387th Air Expeditionary Group

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 387th Air Expeditionary Group


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dates= 1942-1945, 2003 -Present
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison= Southwest Asia
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The United States Air Force's 387th Air Expeditionary Group (387th AEG) is a United States Air Force Expeditionary unit located in Southwest Asia. It was formed in 2003 and was known to have participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

It is known to be active as of April 2008.

Units

* 387th Expeditionary Support Squadron

Its units, location, and mission have not been disclosed. During OIF, it was known to have A-10 Attack aircraft.

The task of developing a comprehensive listing of Air Expeditionary units present in Southwest Asia and other combat areas is particularly difficult as the events of 11 September 2001 and the Global War on Terrorism has made such an effort significantly difficult. The USAF seeks to improve operational security (OPSEC) and to deceive potential enemies as to the extent of American operations, therefore a listing of which units deploying where and when is unavailable

History

Bases Assigned

* MacDill Field, FL 1 Dec 1942
* Drane Field, FL 12 Apr 1943
* Godman Field, KY c. 11 May-10 Jun 1943
* RAF Chipping Ongar, England 25 Jun 1943 162
* RAF Stoney Cross, England 18 Jul 1944 452
* Maupertuis, France 22 Aug 1944
* Chateaudun, France 18 Sep 1944
* Clastres, France 30 Oct 1944
* Beek, Holland 29 Apr 1945
* Rosieres-en-Santerre, France 24 May-c. Nov 1945
* Camp Kilmer, NJ 14-17 Nov 1945
* Southwest Asia 2003-Present ?

Operational History

The 387th Bombardment Group (Medium) was constituted on 25 Nov 1942, and activated on 1 December 1942 at MacDill Field near Tampa, Florida The group had four operational squadrons, 556th (FW), 557th (KS), 558th (KX), and 559th (TQ) and was equipped with the Martin B-26B/C Marauder. After training at several stateside airfields, the group was deployed to England in June 1943.

In England, the 387th was assigned to the Eighth Air Force 3d Bomb Wing and stationed at RAF Chipping Ongar in Essex] . The 387th was the fourth Marauder group to arrive in the UK. The Group began combat on 15 August 1943 by joining with three other B-26 groups attacking coastal defences on the French Coast near Boulogne, and was mounted in thick fog. While taking off, one of the B-26 Bombers crashed at the end of the main runway, killing all of the crew except the tail gunner. The group concentrated its attacks on airfields during the first months of operations. In common with other Marauder units of the 3d Bomb Wing, the 387th was transferred to Ninth Air Force on 16 October 1943.

The group made tactical strikes on V-weapon sites in France in the winter of 1943-1944. Hit airfields at Leeuwarden and Venlo during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944, the intensive campaign against the German Air Force and aircraft industry. Helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by attacking coastal batteries and bridges in France during May 1944. Bombed along the invasion coast on 6 June 1944 and supported ground forces throughout the month by raiding railroads, bridges, road junctions, defended areas, and fuel dumps.

The 387th Bomb Group moved to RAF Stoney Cross in Hampshire on 21 July 1944 when Ninth Air Force moved the 98th Bomb Wing's four Marauder groups into the New Forest area at the earliest opportunity to place them closer to the French Normandy Invasion beaches. On 27 June the 387th became operational from Stoney Cross, bombing along the invasion coast and supporting ground forces by raiding railways, bridges, road junctions, defended areas, and fuel dumps.

By 1 September the group was able to move across the English Channel to its Advanced Landing Ground at a former Luftwaffe airfield at Maupertus, France (A-15).

On the continent, the 387th BG used the following Advanced Landing Grounds:

* A-15 Maupertus, France 22 Aug 1944
* A-39 Chateaudun, France 18 Sep 1944
* A-71 Chastres, France 30 Oct 1944
* Y-41 Masstricht/Beek, Holland 29 Apr 1945

The group ended combat operations in Apr 1945. On 24 May the group was sent to Rosieres-en-Santerre Air Base, France for several months. The 387th Bomb Group returned to the US in November and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 17 November 1945.

Global War On Terror

The 387th Air Expeditionary Group was activated as part of the Global War on Terror.

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0900913800
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1854092723
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.

External links