441st Troop Carrier Group
Encyclopedia
The 441st Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve organization. Its last assignment was to the 441st Troop Carrier Wing, stationed at Chicago-Orchard Airport, Illinois, on 14 March 1951.
During World War II, the grooup was a C-47 Skytrain
transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force
s in Western Europe. The 441st TCG group flew combat paratroopers on airborne assaults on Normandy (Operation Overlord
); Southern France (Operation Dragoon
); Holland (Operation Market-Garden), and Germany (Operation Varsity
). It also flew combat resupply misisons in the relief of Bastogne in 1945.
Squadrons
Constituted as 441st Troop Carrier Group on 25 May 1943. Activated on 1 August 1943. Used C-47's to train for overseas duty. Moved to RAF Langar England, February–March 1944, and assigned to Ninth Air Force
. The group was assigned to the 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command. It was scheduled to be assigned to Langar, however it only remained until 25 April until being moved to RAF Merryfield.
From Merryfield, the group participated in the D-Day
operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division
paratroops near Cherbourg, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day. For its efficiency and achievements during these two days it was, like other troop carrier groups, awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. During these missions, three C-47s and two CG-4A gliders were missing in action.
The group's aircraft flew supplies into Normandy
as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to Merryfield. On 17 July the air echelons of the 99th, 100th and 302nd Troop Carrier Squadrons new to Grosseto airbase in Italy
to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France
returning to Merryfield on 24 August.
Meanwhile, the 301st TCS remained active on the Normandy shuttle while supplies were urgently needed for the advancing Allied armies, although operating from RAF Ramsbury
from 7 August until the other squadrons returned.
Soon afterwards word was received that the 50th Troop Carrier Wing would move to France, the 441st being one of the first two groups, with headquarters leaving Merryfield on 6 September for its Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) at Villeneuve (ALG A-63).
From France the group dropped paratroops of 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions near Nijmegen on 17 September during the air attack on Holland, and towed gliders with reinforcements on 18 and 23 September.
In December, the group transported ammunition, rations, medicine, and other supplies to troops of 101st Airborne Division surrounded by the enemy at Bastogne
. Released gliders carrying troops of 17th Airborne Division near Wesel
on 24 March 1945 when the Allies launched the airborne assault across the Rhine
. Hauled gasoline to armored columns in Germany after the Allies crossed the Rhine.
Continually transported freight and personnel in the theater when not participating in airborne operations. Evacuated casualties and prisoners who had been liberated.
The 441st remained overseas after the war as part of United States Air Forces in Europe
, performing occupation duty from Frankfurt
Germany. It continued to transport personnel and equipment, using C-46, C-47, and C-109 aircraft.
The 441st Troop Carrier Group was inactivated at Frankfurt Germany on 30 September 1946.
.
During World War II, the grooup was a C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transport unit 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....
s in Western Europe. The 441st TCG group flew combat paratroopers on airborne assaults on Normandy (Operation Overlord
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...
); Southern France (Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
); Holland (Operation Market-Garden), and Germany (Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
). It also flew combat resupply misisons in the relief of Bastogne in 1945.
Lineage
- Constituted as 441st Troop Carrier Group on 25 May 1943
- Activated on 1 August 1943
- Inactivated on 30 September 1946
- Established as 441st Troop Carrier Wing, Medium, on 10 May 1949
- Activated in the Reserve on 27 June 1949
- Ordered into active service on 10 March 1951
- Inactivated on 14 March 1951
Assignments
- 61 Troop Carrier Wing61st Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)The 61st Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the I Troop Carrier Command, stationed at Sedalia Army Airfield, Missouri It was inactivated on 4 October 1945....
, 1 August 1943 - I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier CommandThe I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
, 18 January 1944 - 50th Troop Carrier Wing, 17 March 1944
- IX Air Force Service Command, 18 May 1945
- Attached to Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces, 20 May – 10 August 1945
- 302 Transport Wing, 11 August 1945
- 51 Troop Carrier Wing (known in ETO as European Air Transport Service [Provisional])51st Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)The 51st Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe. It was inactivated on 5 January 1948....
, 1 October 1945 – 30 September 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....
, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951
Components
Group- 441st Troop Carrier Group, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951
Squadrons
- 99th Troop Carrier Squadron (3J), 1 August 1943 – 27 March 1946
- 100th Troop Carrier Squadron (8C), 1 August 1943 – 15 February 1946
- 301st Troop Carrier Squadron (Z4), 1 August 1943 – 18 May 1945
- 302d Troop Carrier Squadron (2L), 1 August 1943 – 15 May 1945
Stations
- Sedalia Army Air Field, MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, 1 August 1943 - Camp MackallCamp MackallCamp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training facility located in eastern Richmond County and northern Scotland County, North Carolina, south of the town of Southern Pines. The facility is in close proximity to and is a sub-installation of Fort Bragg Camp Mackall is an active U.S. Army training...
, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 18 January 1944 - Baer Field, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 22–29 February 1944 - RAF LangarRAF LangarRAF Station Langar is a former military airfield on the border of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire near the village of Langar in England. The airfield is located approximately east-southeast of Radcliffe on Trent; about north-northwest of London...
(AAF-490), England, 17 March 1944 - RAF MerryfieldRAF MerryfieldRAF Station Merryfield is a former Second World War airfield at the village of Ilton near Ilminster in southwest Somerset, England. The name comes from the ruins of Merryfield House. The airfield is located approximately north of Chard, about southwest of London...
(AAF-464), England, 25 April 1944 - Villeneuve-Vertus AirfieldVilleneuve-Vertus AirfieldVilleneuve-Vertus Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Vertus in the Champagne-Ardenne department of northern France....
(A-63), France, 8 September 1944 - Saint Marceau AirfieldSaint Marceau AirfieldSaint Marceaul Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield, which is located near the commune of Saint-Marceau in the Pays de la Loire region of northern France....
(A-43), France, 2 October 1944 - Dreux/Vernouillet Airfield (A-41), France, 3 November 1944
- AAF Station Rhein-Main, Germany, 12 August 1945 – 30 September 1946
- Chicago-Orchard AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, 27 June 1949 – 14 March 1951
Aircraft flown
- Douglas C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1943–1946 - Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando, 1949–1951
World War II
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....
. The group was assigned to the 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command. It was scheduled to be assigned to Langar, however it only remained until 25 April until being moved to RAF Merryfield.
From Merryfield, the group participated in the D-Day
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...
operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
paratroops near Cherbourg, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day. For its efficiency and achievements during these two days it was, like other troop carrier groups, awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. During these missions, three C-47s and two CG-4A gliders were missing in action.
The group's aircraft flew supplies into 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:...
as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to Merryfield. On 17 July the air echelons of the 99th, 100th and 302nd Troop Carrier Squadrons new to Grosseto airbase in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
returning to Merryfield on 24 August.
Meanwhile, the 301st TCS remained active on the Normandy shuttle while supplies were urgently needed for the advancing Allied armies, although operating from RAF Ramsbury
RAF Ramsbury
RAF Station Ramsbury is a former World War II airfield in Wiltshire, England. The airfield is located approximately east-northeast of Marlborough; about west of London. Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily...
from 7 August until the other squadrons returned.
Soon afterwards word was received that the 50th Troop Carrier Wing would move to France, the 441st being one of the first two groups, with headquarters leaving Merryfield on 6 September for its 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 Villeneuve (ALG A-63).
From France the group dropped paratroops of 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions near Nijmegen on 17 September during the air attack on Holland, and towed gliders with reinforcements on 18 and 23 September.
In December, the group transported ammunition, rations, medicine, and other supplies to troops of 101st Airborne Division surrounded by the enemy at Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
. Released gliders carrying troops of 17th Airborne Division near 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:...
on 24 March 1945 when the Allies launched the airborne assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
. Hauled gasoline to armored columns in Germany after the Allies crossed the Rhine.
Continually transported freight and personnel in the theater when not participating in airborne operations. Evacuated casualties and prisoners who had been liberated.
The 441st remained overseas after the war as part of United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, performing occupation duty from Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
Germany. It continued to transport personnel and equipment, using C-46, C-47, and C-109 aircraft.
The 441st Troop Carrier Group was inactivated at Frankfurt Germany on 30 September 1946.
Cold War
The 441st Troop Carrier Wing (Medium) was reactivated as a reserve unit in May 1949. Assigned C-46 Commando aircraft, the wing was inactivated in March 1951 when its equipment and personnel were transferred to active duty units during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.