308th Armament Systems Group

"Chug-A-Lug" B-24D-25-CO Liberator 41-24251, 425th Bombardment Squadron, taken at Kwanghan Airfield, China

The 308th Armament Systems Group is a unit of the United States Air Force 308th Armament Systems Wing, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

The unit's mission is to equipp warfighters with long range, precision attack capabilities.

History

For additional lineage and history, see 308th Armament Systems Wing

See also: Horace S. Carswell, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient

Emblem of the 308th Bombardment Group

Constituted as 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942, and activated on 15 April. Assigned to II Bomber Command for training. Received deployment orders for the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) in February 1943.

Deployed to Kunming Airport, China in March 1943, becoming the heavy bombardment arm of the new Fourteenth Air Force. Air echelon deployed to the CBI via the South Atlantic Transport route via Brazil, then across central Africa and Middle East to Karachi, India. Ground echelon traveling by ship across the Pacific via Australia.

Once established in India, group aircraft made many trips over the Himalayan Mountains (The Hump) to Southeastern China from the Assam Valley of India airlifting obtain gasoline, oil, bombs, spare parts, and other items the group needed to prepare for and then to sustain its combat operations. In addition to the B-24 heavy bombers, group utilized C-87 Liberator transports for logistical support.

From its main base at Kunming and later Hsinching Airfield, the 308th carried out long range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in China in support of Chinese ground forces. The group attacked airfields, coalyards, docks, oil refineries, and fuel dumps in French Indochina; mined rivers and ports; bombed shops and docks at Rangoon; attacked Japanese shipping in the East China Sea, Formosa Strait, South China Sea, and Gulf of Tonkin.

Received a Distinguished Service Cross for an unescorted bombing attack, conducted through antiaircraft fire and fighter defenses, against docks and warehouses at Hankowon 21 August 1943. Received second DUC for interdiction of Japanese shipping during 1944–1945.

Major Horace S Carswell Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on 26 October 1944 when, in spite of intense antiaircraft fire, he attacked a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea; his plane was so badly damaged that when he reached land he ordered the crew to bail out; Carswell, however, remained with the plane to try to save one man who could not jump because his parachute had been ripped by flak; before Carswell could attempt a crash landing, the plane struck a mountainside and burned.

The group moved to India in June 1945. Ferried gasoline and supplies over the Hump. After the Japanese Capitulation in August, the group remained in India in support United States forces in the CBI. Personnel sailed for the United States in December, leaving B-24s to the colonial Indian forces. The unit inactivated as a paper unit in January 1946.

From October 1946 through January 1951, served with Air Weather Service; supervised training and operation of weather reconnaissance units. Not operational 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952.

Beginning in November 2004 reactivated; mission to equip warfighters with long range, precision attack capabilities.

Lineage

• Established as 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated 15 April 1942

Inactivated 6 January 1946

• Redesignated 308th Reconnaissance Group, Weather, on 27 September 1946

Activated 17 October 1946

Inactivated 5 January 1951

• Redesignated 308th Bombardment Group, Medium, on 4 October 1951

Activated 10 October 1951

Inactivated 16 June 1952

• Consolidated (3 May 2006) with Long Range Missile Systems Group, which was established on 23 November 2004.

Activated 27 January 2005

Redesignated 308th Armament Systems Group on 15 May 2006.

Assignments

• Second Air Force, 15 April 1942
• Fourteenth Air Force, 10 March 1943
• United States Forces India-Burma Theater, August–December 1945
• Air Transport Command, Air Weather Service, 17 October 1946
• Military Air Transport Service, Air Weather Service, 1 June 1948 – 5 January 1951
• 308th Bombardment Wing, 10 October 1951 – 16 January 1952
• Air to Ground Munitions Systems (later, 308th Armament Systems) Wing, 27 January 2005–present

Components

• 36 Reconnaissance (later, 425 Bombardment) Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946
• 53d Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
• 54th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
• 55th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
• 59th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): attached 17 October 1946 – 15 October 1947
• 373d Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 21 July 1945; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 17 April 1952).
• 374th (later, 374 Reconnaissance) Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 15 October 1947 – 19 December 1950; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 17 April 1952)
• 375th Bombardment Squadron: 15 April 1942 – 6 January 1946; 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 October 1951 – 17 April 1952).
• 512th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 13 February-14 November 1949
• 513th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather): 15 October 1947 – 20 September 1948; 10 August 1949 – 19 December 1950
• 2078th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron: 1 June 1948 – 20 March 1950.

