435th Operations Group

435th Operations Group
Emblem of the 435th Operations Group
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force Reserve

The 435th Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 435th Airlift Wing, stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 1 April 1995.

The unit's World War II predecessor unit, the 435th Troop Carrier Group was a C-47 Skytrain transport unit assigned to Ninth Air Force in Western Europe.

History

Lineage

• Constituted as 435th Troop Carrier Group on 30 Jan 1943

Activated on 25 Feb 1943

Inactivated on 15 Nov 1945.

• Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 15 Jul 1947

Redesignated 435th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) in Jun 1949

Ordered to active service on 1 Mar 1951

Relieved from active duty and inactivated, on 1 Dec 1952

• Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 1 Dec 1952

Inactivated on 14 Apr 1959

• Redesignated: 435th Tactical Airlift Group and activated on 1 Jul 1975

Inacivated on 23 Jun 1978

• Reactivated on 15 Sep 1978

Inactivated on 1 Jun 1980

• Redesignated: 435th Operations Group and activated on 1 Apr 1992

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1995.

Components

• 75th: 1943-1945.
• 76th: 1943-1945; 1947-1952; 1952•
• 77th: 1943¬1945 1947-1952;1952-
• 78th: 1943-1945; 1947-1952; 1952-1954,1955-
• 326th: 1947¬1949
• 349th: 1949-1951

Stations

• Bowman Field, Ky, 25 Feb 1943
• Sedalia AAF1d, Mo, 4 May 1943
• Pope Field, NC, 2 Jul 1943
• Baer Field, Ind, 6-13 Oct 1943
• RAF Langer, England, 3 Nov 1943
• RAF Welford Park, England, 25 Jan 1944
• Bretigny, Prance, c. 13 Feb-25 Jun 1945

• Baer Field, Ind, 5 Aug 1945
• Kellogg Field, Mich, 13 Sep-15 Nov 1945
• Morrison Field, Fla, 15 Jul 1947
• Miami Intl Aprt, Fla, 26 Jun 1949-1 Dec 1952; 1 Dec 1952-14 Apr 1959
• Rhein-Main AB, West Germany (later Germany), 1 Jul 1975-23 Jun 1978; 15 Sep 1978-1 Jun 1980; 1 Apr 1992-1 Apr 1995

Aircraft

• C-47, 1943-1945
• C-119, 1947-1952; 1947-1949
• C-46, 1949-1951; 1952-1957
• C-130, 1975-1980
• C-9, 1992-1993

• VC-135, 1977-1978
• VC-140, 1977-1978
• C-12, 1978
• CT-39, 1978
• C-141, 1994

Operations

World War II

Used C-47's and C-53's in preparing for duty overseas with Ninth AF. Moved to England, Oct-Nov 1943, and began training for participation in the airborne operation over Normandy. Entered combat on D-Day 1944 by drop¬ping paratroops of mist Airborne Divi¬sion near Cherbourg; towed Waco and Horsa gliders carrying reinforcements to that area on the afternoon of D-Day and on the following morning; received a DUC for its part in the Normandy in¬vasion. Began transport services follow¬ing the landings in France and intermit¬tently engaged in missions of this type until V-E Day; hauled supplies such as serum, blood plasma, radar sets, clothing, rations, and ammunition, and evacuated wounded personnel to Allied hospitals. Interrupted supply and evacuation mis¬sions to train for and participate in three major airborne assaults. A detachment that was sent to Italy in Jul 1944 for the invasion of Southern France dropped para¬troops over the assault area on 15 Aug and released gliders carrying troops and equipment such as jeeps, guns, and am¬munition; flew a resupply mission over France on 16 Aug; and then transported supplies to bases in Italy before returning to England at the end of the month. In Sep 1944 the group participated in the air attack on Holland, dropping paratroops of 82d and toIst Airborne Divisions and releasing gliders carrying reinforcements. Moved to France in Feb 1945 for the air¬borne assault across the Rhine; each aircraft towed two gliders in transporting troops and equipment to the east bank of the Rhine on 24 Mar; then the group flew resupply missions to Germany in support of ground forces. Transported supplies to occupation forces in Germany and evacu¬ated Allied prisoners of war after V-E Day. Returned to the US in Aug. In¬activated on 15 Nov 1945.

Cold War

Allocated to the Reserve and activated on 15 Jul 1947. Ordered to active service on 1 Mar 1951. Assigned to Tactical Air Command. Trained with C-119's. Relieved from active duty and inactivated, on 1 Dec 1952. Reactivated as Miami-Based reserve group. By 1956, the wing was capable of flying overseas missions, particularly in the Caribbean area to Central America. Inactivated on 14 Apr 1959 when parent unit adopted Tri-Deputate organization.

Reactivated in 1975 at Rhein-Main AB West Germany as C-130 theater transport unit for MAC in Europe. Inactivated in June 1980.

Modern era

Activated as 435th Operations Group as part of objective wing organization of 435th Airlift Wing at Rhein-Main on 1 Apr 1992. Had some C-141s assigned in 1992, however those reassigned and unit managed transient MAC (later USAFE) theater transports as well as tactical, aeromedical and OSA airlift squadrons until aerial port at Rhein-Main was inactivated in 1994 prior to the base's closure in 1995.

The unit may have been redesignated as the 435th Air Expeditionary Operations Group and and converted to provisional status, on 5 Feb 2001, however this has not been confirmed.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924
• Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.