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452d Operations Group | |
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 AC-17 Globemaster III of the group's729th Airlift Squadron being refueled by aKC-135R Stratotanker of the group's336th Air Refueling Squadron | |
| Active | 1943–1945; 1947–1952; 1952–1959; 1992–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Air mobility |
| Part of | Air Force Reserve Command |
| Garrison/HQ | March ARB, California |
| Motto | Labor ad Futurum (Latin for 'Work of the Future') |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations Korean War[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 452 Operations Group emblem[a][2][1][b] |  |
| 452d Bombardment Group emblem[c][3][d] |  |
| World War II tail code[4] | Square L |
The452d Operations Group is the flying component of the452d Air Mobility Wing, assigned to theUnited States Air Force Reserve. The group is stationed atMarch Air Reserve Base, California.
During World War II, as the452d Bombardment Group (Heavy), it was anEighth Air ForceBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed atRAF Deopham Green.1st Lieutenant Donald J. Gott and2nd Lieutenant William E. Metzger, Jr were both awarded theMedal of Honor for their heroic actions.
The present day 452d works to maintain a special relationship with the 452d Bomb Group Memorial Association to keep its heritage alive.
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Thegroup is to organize, train and equip aircrews to provide air refueling and strategic airlift any time, any place. The Group's aircraft operate under widely varying situations ranging from small movements in battle to large movements over long distances.
The group also has a medical squadron which augments joint forces with aeromedical evacuation aircrews who provide medical care for sick and injured patients transported by air.
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The group includes aBoeing C-17 Globemaster III flying squadron and aBoeing KC-135R Stratotanker flying squadron as well as an aeromedical evacuation squadron:
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The452 Bombardment Group (Heavy) was established on 14 May 1943 and activated on 1 June 1943 at Geiger Field, Washington. The unit was transferred to Rapid City AAB, South Dakota on 15 June 1943 and trained there until early October 1943. It had been redesignated as452 Bombardment Group, Heavy on 20 August 1943. The unit was moved to Pendleton Field Oregon on 11 October 1943 and to Walla Walla AAFd Washington on 4 November 1943.
Ground unit left for Camp Shanks New York on 23 December 1943 and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 2 January 1944, and arrived in Clyde on 8 January 1944. The air echelon began overseas movement in early December 1943 via the southern ferry route. Most of the aircraft reached England a few days before the ground units arrived. The 452d was assigned to the45th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-L".
the 452d entered combat on 5 February with an attack against aircraft assembly plants atBrunswick. Throughout combat, engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets, including marshalling yards atFrankfurt, aircraft assembly plants atRegensburg, aircraft component works atKassel, the ball-bearing industry atSchweinfurt, a synthetic rubber plant atHanover, and oil installations atBohlen.
In addition to strategic missions, the 452d supported ground forces and carried out interdictory operations. Helped prepare for theinvasion of Normandy by hitting airfields, V-weapon sites, bridges, and other objectives in France. The group struck coastal defenses on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Bombed enemy positions in support of the breakthrough atSaint-Lô in July and the offensive againstBrest in August and September 1944. Later in September, assisted theairborne attack on the Netherlands. Hit enemy communications in and near the combat zone during theBattle of the Bulge, December 1944 – January 1945. Bombed an airfield in support of theairborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The group received aDistinguished Unit Citation for action on 7 April 1945 when, despite vigorous fighter attacks and heavy flak, it accurately bombed a jet-fighter base atKaltenkirchen. The 452d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission of World War II [in Europe] on 21 April, striking marshalling yards atIngolstadt.
The group flew a total of 250 missions from Deopham Green during the war, losing 110 of its bombers in the course of these operations. Indeed, the group suffered particularly heavy losses during the spring of 1944, at that time sustaining one of the highest rates of loss of any Fortress equipped unit in the Eighth Air Force.
Redeployed to the US June/August 1945. The air echelon departed the United Kingdom late June 1945. Ground echelon sailed on theQueen Elizabeth fromGreenock on 5 August 1945, and arrived in New York on 11 August 1945. The unit established at Sioux Falls AAFd, South Dakota where the Group was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
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Redesignated452 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy on 11 March 1947. Activated in the reserve on 19 April 1947. Redesignated452 Bombardment Group, Light on 27 June 1949. Trained as a bombardment group under supervision of the 2347th Air Force Reserve Training Center. Ordered to active duty effective 10 August 1950 for duty in theKorean War under the 5th Air Force. Moved to Japan, October–November 1950, and entered combat withDouglas B-26 Invader light bombers against communist forces late in Oct, operating first from bases in Japan and later fromSouth Korea. Flew armed reconnaissance, intruder, and interdiction missions, and provided support for ground troops. Bombed and strafed buildings, tunnels, rail lines, switching centers, bridges, vehicles, supply dumps, and airfields until May 1952 when its mission was taken over by the regular USAF17th Bombardment Group. The group received twoDistinguished Unit Citations for its actions during the Korean War.
Returned to the United States and placed back in reserve status. The unit was remanned and trained as a tactical reconnaissance group, (452 Tactical Reconnaissance Group) 1952–1955; as a tactical bombardment group (452 Bombardment Group, Tactical), 1955–1957; and as a troop carrier group, (452 Troop Carrier Group, Medium) 1957–1959.
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On 1 August 1992, the452d Operations Group was activated as a result of the 452d Refueling Wing implementing the USAF objective wing organization. Upon activation, the 452 OG was bestowed the lineage and history of the 452 Air Refueling Group and all predecessor organizations. the 452 OG was assigned the flying squadrons of the 452d Refueling Wing.
In 1993,March Air Force Base was selected for realignment. As part of the Air Force's realignment the 452d ARW became the 452d Air Mobility Wing on 1 April 1994. On 1 April 1996, March officially became March Air Reserve Base. In 2005, the Group retired its C-141 fleet. A year later, the wing began to receive its eight C-17s.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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