RAF Grafton Underwood
Encyclopedia
RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering
in Northamptonshire.
standards, including the lengthening of the runways to the required 2,000 yards for the main and 1,400 yards for each of the others, started in late 1942.
in 1942. Its designation was USAAF Station 106.
tenant on Grafton Underwood was the 15th Bombardment Squadron
, arriving on 12 May 1942 from Batchelor, Australia. The squadron flew the British Boston III light bomber. The 15th was originally part of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light), based in the Philippine Islands
, however the group's planes (A-24's), did not arrive by 7 December 1941. Due to the deteriorating situation in the Philippines after the Japanese attack, they were diverted to Australia where they reformed into a combat unit and fought in the Dutch East Indies
and New Guinea
Campaigns.
When the 27th Bombardment Group was inactivated and transferred back to the United States for re-equipping, the surviving members of the group were first transferred back to the United States, then to the UK.
At the time Grafton Underwood was lacking many facilities, and the squadron moved to RAF Molesworth
in mid June.
. However, the 97th had already been there in England for some time, because the 340th Squadron was already at Polebrook and had arrived months before the 342nd and 343rd had gotten to Grafton.
The 97th Bomb Group is famous for flying the first Eighth Air Force heavy bomber mission of the war, attacking the Rouen
-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. The lead aircraft of the group, Butcher Shop, was piloted by the Group Commander, Colonel Frank A. Armstrong
, and squadron commander of the 340th Major Paul W. Tibbets
(who later flew the Enola Gay
to Hiroshima
Japan on the first atomic bomb mission). In the leading aircraft of the second flight, Yankee Doodle
, flew General Ira C. Eaker, the commanding general of the Eighth Air Force Bomber Command.
Through the summer, aircraft from the 342d and 343d bomb squadrons joined with the aircraft at Polebrook attacking airfields, marshalling yards, industries, naval installations, and other targets in France and the Low Countries
.
In September the 97th Bomb Group left Grafton Underwood and consolidated its aircraft at Polebrook. In October the Group was transferred to the Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theatre and then 15th Air Force and went on to lead a number of secret and daring missions all over Europe.
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), arrived from Muroc AAF
, California during September 1942, replacing the 97th. The Group was assigned to the 40th Combat Wing at RAF Thurleigh
. The group tail code was a "Triangle G". Its operational squadrons were:
At Grafton Underwood, the group began combat on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens, docks, harbours, shipyards, motor works, and marshaling yards in France, Germany, and the Low Countries
.
During December 1942, the group was transferred to RAF Chelveston
.
Texas in the latter part of April 1943.
The 96th Bombardment Group was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3rd Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Square-C. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
This group commenced combat operations on 14 May but, as it was assigned to the 45th Wing with a general base area in north Essex
, the 96th moved east at the end of May to RAF Andrews Field
.
From May 1943 until June 1945 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) used Grafton Underwood, arriving from Sioux City AAF, Iowa
.
The 384th was assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-P. its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
The 384th Bomb Group primarily as a strategic bombardment organisation, concentrating its attacks on airfields and industries in France and Germany.
The Group's targets included aerodromes at Orléans
, Bricy
, and Nancy
; motor works at Cologne
; arms manufacturers at Solingen
; a coking plant at Gelsenkirchen
; an aircraft component parts factory at Halberstadt
; steel works at Magdeburg
; and ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt
. The Group made a damaging raid on aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 January 1944 and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the action.
The 384th took part in the campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
, 20–25 February 1944. Received another DUC for the mission of 24 April 1944 when the group, although crippled by heavy losses of men and planes, led the 41st Bomb Wing through almost overwhelming opposition to attack an aircraft factory and airfield at Oberpfaffenhofen
. The group also bombed ports, communications centres, oil facilities, and cities, attacking such targets as oil storage plants in Leipzig
and Berlin, ports at Hamburg
and Emden
, and marshalling yards at Duren
and Mannheim
.
At times the Group flew interdictory and support missions. Attacked installations along the coast of Normandy
prior to and during the invasion
in June 1944 and then bombed airfields and communications beyond the beachhead. Supported ground troops during the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
, 24–25 July, by bombing enemy strong points just beyond Allied lines. Hit tank and gun concentrations north of Eindhoven to assist the airborne assault on Holland in September. Struck enemy communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 – January 1945. Aided the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945 by attacking marshalling yards, railway junctions, and bridges to cut off enemy supplies.
After V-E Day, the 384th remained in France after the war as part of United States Air Forces in Europe
. Carried American soldiers to Casablanca
for return to the US, returned Greek soldiers to their homeland, and moved Allied troops to Germany.
The 384th Bomb Group was inactivated at Istres
France on 28 February 1946.
Legacy
The 384th was a United States Air Force
front-line Strategic Air Command
unit (1955–1994) under various designations during the Cold War
. Upon activation in 1955, the 384th Bombardment Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honours of the USAAF World War II 384th Bomb Group.
