384th Air Expeditionary 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 the 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 ....
. The 384 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Its last assignment was with to the United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Central Command Air Forces
United States Air Forces Central is a unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina...
, being stationed at Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain. It was inactivated on 3 September 2003.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 384th Bombardment Group was a VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. Assigned to RAF Grafton Underwood
RAF Grafton Underwood
RAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...
in early 1943, the group dropped the last Eighth Air Force
Eighth 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....
bombs of the war on 25 April 1945
World War II
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; 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...
; 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....
; weapons 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...
; 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 centers, 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.
Scheduled for occupational air forces and moved to Istres, France in June 1945 to participate in Green Project—which was to move troops to staging areas. Also moved displaced persons and Greek military. In 1946 the remaining aircraft and personnel were absorbed into the 306th Bomb Group and the unit was inactivated at Istres on 28 February 1946.
Briefly was activated as an Air Force Reserve B-29 Superfortress unit, 1947–1949
Modern era
On 1 September 1991, the 384th Operations Group was activated as a result of the 384th Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 384 OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 384th Bombardment Group. The 384 OG was assigned control of the 28th Bomb Squadron (B-1B) and the 384th Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135R) as its operational units. 384th Wing inactivated on 1 January 1994, and 384 OG resesignated as 384th Bomb Group, being assigned to 22d Air Refueling Wing22d Air Refueling Wing
The 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....
without personnel or equipment. Inactivated on 1 October 1994
Reactivated as Air Expeditionary Group as part of Global War on Terrorism, 2003.
Lineage
- Constituted as 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 25 November 1942
- Activated on 1 December 1942
- Inactivated on 28 February 1946
- Redesignated 384th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy)
- Activated on 16 July 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated 384th Operations Group on 1 September 1991 and activated
- Redesignated 384th Bomb Group, 1 January 1994
- Inactivated on 1 October 1994
- Redesignated 384th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status on 1 June 2003
- Activated on 4 June 2003
- Inactivated on 3 September 2003
Assignments
- II Bomber CommandII Bomber CommandThe II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
, 1 December 1942 – 9 May 1943 - 1st Bombardment Wing, June 1943
- Assigned to: 103d Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing, June 1943-13 September 1943
- 41st Combat Bombardment Wing, 13 September 1943
- European Air Materiel Command, 16 June 1945 – 28 February 1946
- Tenth Air ForceTenth Air ForceThe Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
, 16 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 384th Wing, 1 September 1991
- 22d Air Refueling Wing22d Air Refueling WingThe 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....
, 1 January – 1 October 1994 - Air Combat CommandAir Combat CommandAir 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 ....
to activate or inactivate at any time after 1 June 2003
Components
- 28th Bomb Squadron28th Bomb SquadronThe 28th Bomb Squadron is part of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It operates B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability...
, 1 September 1991 – 1 January 1994 - 338th Bombardment Squadron338th Combat Crew Training SquadronThe 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 96th Operations Group, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 1 October 1993-History:...
, 8 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 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:...
, 8 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 - 384th Air Refueling Squadron384th Air Refueling SquadronThe 384th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 22d Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
, 1 September 1991 – 1 January 1994 - 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), 1 December 1942 – 25 February 1946; 16 July 1947-27 June 1949 - 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), 1 December 1942 – 25 February 1946; 16 July 1947-27 June 1949 - 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), 1 December 1942 – 25 February 1946 - 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), 1 December 1942 – 25 February 1946
Stations
- Gowen Field, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 1 December 1942 - Wendover Field, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 2 January 1943 - Sioux City Army Air Base, IowaIowaIowa 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...
, c. 3 April – 9 May 1943 - RAF Grafton UnderwoodRAF Grafton UnderwoodRAF Grafton Underwood is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles NE of Kettering in Northamptonshire.-RAF use:...
(USAAF Station 106), England, June 1943
- Istres Air BaseIstres Air BaseIstres-Le Tubé Air Base is a large multi-role tasked French Air Force base located near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France. The airport facilities are also known as Istres - Le Tubé .- Armée de l'air :...
, France, C. June 1945-28 February 1946 - Nashville Municipal Airport, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, 16 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 - McConnell AFB, KansasKansasKansas 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...
, 1 September 1991 – 1 October 1994 - Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain, 4 June – 3 September 2003
Aircraft assigned
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1946
- B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1947–1949 - B-1B Lancer, 1991–1994
- KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
, 1991–1994
External links
- 384th Bomb Group, Inc., a history-preservation organization of the group's World War II veterans (and, more recently, their descendants)