Active 1942-1993 Type Flying Training | Country United States | |
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Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 455th Flying Training Squadron is a United States Air Force unit of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). It was previously assigned to the former 323d Flying Training Wing at the former Mather Air Force Base, California until it was inactivated on 1 October 1993. It was reactivated as part of the 479th Flying Training Group at NAS Pensacola, Florida in the summer of 2010.
Contents
History
Activated as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber squadron; trained under Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO); assigned to VIII Bomber Command, 3d Bombardment Division in England. Engaged in combat operations over France and the Low Countries, attacking enemy military targets; formations; airfields; railroads; bridges and other raids to disrupt enemy defends. Coordinated raids with VIII Bomber Command heavy strategic bombardment of military and industrial targeted in Nazi Germany and in Occupied Europe by striking Luftwaffe day interceptor airfields to cause maximum disruption of air defenses when heavy bomber groups returning from bombardment raids. Destroyed many enemy aircraft on the ground; destroyed support buildings; barracks and enemy aircraft on the ground.
After D-Day invasion of Europe, engaged in tactical air support of Allied ground forces, carrying out bombardment attacks against enemy strong points, structures and targets of opportunity when making sweeps of enemy rear areas. Moved from England to Advanced Landing Grounds in France and further eastward as ground forces advanced across continent; engaging enemy targets during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in early 1945. Continued combat operations until German capitulation in May 1945.
Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe forces in Occupied Germany; summer 1945. Demobilized in Germany in November and squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States.
Reactivated as a B-26 Invader reserve light bomber squadron in 1947. Trained in the reserves; activated in 1951 due to the Korean War. Personnel and aircraft reassigned to units of Far East Air Force in South Korea; squadron inactivated as a paper unit in the United States shortly afterward. Reactivated as an air defense interceptor squadron in Alaska in 1955; reassigned to Tactical Air Command in 1955 and moved to Indiana. Inactivated in 1957 due to budget reductions Reactivated by Air Training Command as a navigator training squadron in 1972; inactivated with the closure of Mather AFB and the inactivation of its host unit in 1993. Reactivated by the Air Education and Training Command as a USAF Combat Systems Officer (formerly known as USAF Navigator) training squadron at NAS Pensacola in 2010.