Stations

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
• WB-29 Superfortress, 1946–1951.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• USAF 308th Armament Systems Group factsheet

External links

• 308th Bombardment Group in CBI Website

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)
Bases	Arnold Brooks Edwards Eglin Hanscom Hill Kirtland Robins Tinker Wright-Patterson
Wings	Air Base 66th 72d 75th 78th 88th 95th 96th Maintenance Test 76th 309th 402d 46th 412th Systems * Aeronautical Armament 77th 303d 312th 326th 478th 516th 308th 328th Electronic Human 350th 551st 554th 653d 311th Sustainment * Aircraft Combat 327th 330th 508th 84th 448th 542d Supply Chain Management 448th 635th Human Performance 711th
Other units	Aeronautical Systems Center (former) Air Armament Center (former) Air Force Flight Test Center Air Force Global Logistics Support Center Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Air Force Research Laboratory Air Force Security Assistance Center Arnold Engineering Development Center Electronic Systems Center (former) National Museum of the United States Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Air Logistics Complexes Ogden Oklahoma City Warner Robins

USAAF Fourteenth Air Force in World War II
Previously: 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers" (Dec 1941-July 1942) China Air Task Force (July 1942-Mar 1943)
Airfields	China Ankang Chanyi Chengkung Chengtu Chihkiang Hanchung Hankow Hsian Hsingching Huhsien Kanchow Kiangwan Kunming Kwanghan Kweilin Laifeng Laohwangping Loping Liangshan Liuchow Luliang Nanning Peishiyi Pungchacheng Shwangliu Suichwan Tsuyung Yangkai Yunnani
Units	Wings 68th Composite 69th Composite 312th Fighter Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Groups Bombardment 308th Bombardment 341st Bombardment 402d Bombardment Fighter 23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter 476th Fighter Transport 443d Troop Carrier Squadrons Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 11th Combat Cargo Night Fighter 426th Night Fighter 427th Night Fighter Reconnaissance 21st Photographic Reconnaissance 35th Photographic Reconnaissance Transport 322d Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

USAAF Second Air Force in World War II
Airfields	Group Training Stations Heavy Bombardment Training Stations Replacement Training Stations Tactical Airfields Very Heavy Bomber Bases
Units	Commands II Air Support Command II Bomber Command II Fighter Command IV Air Support Command XX Bomber Command XXI Bomber Command XXII Bomber Command Wings 5th Bombardment 15th Bombardment Training 16th Bombardment Operational Training 17th Bombardment Training 18th Replacement 21st Bombardment 46th Bombardment Operational Training 58th Bombardment 73d Bombardment 315th Bombardment 316th Bombardment Groups Bombardment 2d Bombardment 6th Bombardment 7th Bombardment 9th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 16th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 25th Bombardment 29th Bombardment 34th Bombardment 39th Bombardment 40th Bombardment 42d Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 48th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 96th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 303d Bombardment 304th Bombardment 305th Bombardment 306th Bombardment 307th Bombardment 308th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 330th Bombardment 331st Bombardment 333d Bombardment 346th Bombardment 351st Bombardment 376th Bombardment 379th Bombardment 381st Bombardment 382d Bombardment 383d Bombardment 384th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 388th Bombardment 390th Bombardment 393d Bombardment 395th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 398th Bombardment 399th Bombardment 400th Bombardment 401st Bombardment 407th Bombardment 415th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 444th Bombardment 445th Bombardment 446th Bombardment 447th Bombardment 448th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 452d Bombardment 453d Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 457th Bombardment 458th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 462d Bombardment 464th Bombardment 467th Bombardment 468th Bombardment 469th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 471st Bombardment 472d Bombardment 484th Bombardment 485th Bombardment 486th Bombardment 487th Bombardment 488th Bombardment 489th Bombardment 490th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 493d Bombardment 494th Bombardment 497th Bombardment 498th Bombardment 499th Bombardment 500th Bombardment 501st Bombardment 502d Bombardment 504th Bombardment 505th Bombardment 509th Composite Fighter 20th Fighter 54th Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 507th Fighter 508th Fighter Reconnaissance 2d Reconnaissance 3d Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance 5th Reconnaissance 6th Reconnaissance 7th Reconnaissance 8th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 443d Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth