370th Air Expeditionary Advisory 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 Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
. It may be activated or inactivated at any time. Currently, the unit is stationed in Southwest Asia. The unit activation and assumption of command took place at New Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, on 22 April 2007.
The group's World War II predecessor unit, the 370th Fighter Group was assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
in England, flying its first combat mission on 14 March 1944. Flying P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s, the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission in support of ground forces in the Hurtgen Forest
Hurtgen Forest
The Hürtgen forest is located along the border between Belgium and Germany in the southwest corner of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Scarcely in area, the forest lies within a triangle outlined by Aachen, Monschau, and Düren...
area of Germany on 2 December 1944 when, despite bad weather and barrages of antiaircraft and small-arms fire, the group dropped napalm bombs on a heavily defended position in Bergstein
Bergstein
Bergstein may refer to :*David Rafael Bergstein is an American entrepreneur and film producer.*Eleanor Bergstein is an American writer, best known for writing and co-producing the cult classic film, Dirty Dancing,....
, setting fire to the village and inflicting heavy casualties on enemy troops defending the area. The group flew its last combat mission on 3 March 1945.
The 370th Fighter Group was redesignated as the 140th Fighter Group, and allotted to the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
on 27 August 1946.
Units
The 370 AEAG is made up of Airmen from a variety of career fields. It is suspected that the mission of the 370 AEAG is to restart the Iraqi Air Force by training Iraqi Air Force air crews how to operate, employ and maintain C-130 and Mi-17MI-17
MI-17 can refer to:* Mil Mi-17, Soviet helicopter*M-17...
aircraft, and to maintain and operate as a self-sufficient air base.
- 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron
- 371st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron
- 870th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, Kirkuk
World War II
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...
. Operational squadrons of the group were the 401st, 402d and 485th Fighter Squadrons.
The group trained with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts at several First Air Force
First Air Force
The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
training bases in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
then was deployed to RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
England during January and February 1944. In Europe, it was assigned to Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
When the group arrived, the expected to receive P-47 Thunderbolts on which they had trained stateside. However, much to the amazement of the Group Commander, Colonel Howard F. Nichols, the 370th FG was informed by IX Fighter Command that they would be equipped with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a few of which had already arrived during the 18 days the group was in residence at Aldermaston. The latter base proved to be only a temporary stationing, as it was required for troop carrier operations; the 370th soon moved to RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
.
From England, the group dive-bombed radar installations and flak towers, and escorted bombers that attacked bridges and marshalling yards in France as the Allies prepared for the invasion of the Continent
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 June 1944
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 flew armed reconnaissance missions over the Cotentin 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...
until the end of the month. On 17 July 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time in war by 14 American P-38 aircraft of the 402nd Fighter Squadron, led by 370th Group command Col Nichols, on a fuel depot at Coutances
Coutances
Coutances is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
, near St. Lô, France.
Assigned to the IX Tactical Air Command, the 370th moved to their Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) at Cardonville
Cardonville
Cardonville is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-World War II:After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground...
, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France and into Germany. The 370th's fighter-bombers hit hard. German Field Marshal von Kluge soon found that his armored forces moving towards Normandy were constantly beset by Allied fighter-bomber attacks. Von Kluge phoned General Walter Warlimont
Walter Warlimont
Walter Warlimont was a German officer known for his role in the OKW inner circle .-World War I:...
, Hitler's personal representative on the Western front, "The enemy air superiority is terrific and smothers almost every one of our movements...Every movement of the enemy is prepared and protected by its air force. Losses in men and equipment are extraordinary." Von Kluge himself was not immune to personal danger. USAAF Group Commander Nichols and a squadron of his P-38 Lightnings blasted von Kluge's own headquarters; the group commander himself skipped a 500-pound bomb right through the front door. Moving across France, the 370th FG hit gun emplacements, troops, supply dumps, and tanks near 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...
in July and in the Falaise
Falaise, Calvados
Falaise is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. The Château de Falaise , which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of...
–Argentan
Argentan
Argentan is a commune, and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in north-western France.Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N of Le Mans....
area in August 1944.
In September 1944, the group sent planes and pilots to England to provide cover for the allied airborne assault on Holland and Germany, code-named Operation Market-Garden. The P-38s of the group struck pillboxes and troops early in October to aid First Army's capture of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, and afterward struck railroads, bridges, viaducts, and tunnels in that area.
The 370th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission in support of ground forces in the Hurtgen Forest
Hurtgen Forest
The Hürtgen forest is located along the border between Belgium and Germany in the southwest corner of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Scarcely in area, the forest lies within a triangle outlined by Aachen, Monschau, and Düren...
area on 2 December 1944 when, despite bad weather and barrages of antiaircraft and small-arms fire, the group dropped napalm bombs on a heavily defended position in Bergstein, setting fire to the village and inflicting heavy casualties on enemy troops defending the area. The 370th later flew armed reconnaissance 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...
, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.
The group converted to P-51 Mustangs during February – March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 March Supported operations Of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
and Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, on 4 May 1945.
