775th Troop Carrier Squadron

775th Troop Carrier Squadron
Active	1943–1957
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment Troop Carrier
Engagements	World War II - EAME Theater
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation (2x)
Insignia
Emblem of the 775th Bombardment Squadron

The 775th Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 463d Troop Carrier Group. It was inactivated at Ardmore Air Force Base, Oklahoma on 1 August 1957.

During World War II, the 775th Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 463d Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned Two Distinguished Unit Citations.

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; assigned to Second Air Force for training. Attached in late 1943 and early 1944 to Air University Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in February 1944, squadron taking the South Atlantic Transport Route though the Caribbean and South America; transiting the Atlantic Ocean via Brazil and Dakar, French West Africa, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in March 1944 at several airfields in Southern Italy.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy; France; Southern Germany; Austria and the Balkans. Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945. Demobilized in place in Italy during the summer of 1945; inactivated in September 1945.

Reactivated as a Tactical Air Command Troop Carrier squadron in June 1955, assigned C-119 Flying Boxcars. Engaged in transport of equipment and supplies; including support of Army Airborne parachute units until inactivated in 1957 due to budget restrictions.

Lineage

Constituted 775th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 August 1943

Inactivated on 25 September 1945

Redesignated 775th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) on 24 May 1955

Activated on 8 June 1955

Inactivated on 1 August 1957.

Note: A 775th Troop Carrier Squadron was briefly activated as part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida in April 1964, being redesignated in June. In addition, the 775th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was activated as a provisional Air Combat Command transport squadron as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, consisting of deployed Air Force Reserve personnel from the 910th Airlift Wing in 2005. It is unclear if these units share a lineage with the 775th Troop Carrier Squadron.

Assignments

463d Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 25 September 1945
463d Troop Carrier Group, 8 June 1955 – 1 August 1957

Stations

Geiger Field, Washington, 1 August 1943
Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, August 1943
MacDill Field, Florida, 4 November 1943
Lakeland Army Airfield, Florida, 3 January 1944
Hampton Roads (Camp Patrick Henry), Virginia (ground echelon), 2–12 February 1944

Air echelon operated from Hunter Field, Georgia, 6–10 February 1944

Morrison Field, Florida, 11–14 February 1944

Then staged through bases in South America and North Africa, 15 February-13 March 1944

Naples, Italy (ground echelon), 10 March 1944
Celone Airfield, Italy (ground echelon), 11 March 1944

Air echelon operated from Amendola Airfield, Italy, 14–27 March 1944, then joined ground echelon at Celone Airfield, Italy, 28 March 1944

Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, 26 May 1945
Celone Airfield, Italy, 3–25 September 1945
Sewart AFB, Tennessee, 8 June 1955
Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma, 10 November 1955 – 1 August 1957

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945
C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1957

References

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.

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