472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron

472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
Active	1942-1944; 1954-1957
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Fighter-Bomber
Insignia
472d Bombardment Squadron Emblem (approved 5 February 1943)[1][2]

The 472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was active during World War II as the 472d Bombardment Squadron, a component of the 334th Bombardment Group at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina, where it was disbanded in 1944.

The 472d Fighter-Bomber Squadron was active in the Air Force Reserve at Selfridge Air Force Base and Willow Run Airport, where it was inactivated in 1957.

In 1985 the United States Air Force consolidated the two squadrons. However the unit has not been active since consolidation,

History

World War II

The 472d Bombardment Squadron was activated in the summer of 1942 as one of the four original squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group at Greenville AAB, South Carolina.^[1][3] It operated as a North American B-25 Mitchell replacement training unit. Replacement training units were oversized units which trained aircrews prior to their deployment to combat theaters.^[4] However, the Army Air Forces found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.^[5] This resulted in the 471st, along with other units at Greenville, being disbanded in the spring of 1944^[1] and being replaced by the 330th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Medium, Bombardment).

Reserve Cold War Operations

The 472d Fighter-Bomber Squadron was activated in 1954 in the 439th Fighter-Bomber Group when it replaced the 92d Troop Carrier Squadron in the Air Force Reserve. Continental Air Command was unable to rename the 92d as a fighter-bomber unit because the 92d Fighter-Bomber Squadron was an active USAF unit. The squadron was originally equipped with Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars, but re-equipped with Republic F-84 Thunderjets in 1956. It also operated a variety of trainer and transport aircraft.^[6] The 472d was inactivated in late 1957 when reserve flying operations at Willow Run Airport terminated.

The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985 as the 472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron,^[7] but have never been active since consolidation,

Lineage

472d Bombardment Squadron Constituted as the 472d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 9 July 1942 Activated on 16 July 1942 Disbanded on 1 May 1944[1] Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 472d Fighter-Bomber Squadron as the 472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron[7]

472d Fighter-Bomber Squadron Constituted as the 472d Fighter-Bomber Squadron Activated on 1 April 1954 Inactivated on 16 November 1957 Consolidated with the 472d Bombardment Squadron on 19 September 1985 as the 472d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron[7]

Assignments

• 334th Bombardment Group, 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944^[1]
• 439th Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 April 1954 - 16 November 1957^[6]

Stations

• Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina, 16 July 1942 – 1 May 1944^[1]
• Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 April 1954
• Willow Run Airport, Michigan, ca. 18 December 1955 – 16 November 1957

Aircraft

• B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1944^[1]
• Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1954-1956^[6]
• Republic F-84 Thunderjet, 1956-1957^[6]
• Also equipped with trainer and transport aircraft 1954-1957

Service Streamer

Service Streamer	Theater	Dates	Notes
	American Theater of World War II		472d Bombardment Squadron[1]

References

Notes

1. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 576. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
2. The emblems of the four squadrons of the 334th Bombardment Group, featuring "Bomby-the-Bear" were featured in Hubbard, Gerard. "Aircraft Insigia, Spirit of Youth," National Geographic Magazine Vol. LXXXIII, No. 6, June 1943, p. 714
3. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 214. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
4. Craven, Wesley F & Cate, James L, ed. (1955). "Introduction". The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p. xxxvi. LCCN 48-3657.
5. Craven & Cate, p. 7
6. Haulman, Daniel L., AFHRA Factsheet 439 Operations Group 12/28/2007 (retrieved 17 September 2013)
7. Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Craven, Wesley F & Cate, James L, ed. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48-3657.
• Martin, Patrick. Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-88740-513-4.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.