98th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

98th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron
Active 1942-1943; 1944-1946; 1950-1952; 1952-1953; 1954-1963; 1994-1998
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Air Refueling
Insignia
98th Air Refueling Squadron emblem (approved 11 August 1955)
398th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy emblem (approved 20 September 1944)[1]

The 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1998.

History

Established in January 1942 as North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber Operational Training Unit for Third Air Force. Became B-26 Marauder OTU in June 1942, also flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.[2]

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan

Reactivated in March 1944 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field (Tinian) in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Caroline Islands and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.

Squadron was largely demobilized on Tinian during the fall of 1945. Remained in Western Pacific, assigned to Twentieth Air Force. Moved to Clark Field in the Philippines in March 1946. Inactivated at Clark Field on Luzon on June 15, 1946; its low-hour aircraft flown to storage depots in the United States.

United States Air Force

On 16 August 1950 the 98th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at Spokane Air Force Base, Washington and assigned to the 98th Bombardment Group, Medium while flying the KB-29. It was inactivated on 8 April 1952, but activated the same day at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida where it was attached to the 6th Air Division. It remained at MacDill until November 1953, when it moved to Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana, where it was inactivated and its personnel and Boeing KC-97 Stratotankers were used to form the 68th Air Refueling Squadron.

The 98th Air Refueling Squadron was activated again at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska when the 98th wing returned from the Far East in 1954. Made up of former members of the 55th Air Refueling Squadron from Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. Inactivated in 1963 when Strategic Air Command's medium strategic bomber forces began to be drawn down in favor of ICBMs. In 1985 the 98th was consolidated with the two 398th Bombardment Squadrons.[3] It was redesignated the 98th Air Refueling Squadron, Heavy on 19 September 1986 and then renamed the 98th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 April 1994 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, flying KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft. The 98th was again inactivated in 1998 as the Air Force drew down after the end of the Cold War.

In 2002 the squadron was converted to provisional status and redesignated the 98th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed.

Operations and decorations

Lineage

398th Bombardment Squadron (Medium)

Activated on 1 February 1942
Redesignated 398th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942
Disbanded on 10 October 1943[2]

398th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy

Activated on 11 March 1944
Inactivated on 15 June 1946[1]

98th Air Refueling Squadron

Activated on 16 August 1950
Inactivated on 8 April 1952
Inactivated on 25 November 1953
Inactivated on 7 January 1963
Inactivated on 30 September 1998

Assignments

Stations
  • Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska, 12 March-5 November 1944
  • North Field (Tinian), Mariana Islands, 23 December 1944
  • Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 13 March-15 June 1946[1]
  • Spokane Air Force Base (later Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, 16 August 1950 - 8 April 1952
  • MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 8 April 1952
  • Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana, 22 November 1953 - 25 November 1953
  • Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, 16 April 1954 – 7 January 1963
  • Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, 19 September 1986 – 30 September 1998

Aircraft

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 488-489
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 488
  3. 1 2 3 4 Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
  4. ↑ "Factsheet 806 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. November 10, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2014.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

External links

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