- Source: 50th Troop Carrier Wing
The 50th Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The wing was formed in 1941 as the 50th Transport Wing, a headquarters for air transport organizations of the Air Corps. In 1942, it became a training organization for troop carrier units deploying overseas. In 1943, it moved overseas, where its units participated in combat in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations. Following V-E Day it remained in Europe until the fall of 1945. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force at Pope Field, North Carolina, where it was inactivated on 31 July 1946. It was redesignated the 50th Air Division in 1959, but was not activated.
History
The wing was first established as the 50th Transport Wing, then activated at Wright Field, Ohio on 14 January 1941. Although initially assigned directly to the Office, Chief of the Air Corps, it was shortly reassigned to Air Corps Maintenance Command. The wing's mission was to control the air movement of Army materiel within the United States. Within a year, the wing was moving more air freight within the United States than all commercial airlines combined. In March 1942, however, the Army Air Forces directed Air Service Command to increase the use of contracts with airlines to move freight within the United States "in order to free the equipment of the 50th Transport wing for tactical operations with the parachute troops, airborne infantry, the airborne transportation of [government furnished equipment] and supplies, and depot-to-depot operations."
Recognizing this mission change, in July 1942 the wing became the 50th Troop Carrier Wing and formed the core for I Troop Carrier Command, acting as a major training organization until 1943, training subordinate units in the United States prior to overseas deployment.
In October 1943, became a command organization for IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force in England. "Subordinate units began training for the invasion of continental Europe. This training involved airdropping paratroops and towing gliders."
"In June 1944, subordinate units dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy, subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies. During the airborne attack on The Netherlands (Operation Market Garden, September 1944), the 50th dropped paratroops, towed gliders, and flew resupply missions. Several of its subordinate units also participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The 50th supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944. In addition, its units participated in the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 and later flew numerous freight missions to carry gasoline, food, medicine, and other supplies to allied ground forces pushing across Germany."
The wing returned to the United States in September 1945. In 1946 it became a subordinate organization of new Tactical Air Command with responsibility for the theater transport (Troop Carrier) mission. It was inactivated on 31 July 1946.
On 1 September 1959, the USAF redesignated the wing as the 50th Air Division; however, the division was never activated.
Lineage
Established as the 50th Transport Wing on 8 January 1941
Activated on 14 January 1941
Redesignated 50th Troop Carrier Wing on 4 July 1942
Inactivated on 31 July 1946
Redesignated 50th Air Division on 1 September 1959 (Remained inactive)
= Assignments
=Office, Chief of the Air Corps, 14 January 1941
Air Corps Maintenance Command (later Air Service Command), 15 March 1941
Air Transport Command (later I Troop Carrier Command), 30 April 1942
Army Service Forces, c. 9 – 15 October 1943
Ninth Air Force, c. 15 October 1943
IX Troop Carrier Command, 16 October 1943
I Troop Carrier Command, 29 September 1945
IX Troop Carrier Command, 4 November 1945
Tactical Air Command, 21 March 1946
Third Air Force, 28 March – 31 July 1946
= Components
=Groups
Squadrons
= Stations
== Aircraft
=See also
List of United States Air Force air divisions
References
= Notes
== Citations
== Bibliography
=This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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.
Historical Division, Air Transport Command (March 1955). "Administrative History of the Ferrying Command, 29 May 1941 to 30 June 1942, USAF Historical Study No. 32" (PDF). Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence, Historical Division. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
External links
"Invaders: The Story of the 50th Troop Carrier Wing". Desfosses-Neogravure, Paris. 1945. Retrieved 27 January 2015. (URL is for text of booklet only)
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- 50th Troop Carrier Wing
- American airborne landings in Normandy order of battle
- IX Troop Carrier Command
- 50th Wing
- 436th Operations Group
- 442nd Operations Group
- 441st Troop Carrier Group
- 434th Operations Group
- 435th Operations Group
- 440th Operations Group