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{{no footnotes|date=December 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= 487th Air Expeditionary Wing
|unit_name= 487th Air Expeditionary Wing
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|country={{USA}}
|country={{USA}}
|branch={{air force|USA}}
|branch={{air force|USA}}
|motto=Strength and Precision
|nickname=Gentlemen from Hell
|command_structure=
|command_structure=
|current_commander=
|current_commander=
|notable_commanders=[[Beirne Lay, Jr.]]
|battles=[[European Theater of Operations]]<ref name=Maurer487BG>Maurer, pp. 357-358</ref>
|battles=[[European Theater of Operations]]<ref name=Maurer487BG>Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 357–358</ref>
|decorations=[[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://access.afpc.af.mil/AwardsDMZNet40/SearchAwards.aspx |last1=|first1=|title=Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards|date=|publisher=Air Force Personnel Center|deadurl=no |accessdate=October 31, 2017}} (search)</ref>
|decorations=[[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]]
<!-- Insignia -->
<!-- Insignia -->
|identification_symbol=[[File:487 Tactical Missile Wg emblem.png|165px]]
|identification_symbol=[[File:487 Tactical Missile Wg emblem.png|165px]]
|identification_symbol_label=487th Tactical Missile Wing emblem <small>(approved May 1983)</small><ref>[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6362817 Approved insignia for: 487th Tactical Missile Wing, National Archives, May 20, 1983]</ref>
|identification_symbol_label=487th Tactical Missile Wing emblem <small>(approved May 1983)</small><ref>{{cite web |url= https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6362817 |title=Approved insignia for: 487th Tactical Missile Wing|date=31 May 1983|publisher=National Archives Catalog|access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref>
|identification_symbol_2=[[File:487bombgroup-emblem.jpg|150px]]
|identification_symbol_2=[[File:587th Tactical Missile Group - Emblem.png|150px]]
|identification_symbol_2_label=Unofficial 487th Bombardment Group emblem<ref>''See'' Maurer, p. 358 (no approved emblem)</ref>
|identification_symbol_2_label=Patch with emblem used by 587th Tactical Missile Group<ref group=note>The three missile groups of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing used the wing emblem with the group designations on the scroll.</ref>
|identification_symbol_3=[[File:487bombgroup-emblem.jpg|150px]]
|identification_symbol_3_label=Unofficial 487th Bombardment Group emblem<ref name=Maureremblem>''See'' Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 358 (no approved emblem)</ref><ref group=note>This emblem was used while the group was located in England, but never received approvel. {{cite web |url= http://www.487thbg.org/Stories/487th%20BG%20Insignia%20Memo.pdf |last1=de Jong|first1=Ivo|title=Memorandum about 487th Bomb Group Insignia|date=12 February 2016|publisher=487th Bomb Group (H) Association|page=4 |access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref>
|identification_symbol_4=[[File:487 Bombardment Gp emblem (1943).png|150px]]
|identification_symbol_4_label=Unofficial 487th Bombardment Group emblem<ref name=Maureremblem/><ref group=note>This emblem was used while the group was training at Alamogordo AAF. Little use was made of this unit after the group moved to England. {{cite web |url= http://www.487thbg.org/Stories/487th%20BG%20Insignia%20Memo.pdf |last1=de Jong|first1=Ivo|title=Memorandum about 487th Bomb Group Insignia|date=12 February 2016|publisher=487th Bomb Group (H) Association|pages=1–2|access-date=11 November 2018}}</ref>
|identification_symbol_5=<big>'''Square P'''</big>
|identification_symbol_5_label=Tail Code<ref>Freeman, p. 285</ref>
}}
}}


The '''487th Air Expeditionary Wing''' is a provisional [[United States Air Force]] unit assigned to the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]]. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time.
The '''487th Air Expeditionary Wing''' is a provisional [[United States Air Force]] unit assigned to the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]]. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time. The unit's last known assignment was in 2003 at [[Cairo West Air Base]], Egypt, during [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]].


