downtown Spokane in Spokane County, Washington. It is the primary airport for Spokane, eastern Washington, Coeur d'Alene, and northern Idaho...
, Washington, 1 February 1943 - Great Falls AABMalmstrom Air Force BaseMalmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place in Cascade County, Montana, United States. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom...
, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 11 April – June 1943 - RAF Great AshfieldRAF Great AshfieldRAF Great Ashfield was a World War II airfield in England. It is located 10 miles east of Bury St. Edmunds and two miles south of Great Ashfield village in Suffolk. Great Ashfield Airfield is still in private use although much reduced in size...
(USAAF Station 155), England, June 1943 – August 1945 - Sioux Falls AAFSioux Falls Regional AirportSioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a joint civil and military use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Sioux Falls, a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States...
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, August – 28 August 1945. - Offutt AFB, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 1 January 1963 – 15 December 1964 - Incirlik AB, Turkey, 2002-Undetermined
Aircraft and Missiles
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1963–1964 - SM-65 Atlas D, 1963–1964
- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 2002-Undetermined