910th Air Refueling Squadron

910th Air Refueling Squadron

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly as flown by the 310th Attack Squadron
Active 1942–1946; 1958–1966; 1969
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Air Refueling
Part of Strategic Air Command
Engagements European Theater of World War II
Insignia
910th Air Refueling Squadron emblem
World War II fuselage code[1] YC

The 910th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. In 1985, it was consolidated with the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 310th Attack Squadron, but has not been active since consolidation.

The first predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1942 as the 10th Observation Squadron. The squadron performed antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast shortly after activating. As the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, it briefly saw combat in the European Theater of World War II before returning to the United States for inactivation.

The 910th Air Refueling Squadron was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) unit that provided air refueling for SAC bombers from Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas from 1958 to 1966, when SAC withdrew from Bergstrom and the squadron was inactivated.

The 310th Attack Squadron was activated at England Air Force Base, where it trained for deployment to Viet Nam, in 1969. Shortly after it arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base it was inactivated and its personnel and equipment transferred to another unit.

History

World War II

North American F-6D showing ports for cameras behind cockpit

The 10th Observation Squadron was activated in 1942 at Morrow Field, California,[2] and assigned to the 69th Observation Group.[3][4] From June through September of that year, it performed antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific coast.[3] The unit engaged in air-ground training with a variety of aircraft from 1943 through 1944.[4] It also participated in maneuvers in Louisiana.[2] In December 1943, the squadron re-equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobra and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft for reconnaissance.[2]

In January 1945, it moved to Key Field, Mississippi, where it began training with North American F-6 Mustangs and prepared for overseas deployment.[4] The next month it left Key Field for the New York Port of Embarkation and on 7 March sailed on the SS Marine Dragon. It landed at Le Havre, France,[5] in the European Theater of Operations shortly before the surrender of Germany. The squadron joined Ninth Air Force in France. It saw combat for a short period, flying visual and photographic air reconnaissance missions to provide intelligence for air and ground units.[3]

The squadron returned to the United States starting in July 1945. Soon after returning to Drew Field, Florida, in August 1945, it was stripped of its manpower and existed on paper only until it was inactivated in 1946.[3]

Cold War

KC-135 as flown with SAC by the 910th Air Refueling Squadron

The 910th Air Refueling Squadron was established under Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the fall of 1958 at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, where it was assigned to the 4130th Strategic Wing. The squadron's first Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker arrived on 17 January 1959.[6] The 4130th wing was established by SAC in a program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.[7] The squadron provided air refueling primarily to the B-52s of the 4130th wing. Starting in 1960, one third of the squadron's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962.[8] In August 1960, a crew from the 910th placed first in SAC's combat crew competition.[9]

In September 1963, the 340th Bombardment Wing assumed the aircraft, personnel and equipment of the discontinued 4130th wing. The 4130th was a Major Command controlled (MAJCON) wing, which could not carry a permanent history or lineage,[10] and SAC wanted to replace it with a permanent unit. The squadron transferred to the 340th wing as part of this reorganization.[11]

The 910th deployed aircrews and airplanes to support the Young Tiger task force in Southeast Asia, providing air refueling to tactical aircraft engaged in combat operations. In the summer of 1966, the 340th wing began to wind down operations in preparation for inactivation and transfer of Bergstrom to Tactical Air Command,[12] and the wing and squadron were inactivated in the fall.[11]

War in Viet Nam

The 310th Attack Squadron was activated in the late spring of 1969[13] at England Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was originally assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing,[14] but transferred to the 4410th Special Operations Training Group, when that group replaced the 1st at England.[15] After training with the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly it moved to Bien Hoa Air Base, Viet Nam, where it was assigned to the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing.[16] Its aircraft were transported to Southeast Asia on Douglas C-133 Cargomasters. Shortly after arriving in theater, it was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 8th Attack Squadron.[17]

In 1985 the three squadrons were consolidated into a single unit, but the consolidated unit has not been activated.[18]

Lineage

10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

Activated on 2 March 1942
Redesignated 10th Observation Squadron on 4 July 1942
Redesignated 10th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) on 2 April 1943
Redesignated 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 August 1943

310th Attack Squadron

Activated c. 15 May 1969[13]
Inactivated 15 December 1969[17]

910th Air Refueling Squadron

Assignments

Stations

  • Morrow Field, California, 2 March 1942
  • Ontario Army Air Field, California, 29 May 1942
  • Abeline Municipal Airport (later Abeline Army Air Field), Texas, 10 November 1942
  • Esler Field, Louisiana, 3 April 1943
  • Abeline Army Air Field, Texas, 10 September 1943
  • Esler Field, Louisiana, 13 November 1943
  • Key Field, Mississippi, 25 January 1945 – 26 February 1945
  • Nancy-Ochey Airport (A-96),[20] France, 22 March 1945
  • Haguenau Airfield (Y-30),[20] France, 3 April 1945 – July 1945
  • Drew Field, Florida, 4 August 1945
  • Brooks Field, Texas, 4 August 1945 – 31 March 1946[19]
  • Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, 15 October 1958 – 2 October 1966[21]
  • England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 15 May 1969[22]
  • Bien Hoa Air Base, Viet Nam, 15 November 1969 – 30 November 1969[23]

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
American Theater without inscription2 March 1942 – 26 February 194510th Observation Squadron (later
10th Reconnaissance Squadron,
10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron)[3]
AntisubmarineJune 1942 – September 194210th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron[3]
Central Europe22 March 1945 – 21 May 194510th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron[3]
Air Combat, EAME Theater22 March 1945 – 11 May 194510th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron[3]

[24]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Watkins, pp. 134–135
  2. 1 2 3 "Abstract, History 10 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron activation-Jan 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 57–58
  4. 1 2 3 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 136–137
  5. ↑ "Abstract, History 69 Tactical Reconnaissance Group Feb–Mar 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Abstract, History 4130 Strategic Wing Jan 1959". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Abstract (Unclassified), Vol 1, History of Strategic Air Command, Jan–Jun 1957 (Secret)". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Abstract, History 4130 Strategic Wing Aug 1960". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Ravenstein, Guide to Air Force Lineage, p. 12
  11. 1 2 3 4 Ravenstein, Combat Wings, pp. 179–180
  12. ↑ "Abstract, History 340 Bombardment Wing Apr–Jun 1966". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Department of the Air Force AFOMO Letter 127p, 5 May 1969 Subject: Activation of Certain TAC Units
  14. 1 2 3 Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p.3
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 See Mueller, p. 170
  16. 1 2 Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p. 10
  17. 1 2 Department of the Air Force AFOMO Letter 231p, 30 Oct 1969 Subject: Redesignation of Certain PACAF Units
  18. 1 2 3 4 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  19. 1 2 3 4 Lineage of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, including assignments, stations, and aircraft in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 57–58
  20. 1 2 Station number in Johnson
  21. ↑ Mueller. p. 33
  22. ↑ Mueller, p. 170
  23. ↑ See Ravenstein, Combat Wings, p. 10
  24. ↑ The 310th Attack Squadron was in Viet Nam during the Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 Campaign, but did not receive credit for participation.

Bibliography

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

Further reading

External links

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