506th Air Refueling Squadron

Last updated

506th Air Refueling Squadron
P-47-44-200097-406fs-371fg.jpg
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt 44-200097 of the 406th Fighter Squadron at Furth/Industriehafen
Active1953–1955
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Air Refueling
Motto(s)Any Time Any Where
Engagements European theater of World War II
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
506th Air Refueling Squadron Emblem 506th Air Refueling Squadron.PNG
ETO Fuselage Code and Squadron Color [1] 4W
Yellow

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 42d Air Division at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas where it was inactivated on 1 July 1957 and its personnel and equipment transferred to the 92d Air Refueling Squadron.

Contents

The Squadron was first activated as the 406th Fighter Squadron in 1943, one of the original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron saw combat in the European theater of World War II before being inactivated in 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks in March 1945 that led to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany.

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established in 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow Air Force Base, Maine and equipped with rigid flying boom KB-29P Superfortress tankers. The squadron mission was to provide in-flight refueling for its parent wing and other USAF units. It moved to Bergstrom in 1955 and was inactivated there when SAC transferred its fighter force to Tactical Air Command.

History

World War II

The 406th Fighter Squadron was activated ar Richmond Army Air Base, Virginia in the summer of 1943 [2] as one of the three original squadrons of the 371st Fighter Group. The squadron trained in the northeastern United States with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts under First Air Force before moving overseas in the spring of 1944. [3]

Upon arriving in England, the squadron became an element of Ninth Air Force at Bisterne Close, England. The squadron's first combat operation was a fighter sweep over Occupied France. Prior to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, the 406th flew fighter sweeps, dive bombing and escort missions. [3]

On D-Day the 406th patrolled the beachhead. attacking railroads, trains, vehicles. gun emplacements and other targets. Soon after the invasion, the squadron moved to France and participated in the air interdiction that preceded the Allied breakout at St Lo in late July and supported the following drive across northern France. It continued to operate in northeastern France and southwestern Germany through the winter of 1945, attacking storage dumps, marshalling yard, factories, bridges, roads, and vehicles. In December 1944 it provided close air support for ground forces engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. [3]

The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its attacks between 15 and 21 March 1945 that contributed to the defeat of Axis forces in southern Germany. It continued combat operations until the Surrender of Germany in May. [3] The squadron remained with the occupation forces in Germany until October 1945 when it returned to the United States and was inactivated. [2]

Cold War

The 506th Air Refueling Squadron was established on 25 September 1953 by Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dow AFB and initially equipped with rigid flying boom KB-29P Superfortress tankers. [4] Its mission was to provide in-flight refueling to the Republic F-84 Thunderjet strategic fighters of its parent wing. The squadron also supported other USAF units as directed. In 1954 the squadron deployed to Kindley Air Force Base, Bermuda to support SAC fighters of the 508th Strategic Fighter Wing. [5]

In 1955 SAC concentrated its strategic fighter units, and the 506th's parent 506th Strategic Fighter Wing moved to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma in March. The squadron remained at Dow and was reassigned to the 4060th Air Refueling Wing until August, when it moved to Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, [6] where it was assigned to the 42d Air Division, [7] the parent of the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing, to which the squadron was attached. [8]

The 506th was inactivated at Bergstrom on 1 July 1957 and its mission, personnel, and equipment were transferred to the 92d Air Refueling Squadron, which was activated that same day to assume SAC resources at Bergstrom as the 42d Air Division and SAC fighter organizations were transferred to Tactical Air Command. [7]

The 406th Fighter Squadron and the 506th Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated in 1985, but the consolidated unit has not been active. [9]

Lineage

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Distinguished Unit Citation 15 March 1945-21 March 1945406th Fighter Squadron, Germany [2]
Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Air Offensive, Europe7 March 1944 – 5 June 1944406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Rhineland5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945406th Fighter Squadron [2]
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal streamer.png Air Combat, EAME Theater7 March 1944 – 11 May 1945406th Fighter Squadron [2]

Related Research Articles

499th Air Refueling Wing Military unit

The 499th Air Refueling Wing is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit that was last active at Westover AFB, Massachusetts in June 1966.

497th Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 497th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to Pacific Air Forces to activate or inactivate as needed.

