313th Tactical Airlift Wing

Infobox Military Unit
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caption= Emblem of the 313th Tactical Airlift Wing
dates= 1942-1973
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Airlift
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command_structure= Tactical Air Command
garrison= Forbes AFB, Kansas
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battle_honours=The 313th Tactical Airlift Wing (313th TAW) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to the 834th Air Division, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 2 Sep 1966.

History

Lineage

* Constituted as 313th Transport Group on 28 Jan 1942. : Activated on 2 Mar 1942.: Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group in Jul 1942: Inactivated on 15 Nov 1945
* Activated on 30 Sep 1946.
* Established as 313th Troop Carrier Wing on 28 Jul 1947: 313th Troop Carrier Group assigned as subordinate unit to wing: Organized on 15 Aug 1947: Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group, (Heavy) in Jul 1948.: Discontinued on 26 Aug 1948
* Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy and activated on 23 Aug 1948: 313th Troop Carrier Group, (Heavy) assigned to wing as subordinate unit: Inactivated on 20 Jan 1949
* Group activated and redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group (Special) in Feb 1949: Group inactivated 18 Sep 1949
* Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium on 26 Nov 1952: Activated on 1 Feb 1953: Inactivated on 25 Aug 1953
* Activated on 15 Jun 1964: Organized on 1 Oct 1964: Redesignated 313th Tactical Airlift Wing on 1 May 1967: Inactivated on 30 Sep 1973

Assignments

* Third Air Force: III Air Support Command, 2 Mar 1942 - 2 Mar 1942
* Twelfth Air Force: XII Troop Carrier Command 9 May 1943 - 4 Feb 1944
* Ninth Air Force: IX Troop Carrier Command 4 Feb - 2 Aug 1944
* First Allied Airborne Army: IX Troop Carrier Command - 2 Aug 1944 - 20 May 1945
* Ninth Air Force: IX Troop Carrier Command 20 May - 15 Nov 1945
* United States Air Forces in Europe, 30 Sep 1946 - 25 Jun 1947
* Tactical Air Command : Ninth Air Force: 25 Jun 1947 - 9 Nov 1948
* United States Air Forces in Europe: 1st Airlift Task Force: 9 Nov 1948-18 Sep 1949
* Tactical Air Command 1 Feb 1953 - 8 Jun 1955: Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Feb-25 Aug 1953
* Tactical Air Command, 15 Jun 1964: 839th Air Division, 1 Oct 1964: 838th Air Division, 9 Nov 1964: Twelfth Air Force, 24 Dec 1969: 834th Air Division, 15 Mar 1972 - 30 Sep 1973.

Stations

* Daniel Field, Georgia, 2 Mar 1942
* Bowman Field, Kentucky, 21 Jun 1942
* Florence AAF, South Carolina, 4 Aug 1942
* Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina, 13 Dec 1942-3 Apr 1943
* Oujda, French Morocco, 9 May 1943
* Kairouan, Tunisia, 16 Jun 1943
* Sciacca, Sicily, 23 Aug 1943
* Trapani/Milo Airfield, Sicily, 3 Oct 1943
* RAF Folkingham, England, 4 Feb 1944
* Achiet, France, 28 Feb-5 Aug 1945
* Baer Field, Indiana, 14 Sep - 15 Nov 1945
* Tulln AB, Austria, 30 Sep 1946-25 Jun 1947
* Langley Field, Virginia, 25 Jun 1947
* Bergstrom Field (later, AFB), Texas, 15 Aug 1947-22 Oct 1948
* Fassberg RAF Station, Germany, 9 Nov 1948-20 Jan 1949
* Mitchel AFB, New York, 1 Feb-25 Aug 1953
* Forbes AFB, Kansas, 1 Oct 1964-30 Sep 1973.

Components

Squadrons
* 29th Transport (later Troop Carrier): 1942-1945; 1946-1949; 1953-1955; 1 Oct 1964-1 Feb 1966
* 38th Troop Carrier 1 Jul 1969-15 Nov 1971
* 47th Transport (later Troop Carrier): 1942-1945; 1946-1949; 1953-1955; 1 Oct 1964-6 Jul1973
* 48th Transport (later Troop Carrier): 1942-1945; 1946-1949; 1953-1955; 1 Jan 1965 - 25 Jun 1967
* 49th Transport: 1942-1945

Aircraft

* C-47/C-53 Skytrain 1942-1945, 1946-1948
* C-46 Commando, 1945
* C-54 Skymaster, 1946-1948
* C-82 Packet, 1947-1949
* C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953
* C-130 Hercules, 1964-1973

Operational History

World War II

Constituted as 313th Transport Group on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 2 Mar 1942. Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group in Jul 1942. Trained for overseas duty with C-47’s and C-53’s.

Moved to North Africa, Apr-May 1943, and assigned to Twelfth Air Force. Trained for the invasion of Sicily and entered combat on the night of 9 Jul 1943 by dropping paratroops near Gela. Although attacked by ground and naval forces while carrying reinforcements to Sicily on the night of 11 Jul, the group completed the mission and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for the performance.

Transported supplies and evacuated wounded in the Mediterranean area until late in Aug when the group moved to Sicily for the invasion of Italy. Dropped paratroops of 82d Airborne Division south of Salerno on the night of 13 Sep 1943 and flew a reinforcement mission the following night.

Resumed transport activities in the theater until Feb 1944, and then joined Ninth Air Force in England. Prepared for the invasion of France and on D-Day 1944, released paratroops near Picauville; dropped reinforcements over the same area on 7 Jun, being awarded second Distinguished Unit Citation for its part in theinvasion.

Dropped paratroops near Arnheim and Nijmegen on 17 Sep during the airborne attack on Holland and releasedgliders carrying reinforcements to that area on 18 and 23 Sep.

Moved to France, Feb-Mar 1945, and received C-46‘s for the airborne assault across the Rhine; dropped paratroops of 17th Airborne Division near Wesel on 24 Mar.

When not engaged in airborne operations the group evacuated wounded personnel and ex-prisoners of war, and also transported cargo such as ammunition, gasoline, medical supplies, and food until after V-E Day.

Returned to the US, Aug-Sep 1945. Inactivated on 15 Nov 1945.

Cold War

Activated in Austria on 30 Sep 1946. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe and equipped with C-47 and C-54 aircraft.

Transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US on 25 Jun 1947and assigned to Tactical Air Command. Trained with gliders and C-82’s. Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group, (Heavy) in Jul 1948.

Moved to Germany, Oct-Nov 1948, and joined United States Air Forces in Europe for participation in the Berlin airlift. Transported cargo such as coal, food, and medicine into West Berlin from Nov 1948 to Sep 1949. Redesignated 313th Troop Carrier Group (Special) in Feb 1949. Inactivated in Germany on 18 Sep 1949.

Trained in troop carrier operations, 1953. Trained to become proficient and to maintain combat readiness in tactical airlift operations, 1964-1973. Frequently deployed tactical squadrons or segments thereof on a global basis to support airlift requirements of overseas commands. Participated in tactical exercises and disaster relief on a regular basis. Last C-130 transferred on 6 Aug 1973. Thereafter, until inactivation, the wing assisted in the closure of Forbes AFB.

References

* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.

External links