415th Flight Test Flight

415th Flight Test Flight
415th Flight Training Flight Patch
Active	3 February 1942 - 3 July 1945 1 September 1958 - 1 January 1962 10 March 1989 - 1 October 1994 1 October 2001 - present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Flight Test
Part of	Air Force Reserve Command, 622d Flight Test Group
Garrison/HQ	Randolph Air Force Base
Engagements	World War II
Decorations	DUC

World War II 415th Bombardment Squadron emblem

"Cornhusker" B-24D-45-CO Liberator s/n 42-40322 415th Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group Shot down over the Ionian Sea by Bf109G's from JG 27/IV while returning from the August 1,1943 low-level mission to Ploesti,Romania. All 10 crew members were KIA. MACR 178. Photo taken at Tobruk or Benina Airfield, Libya

The 415th Flight Test Flight (415 FLTF) is a squadron of the United States Air Force Reserves. It has been stationed at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, since 1 October 2001.

The squadron has been active periodically throughout the 20th century, initially as a reconnaissance squadron, then later as a bombardment squadron, and finally as a flight test squadron. During World War II, the 415th Bombardment Squadron flew combat missions in the Mediterranean and the European theaters of operations as part of the 98th Bombardment Group.

History

Established as a B-24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron in early 1942. Engaged initially in antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; redesignated as a heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrision Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Lastly the group reformed with the ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.

Assigned to the newly-formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. Also staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily; Italy and the Southern Balkans, including attacking the Nazi-Controlled oilfields at Polesti, Romania.

Re-assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy; continuing strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France; Southern Germany; Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.

The squadron returned to the United States in May 1945; being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area and conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese Home Islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated at the end of July, it's equipment and personnel being merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.

The squadron was activated in 1959 as a result of Strategic Air Command phasing out the B-47 Stratojet, and additional squadrons were activated as part of the consolation of Stratojet wings, and the replacement of the B-47 by B-52 Stratofortresses. In March 1961, President John F. Kennedy directed that the phaseout of the B-47 be accelerated. and the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962 as part of the drawdown of the USAF B-47 force, with the aircraft were sent to AMARC storage at Davis-Monthan.

Reactivated in 1992 as a flight test squadron at Edwards; inactivated in 1994. Reactivated and reduced from a squadron to a flight organization in 2001.

Lineage

• Organized as the 25th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942.

Activated on 3 February 1942.

Redesignated 415th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942.

Redesignated 415th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 July 1943.

Deactivated on 3 July 1945.

• Redesignated 415th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 11 August 1958.

Reactivated on 1 September 1958.

Deactivated and discontinued on 1 January 1962.

• Consolidated with the 6515th Test Squadron on 1 October 1992.

Redesignated 415th Test Squadron on 2 October 1992.

Redesignated 415th Flight Test Squadron on 1 March 1994.

Deactivated 1 October 1994.

• Redesignated 415th Flight Test Flight on 24 September 2001.

Activated in the Reserve on 1 October 2001.

Assignments

• 98th Bombardment Group, 3 February 1942-3 July 1945
• 98th Bombardment Wing, 1 September 1958-1 January 1962
• 6510th (later, 412th) Test Wing, 10 March 1989
• 412th Operations Group, 1 October 1993-1 October 1994
• 622d Flight Test Group, 1 October 2001–present

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida, 3 February 1942
• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, c. 9 February 1942
• Page Field, Florida, 31 March 1942
• Drane Field, Florida, 15 May-3 July 1942
• RAF Ramat David, British Palestine, 31 July 1942
• RAF Fayid, Egypt, 12 November 1942
• Tobruk Airfield, Libya, 26 January 1943
• Benina Airfield, Libya, 11 February 1943

• Hergla Airfield, Tunisia, 26 September 1943
• Brindisi Airfield, Italy, 18 November 1943
• Manduria Airfield, Italy, 19 December 1943
• Lecce Airfield, Italy, 18 January 1944-19 April 1945
• Fairmont Army Airfield, Nebraska, 8 May-3 July 1945
• Lincoln AFB, Nebraska, 1 September 1958-1 January 1962
• Edwards AFB, California, 10 March 1989-1 October 1994
• Randolph AFB, Texas, 1 October 2001–present

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
• B-47 Stratojet, 1958–1961
• F-15 Eagle, 1989-1994.

References

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

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5

External links

• USAF 415th Flight Test Squadron History