The first predecessor of the [[wing (military aviation unit)|wing]] is the '''487th Bombardment Group''', a [[United States Army Air Forces]] unit. It was activated in September 1943. After training in the United States, it deployed to the [[European Theater of Operations]], where it engaged in combat with [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]]s. In the summer of 1944, it was withdrawn from combat to convert to the [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]], than continued in combat until the spring of 1945. It led the largest Eighth Air Force mission of the war on 24 December 1944. It flew 185 combat missions, the last being on 21 April 1945. Following [[V-E Day]], the unit returned to [[Drew Field]], Florida, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
The unit's last known assignment was in 2003 at Cairo West Airfield, Egypt, during [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. It was commanded by Brig. Gen. Randal D. "Randy" Fullhart (March 2003 – May 2003).


The wing's second predecessor is the '''587th Tactical Missile Wing''', which operated [[TM-61 Matador]] tactical cruise missiles in German during the [[Cold War]] from 1958 until 1962, when it was inactivated and its operational squadron was assigned directly to its parent [[38th Tactical Missile Wing]].
During World War II, its predecessor unit, the '''487th Bombardment Group (Heavy)''' was an [[Eighth Air Force]] heavy bombardment unit in England, stationed at [[RAF Lavenham]]. It flew 185 combat missions, the last being on 21 April 1945.


The two groups were consolidated in January 1982 as the '''487th Tactical Missile Wing'''. The wing operated [[BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile]]s until it was inactivated in 1991 with the implementation of the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]].
It led the largest Eighth Air Force mission of the war on 24 December 1944. The object of the attacks, in which 1,400 bombers took part, escorted by 726 fighters, was to bomb eleven German airfields east of the Rhine while another 634 heavy bombers attacked communication centers west of the Rhine.

[[Frederick Walker Castle|Brigadier General Frederick Castle]] was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during that mission. A portrait of the general hangs to this day in the Swan Hotel at Lavenham, which was one of his wartime haunts and whose then-landlord was a personal friend. He was the highest-ranking officer in the Eighth to be awarded the Medal of Honor.


