24th Tactical Air Support Squadron

24th Tactical Air Support Squadron
Active	1939–1942; 1942–1946; 1947–1949: 1951–1953; 1956–1960; 1969–1975; 1976–1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Control of Tactical Air
Part of	USAF Southern Command
Engagements	China Burma India Theater

History

The first predecessor of the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron was the 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) which was activated in late 1939 as a test unit for light bombardment aircraft at Maxwell Field, Alabama. The squadron was disbanded in the spring of 1942 in a reorganization of United States Army Air Forces operational testing units in the spring of 1942.^[1]

The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in the fall of 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron. After training in the United States under Second Air Force, the squadron deployed to the China Burma India Theater, where it performed combat mapping. mostly with North American B-25 Mitchells and Consolidated B-24 Liberators equipped with vertical and oblique Mapping cameras until moving to Clark Field in the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. In Asia, the squadron deployed detachments to a number of locations, although the headquarters remained in Guskhara Airfield, India.^[2]

The squadron was activated again in the reserves in 1947 as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, but apparently was not equipped before inactivating when Continental Air Command reorganized under the Wing Base Organization plan in 1949. The squadron was activated in the regular Air Force in 1951 as the 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron at Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana and equipped with Boeing RB-29s. When its parent 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing converted to a bombardment mission in 1942, the squadron became the 24th Bombardment Squadron, but was inactivated in 1953.^[2]

The 24th Helicopter Squadron was activated in 1956 at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee. After several months of training the squadron moved to Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, where it served until 1960. The transfer was made on an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy.^[3] The unit's mission was to maintain helicopter logistics airlift capability, to perform air land supply operations, scheduled and special airlift operations, and conduct training.^[4] Detachment 2 of the squadron was attached to the 41st Air Division to provide logistial support to the division's remote radar sites.^[5] In 1958 and 1959 the squadron returned to Burma when it participated in Operation South Bound, which provided assistance to the Burmese Air Force in combatting local insurrectionists.^[6]^[7]

The squadron was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in Panama in 1969. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with its two predecessor units. The consolidated squadron became the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron in 1987, and was inactivated in the spring of 1991.

Lineage

24th Bombardment Squadron (Light)

Constituted as the 24th Attack-Bombardment Squadron on 1 August 1939

Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 September 1939

Activated on 1 December 1939

Disbanded on 1 May 1942
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron^[8]

24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium

Constituted as 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 July 1942

Activated on 2 September 1942

Redesignated as 24th Photographic Squadron (Heavy) on 6 February 1943

Redesignated as 24th Combat Mapping Squadron on 11 August 1943

Inactivated on 15 June 1946

Redesignated 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range (Photographic – RCM) on 13 May 1947 and allotted to the reserve

Activated on 12 July 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium (Photographic)

Activated on 10 October 1951

Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 16 June 1952

Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium and inactivated on 16 January 1953^[2]

Redesignated 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium (remained inactive)

Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 24th Bombardment Squadron, (Light) and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron^[8]

24th Tactical Air Support Squadron

Constituted as the 24th Helicopter Squadron on 24 February 1956

Activated on 9 July 1956

Inactivated on 8 March 1960

Redesignated 24th Special Operations Squadron in 1969

Activated on 18 March 1969

Redesignated 24th Composite Squadron on 15 November 1973

Inactivated on 1 July 1975

Activated on 1 January 1976

Consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium and 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 19 September 1985^[8]

Redesignated 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron on 1 January 1987

Inactivated on 31 March 1991

Assignments

23d Composite Group (later Air Corps Proving Ground Detachment, Air Forces Proving Ground Group): 1 December 1939 – 1 May 1942^[1]
5th Photographic Group (later 5th Photographic Reconnaissance and Mapping Group, 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Group), 2 September 1942
Third Air Force, 9 October 1943
III Reconnaissance Command, 12 October 1943
Army Air Force, India-Burma Sector, 26 December 1943 (attached to 5306th Photographic and Reconnaissance Group (Provisional), 26 December 1943 to 17 January 1944, Tenth Air Force to 7 March 1944)
Tenth Air Force, 7 March 1944
8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group (later 8th Reconnaissance Group), 25 April 1944
Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 20 September 1945
Thirteenth Air Force, 28 January 1946
313th Bombardment Wing, 1 April 1946 − 15 June 1946
68th Reconnaissance Group, 12 July 1947 − 27 June 1949
68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 10 October 1951
68th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 − 16 January 1953
Eighteenth Air Force: 9 July 1956
315th Air Division: October 1956 − 8 March 1960^[9]
24th Special Operations Wing (later 24th Special Operations Group), 18 March 1969 − 1 July 1975
24th Composite Group (later 24th Composite Wing), 1 January 1976
USAF Southern Air Division, 1 January 1987
24th Composite Wing, 1 January 1989
Air Forces Panama, 1 February 1991 − 31 March 1991