The 370th FG returned to the United States during September–November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
Modern era
The 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group was activated as part of the Global War On TerrorWar on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
on 27 April 2007. It the mission of the 370 AEAG is to restart the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
by training Iraqi Air Force air crews how to operate, employ and maintain Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, and to maintain and operate as a self-sufficient air base. This mission is known as "CAFTT" for Coalition Air Forces Training Team.
The unit is made up of Airmen from a variety of career specialties and it is assigned to Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The 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....
as part of Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command
Air Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
.
Lineage
- Constituted as 370th Fighter Group on 25 May 1943
- Activated on 1 July 1943
- Inactivated on 7 November 1945
- Redesignated 140th Fighter Group. Allotted to Colorado Air National GuardColorado Air National GuardThe Colorado Air National Guard is based at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. The COANG was founded June 27, 1923 and consisted of the 120th Aero Observation Squadron as a part of the Colorado Army National Guard...
on 24 May 1946
- Redesignated 140th Fighter Group. Allotted to Colorado Air National Guard
- Extended federal recognition on 1 Oct 1946
- Redesignated 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group and converted to provisional status, 1 April 2007.
Assignments
- I Fighter CommandI Fighter CommandThe I Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Mitchel Army Airfield, New York...
, 1 July 1943
- Attached to: New York Fighter WingNew York Fighter WingThe New York Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Fighter Command, stationed at Mitchel Field, New York It was inactivated on 10 April 1944....
, 19 October 1943 – 20 January 1944- IX Fighter CommandIX Fighter CommandThe IX Fighter Command is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Erlangen, Germany. It was inactivated on 16 November 1945....
, 12 February 1944 - 71st Fighter Wing71st Fighter Wing (World War II)The 71st Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Missouri Air National Guard. It was inactivated on 31 October 1950.-Lineage:* Organized as 71st Fighter Wing on 11 Ocg 1943-Assignments:...
- IX Fighter Command
- Attached to: IX Tactical Air CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 1 August 1944- 70th Fighter Wing70th Fighter Wing (World War II)The 70th Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with thr United States Air Forces in Europe, based at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany...
- 70th Fighter Wing
- Attached to: IX Tactical Air CommandIX Tactical Air CommandThe IX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Camp Shanks, New York...
, 1 October 1944- XXIX Tactical Air CommandXXIX Tactical Air CommandThe XXIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force, based at Weimar, Germany...
, 1 February 1945 – September 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), 6–7 November 1945 - Air Education and Training CommandAir Education and Training CommandAir Education and Training Command was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force's ten major commands and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force....
to activate or inactivate any time after 1 April 2007
- XXIX Tactical Air Command
- Attached to: United States Air Forces Central, 22 April 2007-TBD
Components
- 401st Fighter Squadron401st Fighter SquadronThe 401st Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts...
(9D), 1 July 1943 – 7 November 1945 - 402d Fighter Squadron402d Fighter SquadronThe 402d Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Shanks, New York...
(E6), 1 July 1943 – 7 November 1945 - 485th Fighter Squadron485th Fighter SquadronThe 485th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 370th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, stationed at Camp Shanks, New York. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945-History:...
(7F), 1 July 1943 – 7 November 1945
Stations
- Westover Field, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
, 1 July 1943 - Groton AAFldGroton-New London AirportGroton-New London Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Groton, a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States...
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, 19 October 1943 - Bradley FieldBradley International AirportBradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, 5–20 January 1944 - RAF AldermastonRAF AldermastonRAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
(AAF-467), England, 12 February 1944 467 - RAF AndoverRAF AndoverAndover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
(AAF-406), England, 29 February – 19 July 1944 406 - Cardonville AirfieldCardonville AirfieldCardonville Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield located near the commune of Cardonville in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-3), France, 24 July 1944 - La Vieille AirfieldLa Vieille AirfieldLa Vieille Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Pierre-la-Vieille in the Basse-Normandie region of northern France....
(A-19), France, 15 August 1944 - Lonray AirfieldLonray AirfieldLonray Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Lonrai in the Orne region of northern France....
(A-45), France, 6 September 1944
- Roye-Amy AirfieldRoye-Amy AirfieldRoye-Amy Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located approximately 5 km south-southeast of Roye, approximately 98 km north-northeast of Paris....
(A-73), France, 11 September 1944 - Florennes/Juzaine Airfield (A-78), Belgium 26 September 1944
- Ophoven AirfieldOphoven AirfieldOphoven Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located west of Ophoven ; approximately 54 miles northeast of Brussels.-History:...
(Y-32), Belgium 27 January 1945 - Gütersloh Airfield (Y-99), Germany 20 April 1945
- AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen, Germany. 27 June 1945
- AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 6 August–September 1945
- Camp Myles StandishCamp Myles StandishCamp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts. It functioned as a prisoner-of-war camp, a departure area for about a million U.S...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
, c. 6–7 November 1945 - Southwest Asia, April 2007–present
Aircraft
- Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1943–1945
- North American P-51 Mustang, 1945
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules 2007–present