44th Operations Group

The 44th Fighter Group (44 FG) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The 44 FG is an associate unit of the active duty 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) of the Air Combat Command (ACC). If mobilized to active duty, the 44 FG is operationally gained by ACC. Otherwise, the 44 FG operates as a geographically separated unit (GSU) of AFRC's 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas.

During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 44th Bombardment Group (44 BG), was the first VIII Bomber Command B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment group stationed in England. It was initially stationed at RAF Cheddington on 11 September 1942 and moved to RAF Shipdham in October. The 44 BG operated from England for a longer period than any other B-24 group, sustained the highest Aircraft Missing in Action losses of all Eighth Air Force B-24 groups, claimed more enemy fighters than any other Eighth Air Force B-24 group, and was the first group in the VIII Bomber Command to be awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for actions on 14 May 1943 for an extremely hazardous mission against naval installations at Kiel, Germany

Colonel Leon W. Johnson, USAAF, while commander of the 44th Bombardment Group, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Ploesti Raid on 1 August 1943.

In the postwar era, the 44th Bombardment Group was one of the original ten USAAF bombardment groups assigned to Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946.

Overview

Administratively, the 44 FG is a component of AFRC's 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW), based at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base (formerly Carswell Air Force Base), Texas. Within AFRC channels, the 301 FW is responsible for the 44 FG and its 301st Fighter Squadron (301 FS), flying the F-35 Lightning II as an associate unit to the active duty 325th Operations Group (325 OG) of the 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

In April 2010, the 44th Fighter Group, Detachment 2 was activated at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. On 1 October 2012, it was transferred to the 325 FW, forming a classic association with the 325 FW while the 325 FW was under the claimancy of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). Detachment 2 helped lead the transition of the F-22A Raptor combat coded mission from Holloman AFB to Tyndall AFB.

The 44 FG supports operations, flying training and maintenance. The group also supported Northrop T-38 Talon operations at Holloman AFB in which they played the role of adversary aircraft in F-22 training exercises.

In 2012, it was also announced that all F-22A aircraft, pilots and support personnel assigned to Holloman AFB would transfer to Tyndall AFB in the spring of 2013 to comply with USAF's F-22 fleet consolidation plan and the reassignment of the 325 FW from AETC to Air Combat Command (ACC). Due to U.S. congressional action, this transfer was subsequently delayed until January 2014.

Concurrent with relocation of Holloman's active duty F-22A operations to Tyndall AFB, the group shifted its headquarters and main body to Tyndall AFB, replacing Detachment 2 as a reserve associate unit to the 325 FW, operating and maintaining the F-22A at that location while establishing/retaining its Detachment 1 at Holloman in support of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training and operations as a reserve associate element in support of ACC's active duty 49th Wing (49 WG).

In 2018, Hurricane Michael initiated their temporary relocation to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The 44th FG operated the F-22 Raptor air frame until Tyndall’s transition to the F-35A was finalized. Soon thereafter, the 44th FG returned to Tyndall in April 2023.

Units

* 301st Fighter Squadron 9 April 2010 – present
* 44th Maintenance Squadron
* 44th Aerospace Medical Flight

History

: ''For additional history and lineage, see 44th Missile Wing''

World War II

The 44th Bomb Group (44 BG) was activated 15 January 1941 at MacDill Field, Florida. The unit was assigned B-24 Liberator aircraft in its B-24C variant. Moving to Barksdale Field, Louisiana on 16 February 1942, it acted as training unit for 98th, 93rd, and 90th Bomb Groups. During same period, the 44 BG took part in anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and was credited with the destruction of one German Kriegsmarine U-boat. On 26 July 1942, the 44 BG moved to Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma and prepared for overseas movement. The ground echelon departed the United States via the on 4 September 1942. The air echelon was based at Grenier Field, New Hampshire and remained there until the first aircraft left for the United Kingdom late in September 1942. The 404th Bomb Squadron originally part of the Group was reassigned while in the United States.

In England, the group was assigned to the VIII Bomber Command, 14th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-A". Initially stationed at RAF Cheddington, the group was moved to RAF Shipdham in October 1942.

The 44th Bomb Group's operations consisted primarily of assaults against strategic targets in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Romania, Austria, Poland, and Sicily. Among the targets attacked were submarine installations, industrial establishments, airfields, harbors, shipyards, and other objectives, November 1942 – June 1943.

The unit received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an extremely hazardous mission against naval installations at Kiel on 14 May 1943. Its B-24s flew in the wake of the main formation and carried incendiaries to be dropped after three B-17 groups had released high explosive bombs, thus the group's aircraft were particularly vulnerable, lacking the protection of the firepower of the main force. This vulnerability increased when the group opened its own formation for the attack; but the 44 BG blanketed the target with incendiaries in spite of the concentrated flak and continuous interceptor attacks it encountered.

Late in June 1943, a large detachment moved to North Africa to help facilitate the Allied invasion of Sicily by bombing airfields and marshalling yards in Italy. The detachment also participated in the famous low-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields on 1 August 1943. The group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its part in this raid and its commander, Colonel Leon W. Johnson, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his daring and initiative in leading his men into smoke, flame, and alerted fighter and antiaircraft opposition over the target, which already had been bombed in error by another group.

Before returning to England at the end of August, the detachment bombed an aircraft factory in Austria and supported ground forces in Sicily. In September 1943 the group struck airfields in the Netherlands and France and convoys in the North Sea. Also in September, a detachment was sent to North Africa to support the Salerno operations.

This proved to be the 44th's last detachment and in October when several new B-24 groups were arriving in Norfolk in the United Kingdom, the 44th was fully committed to the combined bomber offensive from the UK. From November 1943 to April 1945, the group carried out operations against targets in western Europe, concentrating on airfields, oil installations, and marshalling yards.

The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20–25 February 1944. The group flew support and interdictory missions. Struck airfields, railroads, and V-weapon sites in preparation for the Normandy D-Day invasion; supported the invasion in June 1944 by attacking strong points in the beachhead area and transportation targets behind the front lines. The group aided the Caen offensive and the Saint-Lô

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