==History==
==History==


=== World War II ===
=== World War II ===
[[File:487thbg-b-24-42-52746.jpg|thumb|Ford B-24H-15-FO Liberator 42-52746 (2C-O) *Ready Betty* 838th Bombardment Squadron. Transferred to 446th BG in August 1944. Crashed in Belgium 27 December 1944 on mission to [[Kaiserslautern]]. All parachuted to safety.]]
[[File:487thbg-b-24-42-52746.jpg|thumb|left|838th Bombardment Squadron B-24H Liberator, "Ready Betty"<ref group=note>Aircraft is Ford B-24H-15-FO Liberator serial 42-52746. This plane was transferred to the [[446th Bombardment Group]] in August 1944. It crashed in Belgium on 27 December 1944 on a mission to [[Kaiserslautern]]. All aircrew parachuted to safety.</ref>]]
[[File:487thbg-b-17-43-38001.jpg|thumb|Boeing B-17G-75-BO Fortress 43-38001 (2G-B) of the 836th Bombardment Squadron. Shot down by AAA over [[Czechoslovakia]] 17 April 1945. All parachuted to safety and made [[Prisoner of War|POW]].]]
[[File:487thbg-b-17-43-38001.jpg|thumb|836th Bombardment Squadron Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress<ref group=note>Aircraft is Boeing B-17G-75-BO Flying Fortress serial 43-38001. It was shot down by antiaircraft artillery over Czechoslovakia on 17 April 1945. All aircrew parachuted to safety and were made [[Prisoners of War]].</ref>]]
The '''487th Bombardment Group''' was activated at [[Bruning Army Air Field]], Nebraska on 20 September 1943, with the [[836th Bombardment Squadron|836th]], [[837th Bombardment Squadron|837th]] and [[838th Bombardment Squadron]]s assigned as its original squadrons.<ref name=Maurer487BG>Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 357–358</ref><ref name=Maurer836BS>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 775</ref><ref name=Maurer837BS>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 775–776</ref><ref name=Maurer838839BS>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 776</ref> The [[8th Antisubmarine Squadron]], which had helped form the [[group (military aviation unit)|group]]'s [[cadre (military)|cadre]], joined the group on 14 October after being redesignated as the 839th Bombardment Squadron.<ref name=Maurer838839BS/> The group trained with [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]]s until March 1944, when it departed for the [[European Theater of Operations]].<ref name=Maurer487BG/> The ground echelon left [[Alamogordo Army Air Field]], New Mexico on 10 March 1944 for the port of embarkation at [[Camp Kilmer]], New Jersey, sailing on the {{SS|Duchess of Bedford}} and arrived in Great Britain on 3 April. The air echelon departed via the southern ferry route on 23 March.<ref name=Freeman260>Freeman, pp. 260–261</ref>
Activated 20 September 1943 at Bruning AAFd, Neb., and moved to Alamogordo AAFd, New Mexico, on 15 December 1944 to complete training. Ground unit left Alamogordo on 10 March 1944 for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. and sailed on ''Duchess of Bedford'' on 23 March 1944, arriving in Gourock on 3 April 1944. The aircraft flew overseas on 23 March 1944, taking southern ferry route via Fortaleza Brazil to Dakar and on to RAF Valley, Wales. Then flying to Lavenham, East Anglia in early April 1944. The group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force, 3rd. Air Division, and the group tail code was a "Square-P" or "Box"-P. The group was based at [[RAF Lavenham|Station 137]], [[Lavenham]], England. The group participated in Air Offensive Europe.


The group arrived at [[RAF Lavenham]], its base in England, on 4 April 1944, with the air echelon arriving between 13 and 17 April. The 487th entered combat on 7 May 1944,<ref name=Freeman260/> bombing [[airfield]]s in [[Normandy]] in preparation for [[Operation Overlord]], the invasion o Normandy. Four days later, its commander, Lieutenant Colonel [[Beirne Lay, Jr.]], was shot down, but evaded capture.<ref>Freeman, p. 141</ref><ref group=note>After the war, Lay wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film [[Twelve O'Clock High]].</ref> During the Normandy landings, the group struck coastal defenses, road junctions, bridges and [[rolling stock]]. It supported British troops near [[Caen]] by attacking German troops and artillery [[redoubt]]s and made similar attacks to support troops assaulting [[Brest, France|Brest]]. It provided support for [[Operation Market Garden]], the attempt to seize [[bridgehead]]s across the [[Rhine River]] near [[Arnhem]] and [[Nijmegen]] in the [[Netherlands]].<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
The group flew both the [[B-24 Liberator]] and the [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign and began combat in May 1944, bombing airfields in France in preparation for the [[Operation Overlord|invasion of Normandy]], then targeted coastal defenses, road junctions, bridges and locomotives during the invasion. Aided Normandy ground forces on D-Day 6 June 1944. The unit's first commander was Lieutenant Colonel [[Beirne Lay, Jr.]], a prominent Hollywood screenwriter until he was shot down on 11 May 1944 in one of the group's earliest actions. He was shot down over enemy territory but evaded capture and was returned to duty. After the war, he wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film, ''[[Twelve O'Clock High]]''.


