377th Bombardment Group

377th Bombardment Group
	104th Observation Squadron O-47s
Active	1942
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	AAF Antisubmarine Command
Engagements	Antisubmarine

Last updated March 05, 2019

The 377th Bombardment Group was activated in October 1942 as the headquarters for antisubmarine units operating along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Shortly after it was organized, Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command reorganized its squadrons in the area to reassign them directly to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing and the group was inactivated. In 1985, the group was redesignated the 357th Tactical Missile Group.

Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility for managing all business activities. In the United Kingdom, the term head office is most commonly used for the HQs of large corporations. The term is also used regarding military organizations.

The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which had been carrying out the antisubmarine mission in the Atlantic and Caribbean since the Attack on Pearl Harbor due to the lack of long range Naval aviation in that area.

A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force. Land based squadrons equipped with heavier type aircraft such as long-range bombers, or cargo aircraft, or air refueling tankers have around 12 aircraft as a typical authorization, while most land-based fighter equipped units have an authorized number of 18 to 24 aircraft.

History

The group was first activated as the 377th Bombardment Group on 18 October 1942, when it replaced the 59th Observation Group at Fort Dix Army Air Field and assumed its mission, personnel and equipment. It was equipped with the various observation aircraft flown by the 59th, but its squadrons would finally convert to North American B-25 Mitchell bombers shortly after the 377th was inactivated.^[1]^[2] only one of the group's squadrons, the 516th Bombardment Squadron, was located with it at Fort Dix.^[3] Its 517th Bombardment Squadron was at Atlantic City Airport, New Jersey;^[4] the 518th Bombardment Squadron was at Grenier Field, New Hampshire;^[5] while the 519th Bombardment Squadron made its home at Hyannis Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Massachusetts.^[6]

A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. The terms group and wing differ significantly from one country to another, as well as between different branches of a national defence force.

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American twin-engine, medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation (NAA).

Just as the group was activating, the Army Air Forces organized its antisubmarine forces into the single Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, which established the 25th Antisubmarine Wing the following month to control its forces operating over the Atlantic.^[7]^[8] The group's squadrons were all renamed as antisubmarine squadrons in late November.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] The command's bombardment group headquarters, including the 377th, were inactivated and the group's squadrons were assigned directly to the 25th Wing.^[1]^[3]^[4]^[5]

The 25th Antisubmarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was the principal United States Army Air Forces Unit conducting anti-submarine warfare off the Atlantic Coast of the United States and Canada until it was disbanded on 15 October 1943.

In July 1985, the group was redesignated the 357th Tactical Missile Wing, but it has never been active under this name.^[9]

Lineage

Constituted as the 377th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 13 October 1942

Activated on 18 October 1942

Inactivated on 9 December 1942^[10]

Redesignated 357th Tactical Missile Wing on 19 July 1985^[9]

Assignments

Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, 18 October 1942–9 December 1942^[1]

Components

516th Bombardment Squadron (later 11th Antisubmarine Squadron), 18 October-9 December 1942^[3]
517th Bombardment Squadron (later 12th Antisubmarine Squadron), 18 October-9 December 1942^[4]
518th Bombardment Squadron (later 13th Antisubmarine Squadron), 18 October-9 December 1942 (attached to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command)^{[note 1]}
519th Bombardment Squadron (later 14th Antisubmarine Squadron), 18 October-9 December 1942^[6]

Stations

Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 18 October 1942 – 9 December 1942^[10]

Aircraft

Campaign

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Antisubmarine	18 October 1942–9 December 1942	377th Bombardment Group^[1]

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References

Notes

Explanatory notes

↑ Maurer, in Combat Units says the squadron was assigned to the 377th Group, but in Combat Squadrons says it was assigned to the 25th Wing. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266; Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 786-787

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266
↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 123
1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 773-774
1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 785
1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 786-787
1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 265–266
↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 437
↑ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 388-389
1 2 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations
1 2 Lineage through 1942 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266

Citations

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

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[11] Maurer, in Combat Units says the squadron was assigned to the 377th Group, but in Combat Squadrons says it was assigned to the 25th Wing. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266; Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 786-787

[Maurer377BG-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266

[2] Maurer, Combat Units, p. 123

[Maurer831BS-3] 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 773-774

[Maurer859BS-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 785

[Maurer863BS-5] 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 786-787

[Maurer14AS-6] 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 265–266

[7] Maurer, Combat Units, p. 437

[8] Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 388-389

[DAFMPM648q-9] 1 2 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

[Maurer377BG2-10] 1 2 Lineage through 1942 in Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 265-266