The 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
unit. In February 2001, the squadron was converted to provisional status and assigned to
United States Air Forces Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
to activate or inactivate as needed. It was activated in 2008 for exercises with the
Hungarian Air Force
The Hungarian Air Force (, ), is the air force branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
The primary focus of the present Hungarian Air Force lies in defensive operations. The flying units operate are organised into a single command; under the A ...
.
The squadron was first activated as the 712th Bombardment Squadron during
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 ...
. After training in the United States, it deployed to the
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater (warfare), theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It command ...
, and served in the
strategic bombing campaign against Germany with the
448th Bombardment Group 448th may refer to:
*448th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers, in the 1st Newcastle Engineers in the British Territorial Army
* 448th Fighter Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 448th Missile Squadron, inactive United State ...
. After
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...
, the
squadron returned to the United States, where it converted to the
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
. It was inactivated in August 1946 and replaced by another unit. It was active in the
reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US v ...
from 1947 until 1951, when it was
mobilized
Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
for the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and inactivated after its personnel were used to man other units.
It was redesignated the 712th Air Refueling Squadron and served with the
19th Operations Group
The 19th Operations Group (19 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 19th Airlift Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
Equipped with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the group provides part of Ai ...
at
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
, Georgia from 1994 to 1996. Reactivated briefly between 14 March and 30 April 2008 at the
Budapest Ferihengy International Airport and assigned to
398th Air Expeditionary Group
The 398th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The 398 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 398th Bo ...
in support of Operation Noble Endeavor ahead of the Bucharest
NATO summit
A NATO summit is a summit (meeting), summit meeting that is regarded as a periodic opportunity for head of state, heads of state and head of government, heads of government of NATO member countries to evaluate and provide strategic direction ...
.
History
World War II
Training in the United States
The squadron was first activated on 1 May 1943 at
Gowen Field
Boise Airport (Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field) is a joint civil-military airport in the western United States in Idaho, south of downtown Boise in Ada County. The airport is operated by the city of Boise Department of Aviation, overseen ...
, Idaho as one of the original four squadrons of the
448th Bombardment Group 448th may refer to:
*448th (Northumbrian) Field Company, Royal Engineers, in the 1st Newcastle Engineers in the British Territorial Army
* 448th Fighter Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit
* 448th Missile Squadron, inactive United State ...
.
[Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 713][Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 322–323] After completing initial training with
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
s, it moved to
Wendover Field
Wendover is a town and civil parish at the foot of the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated at the point where the main road across the Chilterns between London and Aylesbury intersects with the once important road along t ...
, Utah for Phase 2 training, and to
Sioux City Army Air Base
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translation: ...
, Iowa for final training. The ground echelon moved to
Camp Shanks
Camp Shanks was a United States Army installation in the Orangeburg, New York area. Named after Major General David C. Shanks, it was situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River. The camp was the largest U.S. Army embark ...
, New York and sailed for England aboard the on 23 November. The air echelon completed final processing at
Herington Army Air Field
Herington Army Airfield was a World War II staging base of the United States Army Air Forces Second Air Force. It is currently the city-owned Herington Regional Airport.
History
Herington Army Air Field was located eight miles from Herington, ...
, Kansas and deployed with their Liberators via the southern ferry route.
[Freeman, pp. 257–258]
Combat in Europe
The squadron flew its first combat mission from RAF Seething
Royal Air Force Seething, or more simply RAF Seething , is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located around south-east of Norwich, Norfolk, England. The base was located on the parish boundaries of S ...
on 22 December 1943. It was primarily engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking ball bearing plants in Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, marshalling yard
A classification yard (American English, as well as the Canadian National Railway), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, and Australian English, and the former Canadian Pacific Railway) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway y ...
s at Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, a V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb ( "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () name was Fieseler Fi 103 and its suggestive name was (hellhound). It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug a ...
assembly plant at Fallersleben
Fallersleben is a part (''Ortsteil'') of the City of Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population of 11,269 (as of 2010). The village of Fallersleben was first mentioned in 942 under the name of ''Valareslebo''. Fallersleben became a city ...
, aircraft factories in Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
, an airfield
An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
at Hanau
Hanau () is a city in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its railway Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ma ...
, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen
Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...
, synthetic oil refineries
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...
near Pölitz
Pölitz is a municipality in the district of Stormarn, in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most o ...
, aircraft engine plants at Rostock
Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...
, among other strategic targets. The squadron participated in Big Week
Operation Argument, after the war dubbed Big Week, was a sequence of raids by the United States Army Air Forces and RAF Bomber Command from 20 to 25 February 1944, as part of the Combined Bomber Offensive against Nazi Germany. The objective o ...
, an intensive campaign against German aircraft manufacturing plants from 20 to 25 February 1944.[
The squadron was occasionally diverted from its strategic bombing mission to fly ]interdiction
Interdiction is interception of an object prior to its arrival at the location where it is to be used in military, espionage, and law enforcement.
Military
In the military, interdiction is the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy f ...
and close air support
Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
missions. It bombed V- weapon launch sites, airfields and transportation facilities to support Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the invasion of Normandy, and on D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
attacked coastal defenses and choke points on German lines of communication
A line of communication (or communications) is the route that connects an operating military unit with its supply base.
Supplies and reinforcements are transported along the line of communication. Therefore, a secure and open line of communicat ...
. It struck enemy positions to assist the allied attacks on Caen and Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was an offensive launched by the First United States Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take advantage of the dis ...
, the breakout at Saint Lo. It dropped supplies to allied troops during Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize a bridgehead across the Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
in the Netherlands. During the Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
, it attacked transportation and communications targets in December 1944 and January 1945. In the spring of 1945, it again dropped supplies to airborne troops in Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine near Wesel
Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district.
Geography
Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine.
Division of the city
Suburbs of Wesel i ...
. The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, an attack on a railroad yard near Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
, Austria.[
The air echelon began returning to the United States with their planes in June 1945, while the ground echelon sailed from ]Greenock
Greenock (; ; , ) is a town in Inverclyde, Scotland, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The town is the administrative centre of Inverclyde Council. It is a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, and forms ...
on the on 6 July. Squadron members were given leave upon arrival in the States and the squadron began to assemble at Sioux Falls Army Air Field
Sioux Falls Regional Airport , also known as Joe Foss Field, is a public and military use airport three miles northwest of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. It is named in honor of aviator and Sioux Falls native Joe Foss, who later served ...
, South Dakota in the middle of the month. After training with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
, the squadron moved to Fort Worth Army Air Field
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ...
, Texas in December 1945. At Fort Worth, it became one of the first units of Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...
in March 1946. However, in August the squadron was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 325th Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.[
]
Air Force reserve
The squadron was reactivated as a reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US v ...
unit under Air Defense Command
Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
(ADC) at Long Beach Army Air Field, California in April 1947, where its training was supervised by the 416th AAF Base Unit (later the 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center). Although nominally a B-29 unit, it is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped. In 1948 Continental Air Command
Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...
(ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia (United States), militia of each U.S. ...
units from ADC. In June 1949nAC reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization, and the squadron became a Douglas B-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and attack aircraft, ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during ...
unit of the 448th Bombardment Wing. However, it was staffed at 25% of normal strength.
In August 1950, the 448th Wing's companion reserve unit at Long Beach, the 452d Bombardment Wing 45 may refer to:
* 45 (number)
* one of the years 45 BC, AD 45, 1945, 2045
Film
* ''45'' (2009 film), directed by Peter Coster
*45 (upcoming film), an upcoming Kannada-language action fantasy film
* ''.45'' (film), directed by Gary Lennon (2006)
...
, was mobilized
Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
for Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
service. In order to bring the 452d Wing to combat strength, skilled reservists and reservists who required 60 or fewer days training to qualify them as fully skilled assigned to the 448th Wing were transferred to the 452d Wing. The 712th Squadron itself was called to active duty in the second wave of mobilization in March 1951 and its personnel who had not been transferred to the 452d Wing were used as fillers for other Air Force organizations, while the squadron was inactivated four days later.[
]
Air refueling operations
The squadron was redesignated the 712th Air Refueling Squadron and activated in April 1994 at Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, Georgia, Warner Robins, south-southea ...
