474th Air Expeditionary Group

474th Air Expeditionary Group
474th Air Expeditionary Group emblem
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force

The 474th Air Expeditionary Group (474 AEG) is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.

Currently, it is believed that the 474 AEG is stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and is deployed to Panama. Its current mission and operational components are undetermined.

History

For additional history and lineage, see 474th Tactical Fighter Wing

Lineage

• Constituted as 474th Fighter Group on 26 May 1943

Activated on 1 Aug 1943

Inactivated on 8 Dec 1945

• Redesignated 474th Fighter-Bomber Group

Activated in Japan on 10 Jul 1952

Inactivated on 1 Jul 1958

Redesignated: 474th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 Jul 1985 (Remained inactive)

• Redesignated 474th Air Expeditionary Group and converted to provisional status (Date TBD)

Assignments

• IV Fighter Command, 1 Aug 1943

Attached to: Los Angeles Fighter Wing, 11 Oct 1943-6 Feb 1944

• 70th Fighter Wing, 12 Mar 1944

Attached to: IX Tactical Air Command, 3 Oct 1944-21 Nov 1945

• Army Service Forces, 6-8 Dec 1945
• Tactical Air Command

Attached to: Far East Air Forces, 10 Jul-22 Nov 1954

• 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 25 Jun 1952-8 Nov 1954
• 312th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 8 Nov 1954-8 Oct 1957
• Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate at any time, (Date TBD)

Stations

• Glendale, Calif, 1 Aug 1943
• Van Nuys Metropolitan Aprt, Calif, 11 Oct 1943
• Oxnard Flight Strip, Calif, 5 Jan-6 Feb 1944
• RAF Moreton, England, 12 Mar 1944
• Neuilly, France, 6 Aug 1944
• St Marceau, France, 29 Aug 1944
• Peronne, France, 6 Sep 1944
• Florennes, Belgium, 1 Oct 1944
• Strassfeld, Germany, 22 Mar 1945

• Langensalza, Germany, 22 Apr 1945
• Schweinfurt, Germany, 16 Jun 1945
• Stuttgart, Germany, 25 Oct-21 Nov 1945
• Camp Kilmer, NJ, 6-8 Dec 1945
• Misawa, Japan, 10 Jul 1952
• Kunsan, Korea, 10 Jul 1952
• Taegu, Korea, 1 Apr 1953-22 Nov 1954
• Clovis AFB, NM, 13 Dec 1954-1 July 1958
• Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, (TBD)

Components

• 428th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 1943-1945; 1952-1954; 1954-1958
• 429th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 1943-1945; 1952-1954; 1954-1958
• 430th Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber) Squadron, 1943-1945; 1952-1954; 1954-1958
• 478th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 1954-1958

Aircraft

• P-38 Lightning, 1943-1945
• F-84 Thunderstreak, 1952-1953
• F-86 Sabre, 1953, 1954
• F-100 Super Sabre, 1954-1958

Operations

World War II

Trained for combat with P-38's. Moved to England, Feb-Mar 1944. Assigned to Ninth AF. Flew first combat mission, an area patrol along the coast of France, on 25 Apr 1944. Attacked bridges and railroads in France in preparation for the Normandy invasion. Provided cover for the invasion force that was crossing the Channel on the night of 5/6 Jun and flew bombing missions to support the landings on the following day. Began armed reconnaissance missions after D-Day to assist ground forces, and attacked highways and troops to aid the Allied breakthrough at St Lo, 25 Jul. Moved to the Continent in Aug 1944 for continued operations in support of ground forces. Bombed and strafed such targets as airfields, hangars railroads, bridges, highways, barges, fuel dumps, ammunition depots, gun emplacements, and troop concentrations until the end of the war; also escorted bombers that struck marshalling yards, factories, cities, and other objectives. Received a DUC for a mission in France on 23 Aug 1944: participating in a joint air-ground attack against retreating enemy forces in the Falaise-Argentan area, the group discovered an immense quantity of enemy equipment massed along the Seine River; despite severe fire from small arms and from antiaircraft guns that the Germans had placed at two bridges to protect the materiel and cover the retreat, the group repeatedly bombed and strafed the enemy, knocking out motor transports, barges bridges, and other objectives, thereby disrupting the evacuation and enabling Allied ground forces to capture German troops and equipment. Other operations included bombardment of flak positions near Eindhoven in advance of British 1 Airborne Division during the attack on Holland in Sep 1944; participation in the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945; and patrols along the route of the airborne assault across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Continued operations until V-E Day. Returned to the US, Nov-Dec 1945. Inactivated on 8 Dec 1945.

Korean War/Cold War

Activated in Japan on 10 Jul 1952. Assigned to Tactical Air Command but attached to Far East Air Forces for duty in the Korean War. Served in combat from Aug 1952 until the armistice in Jul 1953, operating from Korea and using F-84 aircraft. Bombed and strafed such targets as bunkers, troops, artillery positions, bridges, vehicles, airfields, and power plants, and sometimes escorted bombers that attacked munitions factories and other objectives. After the armistice, trained with F-84 and F-86 aircraft.

Moved to the US, Nov-Dec 1954, and became operational training unit for F-100 aircraft. Inactivated in 1958 when group elevated to wing status. Discontinued as part of Air Force Tri-Deputate organization.

Modern Era

Activated as 474th Air Expeditionary Group by Air Combat Command at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. Mission and units undetermined.

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.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.