| 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron | |
| Active | 1942-1971 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Transport |
| Engagements | World War II |
Emblem of the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron (TAC)
World War II squadron emblem
The 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 15 November 1971.
History[]
Activated in early 1942 under Air Transport (Later I Troop Carrier) Command as a C-47 transport squadron; trained in the southeastern United States. Deployed to North Africa as part of the Operation Torch landings; being assigned to Oujda Airfield; French Morocco. Performed troop carrier and transport airlift of supplies to ground forces advancing though Algeria into Tunisia under Twelfth Air Force. Also evacuated wounded personnel to rear areas. Carried airborne paratroopers and performed airborne assault missions over Sicily and Italy as part of the invasion forces.
Reassigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in February 1944 as part of the pre-invasion buildup of forces in England. Performed combat airborne assault missions as part of D-Day; Operation Market-Garden and Operation Varsity 1944-1945. Also performed supply and evacuation missions in France and the Low Countries; participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany; 1945. Continued combat airlift and supply missions until the German capitulation in May 1945.
Squadron continued to operate from Achiet, France during 1945, performing transportation of personnel and supplies within Europe; demobilized in place during August, and inactivated as a paper unit in September 1945.
Reactivated as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, 1946. Assigned to transport duties as part of the European Air Transport Service, 1946-1947 as part of the army of occupation. Inactivated in Austria in June 1947. Immediately reactivated as a Tactical Air Command troop carrier squadron in 1947; being assigned to Texas and equipped with C-46s. Deployed to Germany in 1948 to support Berlin Airlift; operated from British Zone of Occupation, with C-54s. Inactivated in West Germany in September 1949.
Reactivated under Eighteenth Air Force in 1953 as a Tactical Air Command C-119 Flying Boxcar troop carrier squadron. Performed routine airlift of supplies and personnel; including Army Airborne parachute drops until being inactivated due to funding restrictions in 1955; Reactivated as a C-130 Hercules Troop Carrier (later Tactical Airlift) squadron under TAC in 1964. Deployed to Pacific Air Forces in 1966 to join the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing to perform theater airlift in Southeast Asia as part of 315th Air Division; provided aircraft and crews for combat airlift operations in South Vietnam. From 1966 to early 1969, the 29th supported the C-130 operating location at Tan Son Nhut outside Saigon. In May 1969, after the 463rd TAW assumed the COMMANDO VAULT bombing mission, the wing and squadron supported Detachment 2, 834th Air Division at Cam Ranh Bay. The squadron inactivated in 1970 during the drawdown of U.S. forces in the Pacific and its aircraft and crews were distributed among the 463rd's other three squadrons. A squadron at Langley AFB, Virginia was given the 29th designation. Performed theater airlift at Langley AFB, Virginia 1971 and inactivated. The 29th's lineage was bestowed on the 29th Weapons Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.
Lineage[]
- Constituted as 29th Transport Squadron on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 2 March 1942
- Redesignated as 29th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 July 1942
- Inactivated on 22 September 1945
- Activated on 30 September 1946
- Redesignated as 29th Troop Carrier Squadron (Heavy) on 30 July 1948
- Redesignated as 29th Troop Carrier Squadron (Special) on 1 February 1949
- Inactivated on 18 September 1949
- Redesignated as 29th Troop Carrier Squadron (Medium) on 26 November 1952
- Activated on 1 February 1953
- Inactivated on 8 June 1955
- Activated on 1 October 1964
- Redesignated as 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967
- Inactivated on 15 November 1971
Assignments[]
- 313th Transport (later Troop Carrier) Group, 2 March 1942 – 22 September 1945; 30 September 1946 – 18 September 1949; 1 February 1953 – 8 June 1955
- 313th Troop Carrier Wing, 1 October 1964
- 463rd Troop Carrier Wing, 27 January 1966 – 1 January 1967
- 463d Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 August 1967 – 1 August 1970
- 316th Tactical Airlift Wing, 1 April-15 November 1971
Stations[]
|
|
Aircraft[]
- C-47 Skytrain, 1942–1945;1946–1948
- C-46 Commando, 1945; 1953
- C-82 Packet, 1947–1948
- C-54 Skymaster 1948-1949
- C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953–1955
- C-130 Hercules, 1964–1971; 1971
References[]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.
The original article can be found at 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron and the edit history here.