97th Operations Group

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Emblem of the 97th Bombardment Group

B-17 of the 97th Bomb Group in early Fifteenth Air Force identification markings

B-17 of the 97th Bomb Group in later Fifteenth Air Force markings

The group was established early in 1942 and initially trained B-17 Flying Fortress crews in Florida and flew antisubmarine patrols. It deployed to England as part of Operation Bolero and became the first operationally-ready Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress group.

Combat operations by the group began on 17 August 1942, when the 97th Bomb Group flew the first Eighth Air Force heavy-bomber mission of the war, attacking the railway marshalling yards at Sotteville-lès-Rouen in France. The mission included 18 bombers - 12 to attack the yards and six to fly a diversion along the coast.

The lead aircraft of the first flight group, Butcher Shop, was copiloted by the group commander, Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, and piloted by 340th squadron commander, Captain Paul W. Tibbets, who later flew the Enola Gay to Hiroshima, Japan, on the first atomic bombing mission.

In the lead aircraft of the second flight group, Yankee Doodle,[4] flew General Ira C. Eaker, the commanding general of the Eighth Air Force Bomber Command, piloted by 414th squadron commander Captain Rudolph Emil Flack,[5] who was the Grafton Underwood base commander[6] and mission commander.[7] The RAF supplied a heavy fighter escort: four squadrons of Spitfires escorted the 12 B-17s to the target while five more covered the withdrawal. About half of the bombs landed in the target area.[8]

The 97th Bomb Group conducted a total of 16 missions from Grafton Underwood and Polebrook, attacking airfields, railroad marshalling yards, war industries, naval installations, and other Axis targets in France and the Low Countries. The group sortied 247 aircraft, dropped 395 tons of bombs on Nazi-controlled territory, and lost 14 aircraft.

On 21 October 1942, a month earlier than its previously scheduled movement as part of Operation Torch, and because of delays in the movement of medium-bombardment forces, the 97th Bomb Group was transferred to the Mediterranean theater upon the availability of bases in North Africa. The unit was assigned first to Twelfth Air Force and later (November 1943) to Fifteenth Air Force.

From 16 November 1942 through May 1943, B-17s struck shipping in the Mediterranean Sea as well as airfields, docks, harbors, and marshalling yards in North Africa, Southern France, Sardinia, Sicily, and the southern Italian mainland in a campaign to cut supply lines to German forces in North Africa. Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily and southern Italy in the summer and fall of 1943.

From November 1943 to April 1945, the unit attacked targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives.

The unit earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for leading a raid against an aircraft factory at Steyr on 24 February 1944 during "Big Week," the intensive air campaign against the German aircraft industry.

The unit participated in first shuttle-bombing mission to Russia (Operation Frantic) in June 1944. The group earned a second DUC for a devastating raid against one of the Ploiești oil refineries in Rumania on 18 August 1944. The unit supported Allied forces at Anzio and Cassino by bombing enemy communications, transportation targets, and airfields. The unit bombed coastal defenses in preparation for the invasion of Southern France and assisted the American Fifth and British Eighth armies in their advance through the Po Valley of Northern Italy until the German surrender in May 1945.

The 97th Bomb Group flew 467 combat missions, in which 110 aircraft were lost.

The unit was redesignated as the 97th Bombardment Group (very heavy) and was reactivated at Smoky Hill AAFld (later, Smoky Hill AFB), Kansas on 4 August 1946.

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

It was assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC) and was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses. The operational squadrons of the 97th Bomb Group were the 340th, 341st and 342d bomb squadrons.

The group participated in numerous exercises, operational readiness inspections, and overseas deployments. Deployed to Mile 26 Field, northern Alaska (winter of 1947–1948), to provide a strategic-bombing force east of the Bering Straits. The group was assigned to the newly established 97th Bombardment Wing on 1 December 1947. The group deployed twice to the United Kingdom as part of SAC's forward rotation of B-29 groups to Europe.

The group was left unmanned from 10 February 1951 to 16 June 1952 after its second forward deployment to England. The group was inactivated on 16 June 1952 as SAC reorganized its wings into the dual deputy system.

97th OG : C-17 Globemasters take off in rapid succession as part of the mobility air forces exercise

On 29 August 1991, the 97th Bombardment Wing was redesignated as the 97th Wing under the "objective wing" concept adopted by the air force as the lines between tactical and strategic forces blurred. The flying components of the former 97th Bombardment Wing were reassigned to the newly established 97th Operations Group. Upon activation, the 97th Operations Group was bestowed the history, lineage and honors of the 97th Bombardment Group from the 97th Wing.

Between September 1991 and April 1992, the 97th Operations Group flew aerial-refueling missions for Strategic Air Command.

Reassigned to Air Mobility Command between October 1992 and July 1993, the group flew strategic-airlift and aerial-refueling training missions.

After 1 July 1993, supported Air Education and Training Command by training flying crews with strategic-airlift and air-refueling aircraft.

Groups

• 401st Bombardment Group: attached 27 June 1949 – 10 February 1951

Squadrons

• 11th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1992 – 1 July 1993
• 54th Air Refueling Squadron: 16 January 1998 – present
• 55th Air Refueling Squadron: 28 October 1994 – March 2009
• 97th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 March 1949 – 16 June 1952 (not operational 1 March 1949 – 23 January 1950; detached 12 July 1950 – 16 June 1952); 1 September 1991 – 1 April 1992
• 306th Air Refueling Squadron: 1 October 1992 – 1 July 1993
• 56th Airlift Squadron (later, 56th Air Refueling): 1 October 1992 – 30 September 2008, 1 August 2016 – present
• 57th Airlift Squadron: 1 October 1992 – 30 September 2001
• 58th Airlift Squadron: 30 January 1996 – present
• 24th Reconnaissance later, 414th Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945
• 340th Bombardment Squadron (later, 340th Bomb): 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952); 1 September 1991 – 7 January 1992
• 341st Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
• 342rd Bombardment Squadron: 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945; 4 August 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)

 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.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.