, Georgia as a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling tanker aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It has a narrower fuselage and is shorter than the 707. Boeing gave ...
tanker squadron. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel and equipment of the 912th Air Refueling Squadron
The 912th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron assigned to the 92d Operations Group and stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California. The squadron is an active duty associate unit of the reserve 336th Air Refueling S ...
, which moved on paper from Robins to Grand Forks Air Force Base
Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado, North Dakota, Emerado and west of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Grand Forks.
The host unit is the 319th Air Base ...
, Kansas, as the 19th Air Refueling Wing
The 19th Airlift Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The wing is also the host unit at Little Rock.
The Wing provides the ...
's second air refueling
Aerial refueling (American English, en-us), or aerial refuelling (British English, en-gb), also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from ...
squadron. In July 1996, the 19th Wing was inactivated when the refueling activity at Robins was reduced to 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 ...
size and the squadron was also inactivated.[Department of the Air Force/XPM Letter 201s, 5 February 2002, Subject: United States Air Forces in Europe Expeditionary Units]
The squadron was converted to a provisional unit as the 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in February 2001, and assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
to activate or inactivate as needed. It was activated in March 2008 at Budapest Ferihengy International Airport Hungary and inactivated at the end of the following month.[Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, March 2008, Maxwell AFB, AL][Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, April 2008, Maxwell AFB, AL] While on this deployment, it supported the Romanian-led Operation Noble Endeavor which had the task of providing air policing during the 2008 Bucharest summit
The 2008 Bucharest Summit or the 21st NATO Summit was a NATO summit organized in the Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest, Romania on 2 – 4 April 2008. . Maintenance of the aircraft was provided by airmen of the 100th Air Refueling Wing from RAF Mildenhall
Royal Air Force Mildenhall, or more simply RAF Mildenhall , is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station located near Mildenhall, Suffolk, Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as a List of Royal Air Force stations, ...
.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 712th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
: Activated on 1 May 1943
: Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
: Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945
: Inactivated on 4 August 1946
* Activated in the reserve on 19 April 1947
: Redesignated 712th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 27 June 1949
: Ordered to active service on 17 March 1951
: Inactivated 21 March 1951[
* Redesignated 712th Air Refueling Squadron and activated, on 1 April 1994][Lineage, including assignments and stations, through 1995 in AFHRA Factsheet, 712 Air Refueling Squadron.]
: Inactivated on 1 July 1996[
* Converted to provisional status and redesignated 712th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron on 5 February 2001][
: Activated on 18 March 2008][
: Inactivated on 30 April 2008][
]
Assignments
* 448th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 4 August 1946
* 448th Bombardment Group, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951[
* ]19th Operations Group
The 19th Operations Group (19 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 19th Airlift Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
Equipped with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the group provides part of Ai ...
, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996[
* United States Air Forces in Europe to activate or inactivate as needed, 5 February 2002][
:: ]398th Air Expeditionary Group
The 398th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The 398 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 398th Bo ...
, 14 March–30 April 2008[
]
Stations
* Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943
* Wendover Field, Utah, 4 July 1943
* Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 11 September-7 November 1943
* RAF Seething (AAF-146),[Station number in Anderson.] England, 25 November 1943 – 5 July 1945
* Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 15 July 1945
* McCook Army Air Field
McCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of North Platte, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943. The site is bordered on all si ...
, Nebraska, 25 July 1945
* Biggs Field
Biggs Army Airfield (formerly Biggs Air Force Base) is a United States Army military airbase located on the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas.
History Biggs Field/Biggs Army Airfield (1916–47)
On 15 June 1919, following an attack b ...
, Texas, 23 August 1945
* McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska, 8 September 1945
* Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 15 December 1945 – 4 August 1946
* Long Beach Army Air Field (later Long Beach Municipal Airport), California, 19 April 1947 – 21 March 1951[
* Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 April 1994 – 1 July 1996][
* Budapest Ferihengy International Airport, Hungary, 14 March–30 April 2008][
]
Aircraft
* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945[
* ]Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...
, 1945–1946[
* Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1994–1996][
]
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
* {{cite book, last=Watkins, first=Robert, title=Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II , volume=I (VIII) Bomber Command, year=2008, publisher=Shiffer Publishing Ltd., location=Atglen, PA, isbn=978-0-7643-1987-7
Air refueling squadrons of the United States Air Force