455th Flying Training Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 455th Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force
unit of the Air Education and Training Command
(AETC). It was previously assigned to the former 323d Flying Training Wing at the former Mather Air Force Base
, California
until it was inactivated on 1 October 1993. It was reactivated as part of the 479th Flying Training Group
at NAS Pensacola, Florida in the summer of 2010.
in the southeastern United States. Deployed to European Theater of Operations
(ETO); assigned to VIII Bomber Command
, 3d Bombardment Division in England
. Engaged in combat operations over France
and the Low Countries
, attacking enemy military targets; formations; airfields; railroads; bridges and other raids to disrupt enemy defends. Coordinated raids with VIII Bomber Command heavy strategic bombardment of military and industrial targeted in Nazi Germany
and in Occupied Europe by striking Luftwaffe
day interceptor airfields to cause maximum disruption of air defenses when heavy bomber groups returning from bombardment raids. Destroyed many enemy aircraft on the ground; destroyed support buildings; barracks and enemy aircraft on the ground.
After D-Day
invasion of Europe, engaged in tactical air support of Allied ground forces, carrying out bombardment attacks against enemy strong points, structures and targets of opportunity when making sweeps of enemy rear areas. Moved from England to Advanced Landing Ground
s in France and further eastward as ground forces advanced across continent; engaging enemy targets during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in early 1945. Continued combat operations until German capitulation in May 1945.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
forces in Occupied Germany; summer 1945. Demobilized in Germany in November and squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States.
Reactivated as a B-26 Invader
reserve light bomber squadron in 1947. Trained in the reserves; activated in 1951 due to the Korean War
. Personnel and aircraft reassigned to units of Far East Air Force in South Korea
; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States shorty afterward. Reactivated as an air defense interceptor squadron in Alaska
in 1955; reassigned to Tactical Air Command
in 1955 and moved to Indiana
. Inactivated in 1957 due to budget reductions Reactivated by Air Training Command
as a navigator training squadron in 1972; inactivated with the closure of Mather AFB and the inactivation of its host unit in 1993. Reactivated by the Air Education and Training Command
as a USAF Combat Systems Officer (formerly known as USAF Navigator) training squadron at NAS Pensacola in 2010.
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 of the Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
(AETC). It was previously assigned to the former 323d Flying Training Wing at the former Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base
Mather Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force Base located east of Sacramento at Rancho Cordova, California on the south side of U.S. Route 50....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
until it was inactivated on 1 October 1993. It was reactivated as part of the 479th Flying Training Group
479th Flying Training Group
The 479th Flying Training Group is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola . A component of Air Education and Training Command , the 479 FTG was activated on 2 October 2009.-Overview:...
at NAS Pensacola, Florida in the summer of 2010.
History
Activated as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber squadron; trained under Third Air ForceThird Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
in the southeastern United States. Deployed to European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO); assigned to VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, 3d Bombardment Division 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...
. Engaged in combat operations over France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, attacking enemy military targets; formations; airfields; railroads; bridges and other raids to disrupt enemy defends. Coordinated raids with VIII Bomber Command heavy strategic bombardment of military and industrial targeted in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and in Occupied Europe by striking 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....
day interceptor airfields to cause maximum disruption of air defenses when heavy bomber groups returning from bombardment raids. Destroyed many enemy aircraft on the ground; destroyed support buildings; barracks and enemy aircraft on the ground.
After D-Day
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...
invasion of Europe, engaged in tactical air support of Allied ground forces, carrying out bombardment attacks against enemy strong points, structures and targets of opportunity when making sweeps of enemy rear areas. Moved from England to Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
s in France and further eastward as ground forces advanced across continent; engaging enemy targets during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in early 1945. Continued combat operations until German capitulation in May 1945.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
forces in Occupied Germany; summer 1945. Demobilized in Germany in November and squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States.
Reactivated as a B-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
reserve light bomber squadron in 1947. Trained in the reserves; activated in 1951 due to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Personnel and aircraft reassigned to units of Far East Air Force in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States shorty afterward. Reactivated as an air defense interceptor squadron in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1955; reassigned to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
in 1955 and moved to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Inactivated in 1957 due to budget reductions Reactivated by Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
as a navigator training squadron in 1972; inactivated with the closure of Mather AFB and the inactivation of its host unit in 1993. Reactivated by the Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
as a USAF Combat Systems Officer (formerly known as USAF Navigator) training squadron at NAS Pensacola in 2010.
Lineage
- Constituted 455th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942
- Activated on 4 August 1942
- Inactivated on 26 November 1945
- Redesignated 455th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 9 September 1947
- Activated in the reserve on 26 September 1947
- Ordered to active service 10 March 1951
- Inactivated on 17 March 1951
- Redesignated 455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 9 May 1955
- Activated on 8 August 1955
- Inactivated on 1 September 1957.
- Redesignated as 455th Flying Training Squadron and activated on 1 April 1973
- Inactivated on 1 October 1993
- Reactivated summer 2010
Assignments
- 323d Bombardment Group, 4 August 1942-26 November 1945; 26 September 1947-17 March 1951
- 323d Flying Training Wing, 1 April 1973-1 October 1993
- 11th Air Division, 8 August 1955
- 323d Fighter-Bomber Group, 22 November 1955-1 September 1957.
- 479th Flying Training Group479th Flying Training GroupThe 479th Flying Training Group is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola . A component of Air Education and Training Command , the 479 FTG was activated on 2 October 2009.-Overview:...
, 2010-present
Stations
- Columbia Army Air Base, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 4 August 1942 - MacDill Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 21 August 1942 - Myrtle Beach Bombing Range, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 2 November 1942–25 April 1943 - RAF HorhamRAF HorhamRAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye in Suffolk. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.-USAAF use:...
(AAF-119), 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...
, 1 May 1943 - RAF Earls Colne (AAF-358), 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...
, 14 June 1943 - RAF BeaulieuRAF BeaulieuRAF Station Beaulieu was a World War II airfield in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. It was also known as Beaulieu airfield, Beaulieu aerodrome and USAAF Station AAF 408...
(AAF-408), 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...
, 21 July 1944 - Lessay Airfield (A-20), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 26 August 1944 - Chartres Airfield (A-40), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 21 September 1944 - Laon/Athies Airfield (A-69), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 13 October 1944
- Denain/Prouvy Airfield (A-83), FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, February 1945 - AAF Station Gablingen, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 15 May 1945 - AAF Station Leipheim, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 20 May 1945 - Clastres Airfield, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, October-12 December 1945 - Camp Myles StandishCamp Myles StandishCamp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 25–26 November 1945 - Tinker AFB, OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, 26 September 1947-17 March 1951 - Eielson AFB, Alaska TerritoryAlaska TerritoryThe Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
, 8 August 1955 - Bunker Hill AFB, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 20 November 1955-1 September 1957. - Mather AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1 April 1973-1 October 1993 - NAS Pensacola, Florida, summer 2010 - present
Aircraft
- B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
, 1942–1945 - B-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1947–1951 - F-86 SabreF-86 SabreThe North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 1955–1956 - F-100 Super SabreF-100 Super SabreThe North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
, 1957-1957 - T-29 Flying Classroom 1973-1975
- T-37 Tweet 1973-1993
- T-43 Bobcat 1973-2010
- T-6A Texan II 2010 - present