Because of its involvement with tactical operations, the group engaged in only limited strategic operations through August 1944. On 19 July 1944, the 487th was taken off combat operations, along with other units of the [[92d Combat Bombardment Wing]], to convert from the Liberator to the [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]], in a move that would transform the [[3d Bombardment Division]] to an all Flying Fortress organization.<ref>Freeman, p. 172</ref><ref name=Freeman260/> After completing the transition to the B-17 on 1 August 1944,<ref name=Freeman260/> the unit began to focus on strategic targets until March 1945. It attacked [[oil refineries]] in [[Merseburg]], [[Mannheim]] and [[Dulmen]]; factories in [[Nuremberg]], [[Hanover]] and [[Berlin]]; and [[marshalling yard]]s in [[Köln]], [[Münster]], [[Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia|Hamm]] and [[Neumunster]].<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
The 487th Bomb Group(H) attacked German troops and artillery positions to assist British forces near [[Caen]] in July; struck gun emplacements to support the Allied effort at [[Brest, France|Brest]] in August and to cover the [[Operation Market-Garden|airborne attack on the Netherlands]] in September 1944. Flew a few missions against German industries, refineries, and communications during the period May–August 1944, but operated almost solely against strategic targets from August 1944, when conversion to B-17's was completed in March 1945.


On 24 December 1944, the group was the lead group on [[Eighth Air Force]]'s largest mission of the war.<ref group=note>Eighth Air Force launched 2,034 bombers on this raid and was joined by an additional 500 from the [[Royal Air Force]] and [[Ninth Air Force]]. Freeman, p. 201.</ref> Brigadier General [[Frederick Castle]], commander of the [[4th Bombardment Wing]] commanded the raid and flew the 487th's lead aircraft. The group was attacked by [[Luftwaffe]] interceptors before escorting fighters could join the bomber formation. Three group planes were shot down, and an additional four were abandoned after making emergency landings in Belgium. Among the losses was General Castle's lead plane. He was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for taking control of the plane to permit other crew members to bail out and refusing to jettison the plane's bombload to avoid casualties to civilians or friendly troops below.<ref>Freeman, p. 201.</ref> From 1 January 1945 through the end of the war, the group's bombing accuracy was the highest in the 3d Air Division.<ref name=Freeman260/>
The 487th also attacked oil refineries in [[Merseburg]], [[Mannheim]], and [[Dulmen]]; factories in [[Nuremberg]], [[Hanover]], and Berlin; and marshalling yards in [[Cologne]], [[Münster]], [[Hamm]], and [[Neumünster]]. Aided ground forces during the [[Battle of the Bulge]], December 1944 – January 1945, and turned again to support and interdictory operations in March 1945 as the Allies [[Operation Varsity|crossed the Rhine]] and made the final thrust into Germany.


The group was diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to support ground troops during the [[Battle of the Bulge]] from December 1944 to January 1945. It also flew [[interdiction]] missions during the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] crossings of the Rhine and final thrust across Germany.<ref name=Maurer487BG/> It flew its last combat mission on 21 April 1945. By the end of the war, the group had flown 185 missions<ref group=note>A detailed list of group missions is at {{cite web |url= http://www.487thbg.org/missions.shtml|title=Combat Missions|publisher=487th Bomb Group (H) Association|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref> with the loss of 33 aircraft in combat, claiming 22 enemy aircraft destroyed.<ref name=Freeman260/>
Redeployed to the US July 1945. The aircraft left Lavenham in the first week of July 1945. The ground unit sailed on the Queen Elizabeth on 25 August 1945, and arriving in New York on 1 September 1945. The Group established at Drew Fd, Fla 3 September 1945, and inactivated there on 7 November 1945.

Group nickname: "Gentlemen from Hell".
The 487th remained in England after [[V-E Day]]. The air echelon began to fly their B-17s back to the United States in the last week of July, while the rest of the unit returned to the United States on the {{RMS|Queen Elizabeth}} in August.<ref name=Freeman260/> It reassembled at [[Drew Field]], Florida in September and was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.<ref name=Maurer487BG/>


=== Cold War ===
=== Cold War ===
From September 1956, the 587th Tactical Missile Group operated Air Force missiles. It was assigned to the [[38th Tactical Missile Wing]] and stationed at [[Sembach Air Base]], West Germany. It controlled Mace and Matador tactical cruise missiles at three dispersed locations 2.6 to 12.5 miles from Sembach. It was inactivated on 25 September 1962.
Activated in 1983, the 487th Tactical Missile Wing was stationed at Comiso Air Station in Sicily. Equipped with BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM). Inactivated as a result of the 1987 [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] in 1991.