Stations

Maxwell Field, Alabama, 1 December 1939
Peterson Field, Colorado, 2 September 1942
Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 13 October 1943
Camp Anza, California, 8 November 1943 − 18 November 1943
Guskhara, India, 5 January 1944
Calcutta, India, 23 December 1945
Kanchrapara, India, 17 December 1945 − 17 January 1946 (air echelon moved to Clark Field on 18 December)
Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 29 January 1946 − 15 June 1946

Hamilton Field (later Hamilton AFB), California, 12 July 1947 − 27 June 1949
Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 − 16 January 1953
Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 2 September 1940
Eglin Field, Florida 29 June 1941 − 1 May 1942^[1]
Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, 9 July 1956
Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. October 1956 − 8 March 1960
Howard Air Force Base, 18 March 1969 − 1 July 1975
Howard Air Force Base, 1 January 1976 − 31 March 1991

Detachment Locations during World War II

Hsinching Airfield, China, 17 March 1944 – 9 April 1944, 27 April 1944 − c. 1 July 1944, October–November 1944
Jorhat Airfield, India, 9 April 1944 – 22 April 1944
Liuchow Airfield, China, 10 July 1944 – 22 September 1944
Chanyi Airfield, China, 22 September 1944 – 17 February 1945
Pengshan Airfield, China, November 1944
Tulihal and Cox’s Bazar, India, February 1945 − c. April 1945

Aircraft

Curtiss A-12 Shrike:1940–1942
Curtiss A-18 Shrike: 1940–1942
Douglas A-20 Havoc: 1940–1942
Stearman XA-21: 1940–1942
Martin B-10: 1940–1942
Martin B-12: 1940–1942

Douglas B-18 Bolo:1940–1942
Douglas B-23 Dragon: 1940–1942
Consolidated B-24 Liberator(F-7): 1943, 1944–1946
North American B-25 Mitchell (F-9): 1940–1942, 1944
Boeing B-29 Superfortress (F-13): 1946; 1952–1953
Lockheed C-36 Electra: 1940–1942

Lockheed C-40 Electra: 1940–1942
Bell YFM-1 Airacuda: 1940–1942
Consolidated PB-2: 1940–1942
Stearman PT-17 Kaydet: 1940–1942
Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless: 1940–1942
Piasecki H-21: 1956-unknown^[5]

Awards and Campaigns

Award	Dates	Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 January 1957 – 1 August 1958	24th Helicopter Squadron^[10]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	18 March 1969 – 13 April 1970	24th Special Operations Squadron^[11]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	16 March 1971 – 15 March 1973	24th Special Operations Squadron^[11]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	China Defensive		24th Combat Mapping Squadron^[2]
	Central Burma		24th Combat Mapping Squadron^[2]

References

Notes

1 2 3 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 125. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
1 2 3 4 5 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 126–127
↑ Abstract, History 314th Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1956 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
↑ Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq Jan–Jun 1958 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
1 2 Abstract, History 41st Air Div Jul–Dec 1956 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
↑ Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq July–Dec 1958 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
↑ Abstract, History 24th Helicopter Sq Jan–Jun 1959 (retrieved 10 July 2013)
1 2 3 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 Sep 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
↑ "Factsheet 315 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
↑ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 1971, p. 144
1 2 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 Sep 1976 , p. 21

Bibliography

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

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 1971
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 Sep 1976, p.

External links

Tails Through Time: Short Trips on the Long Road of Aviation History – The 24th Combat Mapping Squadron:Unsung Heroes of the Pacific War Retrieved 10 July 2013.
CBI Unit Histories – 24th Combat Mapping Squadron Retrieved 10 July 2013.
"A Tale of Two Airplanes" by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.)

USAAF Tenth Air Force in World War II

Airfields

Burma	Bhamo Myitkyina Namponmao Sahmaw Tingkawk Sakan

India	Agartala Asansol Barrackpore Chakulia Chittagong Dinjan Dohazari Dudhkundi Dum Dum Fenny Guskhara Hailakandi Hathazari Kalaikunda Karachi Ledo Nagaghuli Nawadih Pandaveswar Panagarh Piardoba Sookerating Sylhet Tezgaon Tezpur Tulihal

Units

Groups

Air Commando	1st Air Commando 2d Air Commando

Bombardment	7th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 341st Bombardment

Combat Cargo	1st Combat Cargo 3d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo

Fighter	23d Fighter 33d Fighter 51st Fighter 80th Fighter 81st Fighter 311th Fighter

Reconnaissance	8th Reconnaissance

Troop Carrier	443d Troop Carrier

Squadrons

United States Army Air Forces

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.