746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron

746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
Active 1942-1945; 1947-1956; 2000s
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Type Airlift
Emblem of the World War II 746th Bombardment Squadron

The 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It is under the control of Air Mobility Command and operates C-130 Hercules aircraft in theater airlift missions as part of the Global War on Terrorism. Its current status and duty location is undetermined.

In regular USAF service as the 746th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium), it was last assigned to the 456th Troop Carrier Group, being stationed at Ardmore Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It was inactivated on 9 July 1956.

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Southern Italy at Stornara Airfield under Fifteenth Air Force.

Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets. Operations included attacks against such objectives as marshalling yards, aircraft factories, railroad bridges, and airdromes in Italy, Austria, and Rumania. Helped to prepare the way for and supported the invasion of Southern France during Jul and August 1944. At the same time, expanded previous operations to include attacks on oil refineries and storage facilities, locomotive works, and viaducts in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Balkans.

Returned to the United States after the German Capitulation in May 1945; re-manned and re-equipped as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bombardment squadron. Began training under Second Air Force in August 1945, however was inactivated in October after the Japanese Capitulation.

Activated in the reserves in 1947 as a B-29 Superfortress squadron, but neither manned or equipped. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget constraints. Reactivated in 1952 as a Tactical Air Command Eighteenth Air Force C-119 Flying Boxcar troop carrier squadron; flew theater airlift and participated in Army airborne forces maneuvers until inactivated in 1956 due to budget cutbacks.

Reactivated as a C-130 Hercules airlift squadron as part of the Global War on Terrorism.

Lineage

Activated on 1 Jun 1943
Redesignated 746th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 Aug 1945
Inactivated on 17 Oct 1945
Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949
Activated on 1 Dec 1952
Inactivated on 9 Ju1 1956.

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft


References

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

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