On 11 January 1982, the 487th Bombardment Group, and 587th Tactical Missile Group were consolidated (effectively merged on paper) and the merged unit became the 487th Tactical Missile Wing. This was a purely administrative, on-paper change.
=== 21st century ===

Activated in 1983, the 487th Tactical Missile Wing was stationed at [[Comiso Air Station]] in Sicily. Equipped with [[BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile]], which the 302nd Tactical Missile Squadron used. Inactivated as a result of the 1987 [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]] in 1991.

=== 2003 invasion of Iraq ===
Converted to provisional status and activated as an Air Expeditionary Wing during [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] in March 2003. Inactivated after 90 days of duty due to Air-Force intensive active combat phase of Iraqi invasion having been completed.
Converted to provisional status and activated as an Air Expeditionary Wing during [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] in March 2003. Inactivated after 90 days of duty due to Air-Force intensive active combat phase of Iraqi invasion having been completed.

The following units were awarded Global War on Terrorism (Expeditionary) campaign participation credit:<ref name=SOG33994>{{cite web |url= http://www.af.mil/Portals/1/documents/news/GWOT-E%20Campaign.pdf?timestamp=1441284353101 |title=Special Order G-33994|date=14 July 2014|publisher=United States Air Forces Central Command |access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref>
*487th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
*487th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
*487th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
*487th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron
*HQ 487th Expeditionary Medical Group
*HQ 487th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
*HQ 487th Expeditionary Maintenance Group
*487th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
*HQ 487th Expeditionary Operations Group
*487th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
*487th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
*487th Expeditionary Services Squadron


==Lineage==
==Lineage==
* Constituted as '''487th Bombardment Group (Heavy)''' on 14 September 1943
; 487th Bombardment Group
* Constituted as the '''487th Bombardment Group''' (Heavy) on 14 September 1943
: Activated on 20 September 1943
: Activated on 20 September 1943
: Redesignated '''487th Bombardment Group''', Heavy c. 5 April 1944
: Inactivated on 7 November 1945
: Inactivated on 7 November 1945<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
* Redesignated as '''487th Tactical Missile Wing''' in June 1983 and activated
* Consolidated with the '''587th Tactical Missile Group''' as the '''487th Tactical Missile Wing''' on 11 January 1982<ref name=DAF406q>DAF/MPM Letter 406q, 11 January 1982, Subject: Organization Actions Affecting Certain United States Air Forces in Europe Units</ref>
: Inactivated in May 1991

; 587th Tactical Missile Group
* Established as the '''587th Tactical Missile Group''' c. 3 August 1956
: Activated on 15 September 1956
: Inactivated on 25 September 1962<ref name=DAF406q/>
* Consolidated with the '''487th Bombardment Group''' as the '''487th Tactical Missile Wing''' on 11 January 1982<ref name=DAF406q/>

; 487th Tactical Missile Wing
* '''487th Bombardment Group''' and '''587th Tactical Missile Group''' consolidated as the '''487th Tactical Missile Wing''' on 11 January 1982<ref name=DAF406q/>
: Activated on 30 June 1983<ref>''See'' DAF/MPM Letter 406q-2, 16 December 1982, Subject: Organization Actions Affecting Certain United States Air Forces in Europe Units (directing activation on or about 8 July 1983.)</ref>
: Inactivated c. 27 May 1991
* Redesignated '''487th Air Expeditionary Wing''' and converted to provisional status on 1 March 2003
* Redesignated '''487th Air Expeditionary Wing''' and converted to provisional status on 1 March 2003