449th Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 449th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Seventeenth Air Force supporting United States Africa Command. It is stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. It flies missions for Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, supporting varied U.S. objectives in the area.

506th Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 506th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. The group is assigned to the United States Air Forces Central 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

500th Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 500th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit. Its last known assignment was at Christchurch, New Zealand, where it was activated for the summer 2005–2006 season.

462d Air Expeditionary Group Military unit

The 462d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed to meet operational requirements. Its last assignment was at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.

6th Air Refueling Squadron Unit of the US Air Force, part of the 60th Operations Group

The 6th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting mobility, and air refueling missions.

91st Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 91st Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. It operates the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.

92nd Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 92nd Air Refueling Squadron, sometimes written as 92d Air Refueling Squadron, is a squadron of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing's 92nd Operations Group, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. It was first activated shortly before the entry of the United States into World War II as the 2nd Reconnaissance Squadron. After training in the Douglas B-18 Bolo in the southeastern United States, the squadron moved to the Pacific Coast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and participated in antisubmarine patrols with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. In April 1942, it was redesignated the 392nd Bombardment Squadron. Starting in mid-1942, it also began training crews on the Liberator. It ended these operations in July 1943 and began to prepare for overseas movement. After three months of training, the squadron moved to the Central Pacific, where it flew its first combat mission in November. The 392nd continued combat operations until March 1945, when it was withdrawn and moved to Hawaii, where it conducted routine training and patrol operations until it was inactivated in November 1945.

810th Strategic Aerospace Division Military unit

The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC), assigned to Fifteenth Air Force at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.

344th Air Refueling Squadron Unit of US Air Force 22d Air Refueling Wing

The 344th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the US Air Force, part of the 22d Air Refueling Wing Air Mobility Command at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.

450th Bombardment Wing Military unit

The 450th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit. It was last assigned to the 810th Strategic Aerospace Division of Strategic Air Command at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. It was inactivated on 25 July 1968.

27th Tactical Air Support Squadron Military unit

The 27th Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active at George Air Force Base, California, as part of the 602d Tactical Air Control Wing based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the World War II-era 27th Ferrying Squadron and the Cold War-era 27th Air Refueling Squadron.

920th Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 920th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan where it was inactivated on 30 September 1992.

71st Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 458th Operations Group at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana where it was inactivated on 1 April 1994.

307th Air Refueling Squadron Military unit


The 307th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Wing, stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan. It was inactivated on 1 August 1990.

341st Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 641st Bombardment Squadron was an inactive United States Air Force unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surrender of Germany. It was last assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

421st Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 421st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 41st Air Division at Yokota Air Base, Japan, where it was inactivated on 18 February 1965.

Bangor Air National Guard Base United States Air National Guard base

Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base. Created in 1927 as the commercial Godfrey Field, the airfield was taken over by the U.S. Army just before World War II and renamed Godfrey Army Airfield and later Dow Army Airfield. It became Dow Air Force Base in 1947, when the newly formed U.S. Air Force took over many Army air assets. In 1968, the base was sold to the city of Bangor, Maine, to become Bangor International Airport but has since continued to host Maine Air National Guard units under a lease agreement with the city.

910th Air Refueling Squadron Military unit

The 910th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. In 1985, it was consolidated with the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 310th Attack Squadron, but has not been active since consolidation.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Watkins, pp. 44–45
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Maurer, Combat Squadronspp. 497–498
  3. 1 2 3 4 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 257–258
  4. ↑ Abstract, History 47 Air Division Jan 1955 (retrieved 13 October 2013)
  5. ↑ Abstract, History 506 Strategic Fighter Wing Oct 1954 (retrieved 13 October 2013)
  6. 1 2 Mueller, p. 32
  7. 1 2 3 4 Abstract, History 42 Air Division May–Jul 1957 (retrieved 13 October 2013)
  8. 1 2 Ravenstein, p. 27
  9. 1 2 3 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  10. 1 2 Lineage and stations through 1945 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 497–498
  11. 1 2 DAF/XPM Letter 303s, 12 June 2002, Subject: Air Mobility Command Expeditionary Units
  12. ↑ Ravenstein, pp. 273–274
  13. ↑ Abstract, History 506 Strategic Fighter Wing March 1955 (retrieved 13 October 2013)
  14. ↑ Station number in Anderson
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Station number in Johnson

Bibliography

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

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.