The 4th Ferrying Group was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

unit of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(AAF). It was activated in February 1942 as the Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command, but soon changed its name. It ferried aircraft manufactured in the midwest and south until March 1944, when it was disbanded in a general reorganization of AAF units in the United States. It was replaced by the 554th Army Air Forces Base Unit, which continued its mission until spring 1947. The

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

was reconstituted in 1985 as the 541st Tactical Airlift Group, but has not been active since.

World War II

The

's origins can be traced to 3 January 1942, when

Air Corps Ferrying Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies a ...

, in the aftermath of the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

divided its Domestic Division into six sectors. The Nashville Sector was established at Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee and was responsible for ferrying aircraft from

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factory at

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

and the

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factory at

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, Missouri. The bulk of this work consisted in flying new planes from the plants to modification centers in the US. On 18 February, this office was formally organized as a unit, the Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command and Ferrying Command's Domestic Division became the Domestic Wing, Air Corps Ferrying Command. In March 1942, the group was assigned its first operational unit, the 8th Air Corps Ferry Squadron. At this time, Ferrying Command had requested the AAF to reorganize its sectors as groups, with assigned squadrons. Accordingly, the sector became the 4th Ferrying Group on 26 May 1942. The group expanded by adding the 26th Squadron in July and the 59th in October. In December 1942, the group moved to Memphis Municipal Airport, which was centrally located for the primary manufacturing facilities it served. At Memphis it added the 92nd and 93rd Ferrying Squadrons in early June 1943 and the 305th later in the month. By 1944, the AAF was finding that standard military units like the 4th Group, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible

tables of organization A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of military units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well ...

were not well adapted to support missions. Accordingly, the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. As part of this reorganization the group was disbanded on 31 March 1944 along with its subordinate units and its resources were absorbed by the 554th Army Air Forces Base Unit (4th Ferrying Group) which was designated and organized on the same day. The base unit was redescribed as the 554th AAF Base Unit (Ferrying Group) then discontinued after the end of

in March 1947. The 4th Ferrying Group was reconstituted and redesignated the 541st Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July 1985, but remained inactive.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 648q, 31 July 1985, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Organizations

Lineage

* Constituted as the Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command on 14 February 1942 : Activated on 18 February 1942 : Redesignated Nashville Sector, Domestic Wing, Ferrying Command on 25 April 1942 : Redesignated 4th Ferrying Group, Domestic Wing, Ferrying Command on 26 May 1942 : Redesignated 4th Ferrying Group on 20 May 1943 : Disbanded on 31 March 1944 * Reconstituted and redesignated 541st Tactical Airlift Group on 31 July 1985

Assignments

* Domestic Wing, Air Corps Ferrying Command (later Ferrying Division, Air Transport Command), 18 February 1942 – 31 March 1944

Components

* 8th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 8th Ferrying Squadron), 24 March 1942 – 31 March 1944 * 26th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 26th Ferrying Squadron), 6 July 1942 – 31 March 1944 * 59th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 59th Ferrying Squadron), 15 October 1942 – 31 March 1944 * 92nd Ferrying Squadron, 1 June 1943 – 31 March 1944 * 93rd Ferrying Squadron, 1 June 1943 – 31 March 1944 * 305th Ferrying Squadron, 25 June 1943 – 31 March 1944 * 346th Air Base Squadron (later 346th Base Headquarters & Air Base Squadron): 4 June 1942 – 31 March 1944 * 70th Sub Depot: c. 1 January – 31 March 44 * 892nd Guard Squadron: c. 1 July 1943 – c. 31 March 1944 * 582nd Army Band (later 582nd AAF Band): 1943 – 31 March 44

Stations

* Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 18 February 1942 * Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 9 December 1942 – 31 March 1944

Campaign

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{cite web , url= https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/Studies/1-50/AFD-090602-073.pdf , author=Historical Branch, Air Transport Command, title=Administrative History of the Ferrying Command, 29 May 1941-30 June 1942, USAF Historical Study No. 33, date=June 1945, publisher=Assistant Chief of Air Staff Intelligence, Historical Division , access-date=June 10, 2019 Groups of the United States Army Air Forces 3 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944