Line 66: Line 105:
* [[4th Combat Bombardment Wing]], 16 February–24 August 1945
* [[4th Combat Bombardment Wing]], 16 February–24 August 1945
* [[Third Air Force]], 3 September–7 November 1945
* [[Third Air Force]], 3 September–7 November 1945
* [[701st Tactical Missile Wing]], 15 September 1956<ref>Ravenstein, p. 291</ref>
* [[Sixteenth Air Force]], June 1983 – May 1991
* [[38th Tactical Missile Wing]], 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962<ref>Ravenstein, p. 66</ref>
* [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] to activate or inactivate any time after 1 March 2003.
* [[Sixteenth Air Force]], 30 June 1983 – c. 27 May 1991
* [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] to activate or inactivate any time after 1 March 2003


===Components===
===Components===
* 302d Tactical Missile Squadron: 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991 (112 missiles)
* 302d Tactical Missile Squadron: See 822d Tactical Missile Squadron
* 487th Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron: 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991
* 487th Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron: 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991
* [[11th Tactical Missile Squadron]], 15 September 1956 – 18 June 1958<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433955/11-bomb-squadron-acc/ |last1=Robertson|first1=Patsy|title=Factsheet 11 Bomb Squadron (ACC)|date=2 January 2008|publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency|access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[836th Bombardment Squadron]] (2G), 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945
* [[822d Tactical Missile Squadron]] (later 302d Tactical Missile Squadron): 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962,<ref name=Maurer822BS>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 769–770</ref> 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991 (112 missiles)
* [[837th Bombardment Squadron]] (4F), 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945
* [[838th Bombardment Squadron]] (2C), 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945
* 836th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945<ref name=Maurer836BS/>
* [[839th Bombardment Squadron]] (R5), 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945
* 837th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945<ref name=Maurer837BS/>
* 838th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945<ref name=Maurer838839BS/>
* 839th Bombardment Squadron, 14 October 1943 – 7 November 1945<ref name=Maurer838839BS/>


===Stations===
===Stations===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[Bruning Army Airfield]], [[Nebraska]], 20 September 1943
* Bruning Army Air Field, Nebraska, 20 September 1943
* [[Alamogordo Army Airfield]]
* Alamogordo Army Airfield, New Mexico, 15 December 1943 – c. 13 March 1944
* RAF Lavenham (AAF-137),<ref>Station number in Anderson.</ref> England, 5 April 1944 – c. 26 August 1945
: Elements trained at [[Albuquerque Army Airbase]], [[New Mexico]], 15 December 1943–c. 13 March 1944
* [[RAF Lavenham]] (AAF-137), England, 5 April 1944–c. 26 August 1945
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
{{Col-break|width=50%}}
* [[Drew Field]], Florida, 3 September–7 November 1945.
* Drew Field, Florida, 3 September–7 November 1945<ref>Station information through 1945 in Maurer, pp. 357–358, except as noted.</ref>
* Sembach Air Base, West Germany, 15 September 1956 – 25 September 1962<ref>''See'' Fletcher, p. 160 (Missile units at Sembach)</ref>
* [[Comiso Airport|Comiso Air Station]], Italy. June 1983 – May 1991
* Comiso Air Station, Italy. June 1983 – May 1991
: BGM-109G Missile site located at: {{Coord|36|59|42|N|014|36|48|E|display=inline|name=302d TMS}}
: BGM-109G Missile site located at: {{Coord|36|59|42|N|014|36|48|E|display=inline|name=302d TMS}}
* Cairo West Airport, [[Egypt]], March–May 2003
* Cairo West Airport, Egypt, March–May 2003
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


===Aircraft and missiles===
===Aircraft and missiles===
* [[B-24 Liberator]], 1943–1944
* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1944
* [[B-17 Flying Fortress]], 1944–1945
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944–1945
* [[BGM-109]]G [[Ground Launched Cruise Missile]] (1983–1991)
* BGM-109G Gryphon (1983–1991)