The wing was equipped with B-47 Bombers at Little Rock AFB Arkansas
until 1964, then reassigned and reequipped with and KC-135 aerial tankers at McConnell AFB, Kansas
as the 384th Air Refueling Wing . Beginning in 1987, the wing was redesignated as the 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy and was reequipped with the North American Rockwell B-1B "Lancer"
at McConnell.
The wing was inactivated by Air Combat Command
on 1 October 1994 after almost 40 years of active duty.
vehicles which were sold at monthly public auctions. The airfield was finally declared surplus to requirements and closed on 1 February 1959.
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
in Northamptonshire.
RAF use
The airfield was opened in 1941 and was first used by the RAF Bomber Command 1653 Heavy Conversion Unit with Liberators. The original runways were approximately 1,600 yards and 1,100 yards in length. However, these were unsuitable for the operation of heavy, four-engined bombers and the field was upgraded to Class A airfieldClass A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
standards, including the lengthening of the runways to the required 2,000 yards for the main and 1,400 yards for each of the others, started in late 1942.
USAAF use
Grafton Underwood was assigned United States Army Air Force Eighth Air ForceEighth 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....
in 1942. Its designation was USAAF Station 106.
15th Bombardment Squadron (Light)
The first United States Army Air Force Eighth Air ForceEighth 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....
tenant on Grafton Underwood was the 15th Bombardment Squadron
15th Bombardment Squadron
The 15th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Twelfth Air Force, based at Nouvion Airfield, Algeria...
, arriving on 12 May 1942 from Batchelor, Australia. The squadron flew the British Boston III light bomber. The 15th was originally part of the 27th Bombardment Group (Light), based in the Philippine Islands
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, however the group's planes (A-24's), did not arrive by 7 December 1941. Due to the deteriorating situation in the Philippines after the Japanese attack, they were diverted to Australia where they reformed into a combat unit and fought in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
Campaigns.
When the 27th Bombardment Group was inactivated and transferred back to the United States for re-equipping, the surviving members of the group were first transferred back to the United States, then to the UK.
At the time Grafton Underwood was lacking many facilities, and the squadron moved to RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
in mid June.
97th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
In early July 1942, the 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived at Grafton Underwood with two B-17E bomber squadrons, the 342d and 343d. The ongoing construction at the airfield limited its ability to support a full bomb group, and it acted as a satellite airfield for RAF PolebrookRAF Polebrook
RAF Polebrook is a former World War II airfield located 3.5 miles east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, UK. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in August 1940....
. However, the 97th had already been there in England for some time, because the 340th Squadron was already at Polebrook and had arrived months before the 342nd and 343rd had gotten to Grafton.
The 97th Bomb Group is famous for flying the first Eighth Air Force heavy bomber mission of the war, attacking the Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. The lead aircraft of the group, Butcher Shop, was piloted by the Group Commander, Colonel Frank A. Armstrong
Frank A. Armstrong
Frank Alton Armstrong, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Army Air Forces and the inspiration for the main character in the novel and subsequent film, Twelve O'Clock High. After the war he became a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force.Armstrong was born in Hamilton,...
, and squadron commander of the 340th Major Paul W. Tibbets
Paul Tibbets
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...
(who later flew the Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
to Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
Japan on the first atomic bomb mission). In the leading aircraft of the second flight, Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
, flew General Ira C. Eaker, the commanding general of the Eighth Air Force Bomber Command.
Through the summer, aircraft from the 342d and 343d bomb squadrons joined with the aircraft at Polebrook attacking airfields, marshalling yards, industries, naval installations, and other targets in 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....
.
In September the 97th Bomb Group left Grafton Underwood and consolidated its aircraft at Polebrook. In October the Group was transferred to the Twelfth Air Force in the Mediterranean theatre and then 15th Air Force and went on to lead a number of secret and daring missions all over Europe.
305th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, California during September 1942, replacing the 97th. The Group was assigned to the 40th Combat Wing at RAF Thurleigh
RAF Thurleigh
RAF Thurleigh was a Royal Air Force station located five miles north of Bedford, England. Thurleigh was transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force on 9 December 1942, designated Station 111, and used for heavy bomber operations against Nazi Germany.-Origins:...
. The group tail code was a "Triangle G". Its operational squadrons were:
- 364th Bombardment Squadron364th Bombardment SquadronThe 364th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 307th Strategic Wing, stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 June 1975-History:...
(B-17F) (WF) - 365th Bombardment Squadron365th Bombardment SquadronThe 365th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 307th Strategic Wing, stationed at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand. It was inactivated on 30 June 1975.-History:...
(B-17F) (XK) - 366th Bombardment Squadron366th Bombardment SquadronThe 366th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana. It was inactivated on 1 January 1970-History:...
(B-17F) (KY) - 422d Bombardment Squadron422d Bombardment SquadronThe 422d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. It was inactivated on 15 February 1961-History:...
