The squadron was reactivated at Marietta Army Air Field, Georgia in the reserves in 1947, but was not fully manned or equipped until 1949, when it began to receive Douglas B-26 Invaders. It was inactivated on 20 March 1951 after being called to active duty for the Korean War, with its personnel used as "fillers" to bring other units up to strength.
In 1952, the unit was redesignated the 332nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, and in 1957 the 732nd Troop Carrier Squadron. In 1957, it was redesignated the 732nd Military Airlift Squadron (Associate), before it was finally redesignated as the 732nd Airlift Squadron in 1994.
The squadron cadre received its initial training at Pendleton. It moved to different bases for Phase I (individual training) and Phase II (crew training), completing Phase III (unit training) at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado.[1][5] The air echelon of the squadron began ferrying their aircraft to the European Theater of Operations around the first of April 1943. The ground echelon left Pueblo on 18 April for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and the New York Port of Embarkation on 18 April. They sailed aboard the RMSQueen Elizabeth on 5 May, arriving in Scotland on 13 May.[6]
Combat in the European Theater
94th Group B-17 taking off from RAF Bury St Edmunds
On 11 January 1944, it attacked a Messerschmitt aircraft parts manufacturing plant at Brunswick/Waggum Airfield. Weather conditions deteriorated during the flight to the target, preventing part of the escorting fighters from reaching the bombers and resulting in the squadron's bombers being recalled. However, the wing leader was unable to authenticate the recall message and continued to the target. In contrast, fair weather to the east of the target permitted the Luftwaffe to concentrate its fighter defenses into one of its largest defensive formations since October 1943. Despite heavy flak in the target area, the squadron bombed accurately and earned its second DUC for this action.[4][9] The squadron participated in Big Week, the concentrated campaign against the German aircraft manufacturing industry from 20 to 25 February 1944. It bombed transportation, communication and petroleum industrial targets during Operation Lumberjack the final push across the Rhine and into Germany.[4]
The squadron flew its last mission on 21 April 1945.[6] Following V-E Day it dropped leaflets to displaced persons and German civilians on what were called "Nickling" flights The squadron was scheduled to be part of the occupation forces, but those plans were cancelled in September 1945. Starting in November, its planes were transferred to other units or flown back to the United States. Its remaining personnel sailed on the SS Lake Champlain on 12 December 1945. Upon reaching the Port of Embarkation, the squadron was inactivated.[1][6][4]
Reserve operations
Initial organization and mobilization for the Korean War
The squadron was again activated under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Marietta Army Air Field, Georgia in May 1947 as a air reserve unit and was again assigned to the 94th Bombardment Group. At Marietta, it trained under the supervision of the 420th AAF Base Unit (Reserve Training) (later the 2589th AF Reserve Flying Training Center).[10] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.[11]
Air reserve B-26
In June 1949, the squadron was redesignated as a light bomber unit.[1] Reserve wings were authorized four operational squadrons, rather than the three of active duty wings. However, the squadrons were manned at 25% of normal strength.[12] The squadron began to equip with the Douglas B-26 Invader, in addition to various trainer aircraft.[13]
All reserve combat units were mobilized for the Korean War.[14] The 331st was called to active duty on 10 March 1951. Its personnel and equipment were used to bring other units up to strength, and the squadron was inactivated ten days later.[1][15][13]
Reconnaissance operations
The squadron was reactivated at Dobbins Air Force Base in June 1952 as the 332nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and equipped with RB-26 Invader photographic reconnaissance aircraft when the 94th Bombardment Wing replaced the 902d Reserve Training Wing at Dobbins.[1][16] The reserve mobilization for the Korean War had left the reserve without aircraft, and the squadron only began receiving aircraft in July.[17] In addition to its primary aircraft and obsolescent North American P-51 Mustangs, the squadron also operated a variety of trainers and transports.[13]
In the mid-1950s, the Air Force determined that all reserve units shoulld be designed to augment the regular forces in the event of a national emergency. However, there were six reserve flying training wings, including the 8711th Pilot Training Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois,[18] that had no mobilization mission. On 18 May 1955, the 8711th and other reserve training wings were discontinued and replaced by tactical wings.[19] The squadron moved to Scott, where it once again became the 331st Bombardment Squadron and replaced its reconnaissance model B-26s with tactical bomber versions.[1][13]
Airlift operations
C-119 Flying Boxcar as flown by the squadron
The Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressuring the Air Force to provide more wartime airlift. At the same time, about 150 Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars became available from the active force. Consequently, in November 1956 the Air Force directed ConAC to convert three reserve fighter bomber wings to the troop carrier mission by September 1957. In addition, within the Air Staff was a recommendation that the reserve fighter mission given to the Air National Guard and replaced by the troop carrier mission.[20] As a result, the 94th Wing moved to Laurence G. Hanscom Field, Massachusetts, where it replaced the 89th Fighter-Bomber Wing and became a troop carrier organization.[13]
However, during the first half of 1955, the Air Force had begun detaching reserve squadrons from their parent wing locations to separate sites,referred to as the Detached Squadron Concept. The concept offered several advantages: communities were more likely to accept the smaller squadrons than the large wings and the location of separate squadrons in smaller population centers would facilitate recruiting and manning. ConAC’s plan called for placing reserve units at fifty-nine installations located throughout the United States.[21] As part of this plan, the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron had been activated at Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire as part of the 436th Troop Carrier Wing, whose headquarters were at Naval Air Station New York.[22] The squadron, now designated the 732nd Troop Carrier Squadron,[c] did not move to Hanscom with the 94th Wing, but instead assumed the mission, personnel and aircraft of the 81st, which was simultaneously inactivated.[1] Airlift missions were flown regularly, not only in the United states, but from 1959, to overseas destinations.[13]
The squadron was called to active duty for a second time on 28 October 1962 for the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was returned to the reserve on 28 November,[d] as tensions eased.[2] Under the Detached Squadron Concept.[23] Mobilizing units was not a problem when the entire wing was called to active service, but mobilizing a single flying squadron and elements to support it proved difficult. This weakness was demonstrated in the partial mobilization of reserve units during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. To resolve this, ConAC determined to reorganize its reserve wings by establishing groups with support elements for each of its troop carrier squadrons at the start of 1962. This reorganization would facilitate mobilization of elements of wings in various combinations when needed.[24] The mobilization of the 94th Wing and its squadrons for the Cuban missile crisis delayed its reorganization until February 1963, when the 902nd Troop Carrier Group was activated as the command element for the squadron, along with support elements for the 732nd.[1][24]
In April 1965, a military coup d'etat overthrew the elected government of the Dominican Republic. President Johnson directed American forces to its capital, Santo Domingo, to protect American lives and restore order in Operation Power Pack. This operation expanded to an effort not only to restore order, but to establish a government friendly to the United States.[25] The 94th Wing and its squadrons provided airlift support during the crisis, which included not only missions directly supporting the operation, but flights to alleviate airlift shortages within the United States by taking over routes normally flown by Tactical Air Command and Military Air Transport Service transports.[13][26] Shortly thereafter, in January 1966, the 902nd Group and its elements, including the 732nd were inactivated.[1]
↑ Approved 23 December 1943. Description: On a light red disc, the head of a buffalo in silhouette black and white in sinisterchief, blowing a white aerial bomb, outlined and banded black, from the nostrils toward dexter base, in a large white vapor cloud outlined of the first [mentioned color].
Freeman, Roger A. (1970). The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force). London, England, UK: Macdonald and Company. ISBN978-0-87938-638-2.
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