457th Air Expeditionary Group
Encyclopedia
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 the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
. The 457 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Its last assignment was to the United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Air Forces Central is a unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...
, being stationed at RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, England for duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. It was inactivated sometime after the active combat phase of the operation ended.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 457th 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 stationed in England. Assigned to RAF Glatton
RAF Glatton
RAF Glatton is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 10 miles N of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.-USAAF use:Glatton was constructed in 1943 and was assigned to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force as a heavy bomber airfield...
in early 1944, the group carried out 236 combat missions over Occupied Europe and 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...
. Total number of sorties was 7,086 with nearly 17,000 tons of bombs and 142 tons of leaflets being dropped.
Lineage
- Established as 457th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943
- Activated on 4 July 1943
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945
- Redesignated 457th Operations Group and activated on 1 July 1993
- Inactivated on 1 October 1994
- Redesignated 457th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status in 2003
Assignments
- 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....
, 4 July 1943 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe 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....
, 6 October 1943–1 January 1944 - 94th Combat Bombardment Wing, 21 January 1944–1 July 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), 20 July–28 August 1945 - 19th Air Refueling Wing, 1 July 1993–1 October 1994
- Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
to activate or inactivate at any time after 2003 (Date TBD)
Components
- 11th Air Refueling Squadron11th Air Refueling SquadronThe 11th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 340th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma...
, 1 July 1993–1 October 1994 - 23d Bomb Squadron (Attached), 2003 (Dates TBD)
- 748th Bombardment Squadron748th Bombardment SquadronThe 748th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.-History:...
: 4 July 1943–28 August 1945 (Red Prop Boss) - 749th Bombardment Squadron749th Bombardment SquadronThe 749th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945-History:...
: 4 July 1943–28 August 1945 (Blue Prop Boss) - 750th Bombardment Squadron750th Bombardment SquadronThe 750th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945-History:...
: 4 July 1943–28 August 1945 (White Prop Boss) - 751st Bombardment Squadron751st Bombardment SquadronThe 751st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.-History:...
: 4 July 1943–28 August 1945 (Yellow Prop Boss)
Stations
- Geiger Field, Washington, 4 July 1943
- Rapid City Army Air Base, SD, 9 July 1943
- Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 28 October 1943
- Wendover Field, 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...
, 4 December 1943–1 January 1944 - RAF GlattonRAF GlattonRAF Glatton is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 10 miles N of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.-USAAF use:Glatton was constructed in 1943 and was assigned to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force as a heavy bomber airfield...
(USAAF Station 130), England, 22 January 1944–1 June 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, 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...
, 20 July–28 August 1945 - Altus 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...
, 1 July 1993–1 October 1994 - RAF FairfordRAF FairfordRAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
, England, 2003 (Dates TBD)
Aircraft
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 1943–1945
- Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1993–1994
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (2003)
World War II
RAF Glatton
RAF Glatton is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 10 miles N of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.-USAAF use:Glatton was constructed in 1943 and was assigned to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force as a heavy bomber airfield...
England, January–February 1944, and assigned to 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....
. The group was assigned to the 94th Combat Bombardment Wing
94th Bombardment Wing (World War II)
The 94th Bombardment Wingis an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Eighth Air Force, 1st Air Division, based at RAF Alconbury, England...
of the 1st Bombardment Division
1st Strategic Aerospace Division
The 1st Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California...
. Its tail code
Tail Code
Tail codes are the markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U.S. military aircraft that help to identify the aircraft's unit and/or base assignment and occasionally other information that is not unique. This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which...
was Triangle-U.
The 457th Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons:
- 748th Bomb Squadron748th Bombardment SquadronThe 748th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.-History:...
- 749th Bomb Squadron749th Bombardment SquadronThe 749th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945-History:...
- 750th Bomb Squadron750th Bombardment SquadronThe 750th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945-History:...
- 751st Bomb Squadron751st Bombardment SquadronThe 751st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its was last assigned to the 457th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.-History:...
The 457th Bomb Group flew its first mission on 21 February 1944 during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, taking part in the concentrated attacks of heavy bombers on the German aircraft industry. Until June 1944, the Group engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets, such as ball-bearing plants, aircraft factories, and oil refineries in Germany.
The Group bombed targets in France during the first week of 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 attacked coastal defenses along the Cherbourg peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
on D-Day. Struck airfields, railroads, fuel depots, and other interdictory targets behind the invasion beaches throughout the remainder of the month.
Beginning in July 1944, the 457th resumed bombardment of strategic objectives and engaged chiefly in such operations until April 1945. Sometimes flew support and interdictory missions, aiding the advance of ground forces during the 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...
breakthrough in July 1944 and the landing of British 1st Airborne Division during the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944; and participating in 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, and the assault across the Rhine in March 1945. The Group flew its last combat mission, number 236, on 20 April 1945.
After V-E Day, the 457th transported prisoners of war from Austria to France, and returned to Sioux Falls Army Airfield, South Dakota
South Dakota
South 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...
during June 1945.
The 457th was inactivated on 18 August 1945.
Empire State Building
On Saturday, 28 July. Lieutenant Colonel William F. Smith lost his way while ferrying a B-25 Mitchell bomber from BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The 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...
to Sioux Falls AAF via Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
Airport. Emerging from low cloud at about 9000 ft. the 457th pilot found himself among the skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The aircraft crashed headlong into the 79th floor level of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
killing Lieutenant Colonel Smith, two passengers and eleven office workers. The B-25 exploded on impact spraying burning fuel into West 34th Street below, one of the engines completely passing through the building and out the other side.
Modern era
Oklahoma
Oklahoma 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...
. The 457th operated the 11th Air Refueling Squadron
11th Air Refueling Squadron
The 11th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 340th Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma...
and 306th Air Refueling Squadron
306th Air Refueling Squadron
The 306th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 457th Operations Group, stationed at Altus AFB, Oklahoma...
, flying KC-135R Stratotankers in Southwest Asia from Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base
Aviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy, and Incirlik Air Base
Incirlik Air Base
The Incirlik Air Base is located in İncirlik, five miles east of Adana, Turkey's fifth largest city, and from the Mediterranean Sea.The U.S...
, Turkey supporting Operation Northern
Operation Northern Watch
Operation Northern Watch, the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a US European Command Combined Task Force charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq...
and Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
duties as the lead tanker unit.
War On Terrorism
The 457th Air Expeditionary Group was activated as a combat unit as part of the Global War on Terrorism, to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is known that the group supported B-52 Stratofortresses operations, using B-52Hs attached from the 23d Bomb Squadron23d Bomb Squadron
The 23d Bomb Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing. It is stationed at Minot AFB, North Dakota. The mission of the 23BS is to fly the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress long range bomber...
, Minot AFB, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and USAF Reserve 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The B-52s operated from a "forward deployed location", which was RAF Fairford, England. The unit inactivated sometime after Operation Iraqi Freedom ended active combat operations.
External links
- The 457th Bomb Group Association Website
- 457th Bomb Group Association Website (older version)
- 8th Air Force Historical Society, 457th Bomb Group page
- RAF Glatton Control Tower
- 457th Bomb Group Memorial Statute at ll Saints Church, Conington|All Saints Church, Conington, HuntingdonshireConington, HuntingdonshireConington is a small village in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire. It lies within earshot of Ermine Street, now called the Great North Road, about south of Peterborough and north of Sawtry....
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