(B-17F) (JJ)
At Grafton Underwood, the group began combat on 17 November 1942 and attacked such targets as submarine pens, docks, harbours, shipyards, motor works, and marshaling yards in France, Germany, 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....
.
During December 1942, the group was transferred to RAF Chelveston
RAF Chelveston
RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....
.
96th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The next Eighth Air Force heavy bomb group to arrive was the 96th Bombardment Group (Heavy) which flew in from Pyote AAFPyote Air Force Base
Pyote Air Force Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces training airbase. It was on a mile from the town of Pyote, Texas on Interstate 20, twenty miles west of Monahans and just south of U.S...
Texas in the latter part of April 1943.
The 96th Bombardment Group was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3rd Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Square-C. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
- 337th Bombardment Squadron (AX)
- 338th Bombardment Squadron (BX)
- 339th Bombardment Squadron339th Bombardment SquadronThe 339th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 15 March 1963.-History:...
(QJ) - 413th Bombardment Squadron (MJ)
This group commenced combat operations on 14 May but, as it was assigned to the 45th Wing with a general base area in north Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, the 96th moved east at the end of May to RAF Andrews Field
RAF Andrews Field
RAF Station Andrews Field is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Great Dunmow; about north-northeast of London...
.
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
The 384th was assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-P. its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
- 544th Bombardment Squadron544th Bombardment SquadronThe 544th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(SU) - 545th Bombardment Squadron545th Bombardment SquadronThe 545th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(JD) - 546th Bombardment Squadron546th Bombardment SquadronThe 546th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964-History:...
(BK) - 547th Bombardment Squadron547th Bombardment SquadronThe 547th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962-History:...
(SO)
The 384th Bomb Group primarily as a strategic bombardment organisation, concentrating its attacks on airfields and industries in France and Germany.
The Group's targets included aerodromes at Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, Bricy
Arrondissement of Orléans
The arrondissement of Orléans is an arrondissement of France, located in the Loiret département, in the Centre région. It has 24 cantons and 122 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Orléans are:# Artenay# Beaugency...
, and Nancy
Arrondissement of Nancy
The arrondissement of Nancy is an arrondissement of France, located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département, in the Lorraine région. It has 20 cantons and 188 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Nancy are:# Dieulouard# Haroué...
; motor works at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
; arms manufacturers at Solingen
Solingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
; a coking plant at Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
; an aircraft component parts factory at Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
; steel works at Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
; and ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
. The Group made a damaging raid on aircraft factories in central Germany on 11 January 1944 and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the action.
The 384th took part in the campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry 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...
, 20–25 February 1944. Received another DUC for the mission of 24 April 1944 when the group, although crippled by heavy losses of men and planes, led the 41st Bomb Wing through almost overwhelming opposition to attack an aircraft factory and airfield at Oberpfaffenhofen
Oberpfaffenhofen
Oberpfaffenhofen is a village which is part of the municipality of Weßling in the district of Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is 20 kilometers from the city center of Munich....
. The group also bombed ports, communications centres, oil facilities, and cities, attacking such targets as oil storage plants in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Berlin, ports at Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
, and marshalling yards at Duren
Düren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
and Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
.
At times the Group flew interdictory and support missions. Attacked installations along the coast of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
prior to and during the 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...
in June 1944 and then bombed airfields and communications beyond the beachhead. Supported ground troops during the breakthrough 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...
, 24–25 July, by bombing enemy strong points just beyond Allied lines. Hit tank and gun concentrations north of Eindhoven to assist the airborne assault on Holland in September. Struck enemy 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. Aided the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945 by attacking marshalling yards, railway junctions, and bridges to cut off enemy supplies.
After V-E Day, the 384th remained in France after the war as part of 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...
. Carried American soldiers to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
for return to the US, returned Greek soldiers to their homeland, and moved Allied troops to Germany.
The 384th Bomb Group was inactivated at Istres
Istres
Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...
France on 28 February 1946.
Legacy
The 384th was a United States Air Force
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...
front-line 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...
unit (1955–1994) under various designations 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...
. Upon activation in 1955, the 384th Bombardment Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honours of the USAAF World War II 384th Bomb Group.
The wing was equipped with B-47 Bombers at Little Rock AFB Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
until 1964, then reassigned and reequipped with and KC-135 aerial tankers at McConnell AFB, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as the 384th Air Refueling Wing . Beginning in 1987, the wing was redesignated as the 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy and was reequipped with the North American Rockwell B-1B "Lancer"
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
at McConnell.
The wing was inactivated by 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 ....
on 1 October 1994 after almost 40 years of active duty.
Postwar Air Ministry use
After the war, Grafton Underwood was used for vehicle storage with No. 236 Maintenance Unit employing up to two hundred civilian drivers and mechanics. The unit at the airfield repaired and stored thousands of Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
vehicles which were sold at monthly public auctions. The airfield was finally declared surplus to requirements and closed on 1 February 1959.