173d Air Refueling Squadron

173rd Air Refueling Squadron
173rd Air Refueling Squadron Emblem
Active	1943–Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Squadron
Role	Air Refueling
Part of	Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command
Garrison/HQ	Lincoln Municipal Airport

The 173rd Air Refueling Squadron flies the KC-135R Stratotanker. It is a unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 155th Air Refueling Wing.

History

World War II

Legacy World War II 401st Fighter Squadron emblem

Established in mid-1943 at Westover Field, Massachusetts, equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Trained under I Fighter Command in New England, being deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), and assigned to Ninth Air Force in England. It's ETO fuselage code was "9D" Was converted from P-47s to P-38 Lightnings upon arrival in the ETO.

From British airfields the squadron flew sweeps over Occupied France, attacking radar installations and flak towers, and escorted bombers that attacked bridges and marshalling yards in France as the Allies prepared for the invasion of the Continent. The group provided cover for Allied forces that crossed the Channel on 6 June 1944, and flew armed reconnaissance missions over the Cotentin Peninsula until the end of the month. On 17 July 1944, napalm incendiary bombs were dropped for the first time in war on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St. Lô, France.

After the D-Day invasion, squadron moved to its Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Cardonville, France (ALG A-3) on 20 July to support the Allied ground advance across France and into Germany. Flew armed reconnaissance during the Battle of the Bulge, attacking warehouses, highways, railroads, motor transports, and other targets.

Converted to P-51 Mustangs during February - March 1945. Bombed bridges and docks in the vicinity of Wesel to prepare for the crossing of the Rhine, and patrolled the area as paratroops were dropped on the east bank on 24 March Supported operations Of 2d Armored Division in the Ruhr Valley in Apr. Flew last mission, a sweep over Dessau and Wittenberg, on 4 May 1945.

Returned to the United States during September-November 1945, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

Nebraska Air National Guard

Became an P-51D Mustang squadron in the Nebraska Air National Guard, July 1946. It was the second Air National Guard unit established, assigned to the Iowa ANG 132d Fighter Group. Assigned to Lincoln Airport, a former Second Air Force training field during World War II. With the long runways of the airport, was upgraded to P-80A Shooting Star jet aircraft in early 1948.

Activated to Federal Service during the Korean War, sent to Dow AFB, Maine Used by TAC to train replacement pilots in jet aircraft operations, also deployed unit members to Japan and Korea to fly combat missions. The 132d was moved to Alexandria AFB, Louisiana in May 1952 replacing the 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing which was deployed to France. Performed training as a tactical fighter unit until relieved from active service and returned to Nebraska ANG jurisdiction in January 1953

Lineage

• Constituted 401st Fighter Squadron on 22 Jul 1943

Activated on 25 Jul 1943

Inactivated on 10 Nov 1945

• Re-designated 173d Fighter Squadron and allocated to the Nebraska Air National Guard on 24 May 1946.

173rd Fighter Squadron (Single-Engine) extended federal recognition on 26 Jul 1946

Re-designated: 173d Fighter Squadron (Jet) in Spring 1948

Ordered into active service on 1 April 1951

Relieved from active duty and returned to Nebraska ANG, on 1 Jan 1953

Re-designated: 173d Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 1 Jan 1953

Re-designated: 173d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in Fall 1953

Re-designated: 173d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 May 1964

Re-designated: 173d Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 Mar 1992

Re-designated: 173d Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Oct 1995

Assignments

• 370th Fighter Group, 25 Jul 1943 – 7 Nov 1945
• 132d Fighter Group, 26 Jul 1946
• 132d Fighter-Bomber Group, on 1 Jan 1953
• 132d Fighter-Interceptor Group, Fall 1953
• 155th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 1 Jul 1960
• 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 May 1964
• 155th Reconnaissance Group, 15 Mar 1992
• 155th Air Refueling Wing, 1 Oct 1995-present

Stations

• Westover Field, Massachusetts, 1 July 1943
• Groton AAFld, Connecticut, 19 October 1943
• Bradley Field, Connecticut, 5-20 January 1944
• RAF Aldermaston (AAF-467), England, 12 February 1944 467
• RAF Andover (AAF-406), England, 29 February – 19 July 1944 406
• Cardonville Airfield (A-3), France, 24 July 1944
• La Vieille Airfield (A-19), France, 15 August 1944
• Lonray Airfield (A-45), France, 6 September 1944
• Roye-Amy Airfield (A-73), France, 11 September 1944
• Florennes/Juzaine Airfield (A-78), Belgium 26 September 1944

• Ophoven Airfield (Y-32), Belgium 27 January 1945
• Gütersloh Airfield (Y-99), Germany 20 April 1945
• AAF Station Mannheim/Sandhofen, Germany. 27 June 1945
• AAF Station Fritzlar, Germany, 6 August-September 1945
• Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts, 6-7 November 1945
• Lincoln Army Airfield (later, AFB, Air National Guard Base), Nebraska, 26 July 1946-Present

Operated from: Dow AFB, Maine, Spring, 1 April 1951-5 November 1952

Operated from: Alexandria AFB, Louisiana, 5 November 1952-1 January 1953

Aircraft

• P-38 Lightning, 1943–1945
• P-51D Mustang, 1945
• F-51D Mustang, 1946-1948, 1951-1953
• F-80C Shooting Star, 1948-1951, 1953-1957
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1957-1959

• F-86L Sabre Interceptor, 1959-1964
• RF-84F Thunderstreak, 1964-1972
• RF-4C Phantom II, 1972-1993
• KC-135R Stratotanker, 1993-Present

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
• 173d Air Refueling Squadron Lineage and History