===Awards and campaigns===
{{unit awards table
|award_image1=AF OUA
|award_name1=[[Air Force Outstanding Unit Award]]
|award_date1=1 April 1959-30 January 1961
|award_notes1=587th Tactical Missile Group<ref name=AFawards>{{cite web |url= http://access.afpc.af.mil/AwardsDMZNet40/SearchAwards.aspx |title=Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards|publisher=Air Force Personnel Center|access-date=12 November 2018}} (search)</ref>
|award_image2=AF OUA
|award_name2=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
|award_date2=1 July 1985-30 June 1987
|award_notes2=487th Tactical Missile Wing<ref name=AFawards/>
|award_image3=AF OUA
|award_name3=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
|award_date3=1 July 1987-30 June 1988
|award_notes3=487th Tactical Missile Wing<ref name=AFawards/>
|award_image4=AF OUA
|award_name4=Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
|award_date4=1 July 1988-30 June 1990
|award_notes4=487th Tactical Missile Wing<ref name=AFawards/>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Campaign Streamer
! Campaign
! Dates
! Notes
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Air Offensive, Europe||4 April 1944 – 5 June 1944||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Air Combat, EAME Theater||4 April 1944 – 11 May 1945||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Normandy||6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Northern France||25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Rhineland||15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Ardennes-Alsace||16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Central Europe||22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945||487th Bombardment Group<ref name=Maurer487BG/>
|-
|[[File:Streamer gwotE.PNG|200px]]||Global War on Terror||c. Mar 2003-c. May 2003|| 487th Air Expeditionary Wing<ref name=SOG33994/>
|}


==See also==
==See also==

{{Portal|United States Air Force|Military of the United States|World War II}}
* [[BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile#USAF BGM-109G GLCM Units|List of BGM-109G GLCM Units]]
* [[BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile#USAF BGM-109G GLCM Units|List of BGM-109G GLCM Units]]
* [[B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces]]
* [[B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces]]


==References==
==References==
===Notes===
; Explanatory notes
{{Reflist|group=note}}

; Citations
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* {{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Capt. Barry|title= Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |year=1985|publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL yes|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160123155923/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |archive-date=23 January 2016|access-date=28 June 2017}}
{{Reflist|40em}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|origyear= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979|pages=}}
* {{cite book|last=Fletcher|first=Harry R|title=Air Force Bases, Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/May/25/2001330286/-1/-1/0/AFD-100525-060.pdf|access-date=17 December 2016|year=1993|publisher=Center for Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn= 0-912799-53-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Freeman|first = Roger A. |author-link1=Roger A. Freeman|title=The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force)|year=1970 |publisher=Macdonald and Company|location=London, England, UK |isbn= 978-0-87938-638-2}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-year= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf |edition= reprint|access-date= 17 December 2016|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
* {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977|url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave|access-date=17 December 2016|year=1984|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-12-9|url-access=registration}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/177/text House Resolution 177], house.gov
* [https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/177/text House Resolution 177], house.gov
* http://www.487thbg.org/
* http://www.487thbg.org/
* {{cite news|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2002/July%202002/0702GLCM.pdf#search=the%20short%20happy%20life%20if%20the%20%22glick%20em%22|last1=Grier|first1=Peter|title=The Short, Happy Life of the Glick-Em|year=2002|volume=85|issue=7|publisher=Air Force Magazine|url-status=dead|access-date=5 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308181700/http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2002/July%202002/0702GLCM.pdf#search=the%20short%20happy%20life%20if%20the%20%22glick%20em%22|archive-date=8 March 2016}}
* [http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2002/July%202002/0702glcm.aspx The Short, Happy Life of the Glick-Em]


{{USAF Air Forces in Europe}}
{{USAAF 8th Air Force UK}}
{{USAAF 8th Air Force UK}}
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II}}
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2011}}


[[Category:Air expeditionary wings of the United States Air Force|0487]]
[[Category:Air expeditionary wings of the United States Air Force|0487]]

Latest revision as of 15:46, 6 August 2024

487th Air Expeditionary Wing
BGM-109G Gryphon ready to launch
Active1943–1945; 1983–1991, 2003
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Nickname(s)Gentlemen from Hell
Motto(s)Strength and Precision
EngagementsEuropean Theater of Operations[1]
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Beirne Lay, Jr.
Insignia
487th Tactical Missile Wing emblem (approved May 1983)[2]
Patch with emblem used by 587th Tactical Missile Group[note 1]
Unofficial 487th Bombardment Group emblem[3][note 2]
Unofficial 487th Bombardment Group emblem[3][note 3]
Tail Code[4]Square P

The 487th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time. The unit's last known assignment was in 2003 at Cairo West Air Base, Egypt, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The first predecessor of the wing is the 487th Bombardment Group, a United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in September 1943. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it engaged in combat with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. In the summer of 1944, it was withdrawn from combat to convert to the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, than continued in combat until the spring of 1945. It led the largest Eighth Air Force mission of the war on 24 December 1944. It flew 185 combat missions, the last being on 21 April 1945. Following V-E Day, the unit returned to Drew Field, Florida, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

The wing's second predecessor is the 587th Tactical Missile Wing, which operated TM-61 Matador tactical cruise missiles in German during the Cold War from 1958 until 1962, when it was inactivated and its operational squadron was assigned directly to its parent 38th Tactical Missile Wing.

The two groups were consolidated in January 1982 as the 487th Tactical Missile Wing. The wing operated BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles until it was inactivated in 1991 with the implementation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

History

[edit]

World War II

[edit]
838th Bombardment Squadron B-24H Liberator, "Ready Betty"[note 4]
836th Bombardment Squadron Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress[note 5]

The 487th Bombardment Group was activated at Bruning Army Air Field, Nebraska on 20 September 1943, with the 836th, 837th and 838th Bombardment Squadrons assigned as its original squadrons.[1][5][6][7] The 8th Antisubmarine Squadron, which had helped form the group's cadre, joined the group on 14 October after being redesignated as the 839th Bombardment Squadron.[7] The group trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators until March 1944, when it departed for the European Theater of Operations.[1] The ground echelon left Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico on 10 March 1944 for the port of embarkation at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, sailing on the SS Duchess of Bedford and arrived in Great Britain on 3 April. The air echelon departed via the southern ferry route on 23 March.[8]

The group arrived at RAF Lavenham, its base in England, on 4 April 1944, with the air echelon arriving between 13 and 17 April. The 487th entered combat on 7 May 1944,[8] bombing airfields in Normandy in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion o Normandy. Four days later, its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Beirne Lay, Jr., was shot down, but evaded capture.[9][note 6] During the Normandy landings, the group struck coastal defenses, road junctions, bridges and rolling stock. It supported British troops near Caen by attacking German troops and artillery redoubts and made similar attacks to support troops assaulting Brest. It provided support for Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize bridgeheads across the Rhine River near Arnhem and Nijmegen in the Netherlands.[1]

Because of its involvement with tactical operations, the group engaged in only limited strategic operations through August 1944. On 19 July 1944, the 487th was taken off combat operations, along with other units of the 92d Combat Bombardment Wing, to convert from the Liberator to the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, in a move that would transform the 3d Bombardment Division to an all Flying Fortress organization.[10][8] After completing the transition to the B-17 on 1 August 1944,[8] the unit began to focus on strategic targets until March 1945. It attacked oil refineries in Merseburg, Mannheim and Dulmen; factories in Nuremberg, Hanover and Berlin; and marshalling yards in Köln, Münster, Hamm and Neumunster.[1]

On 24 December 1944, the group was the lead group on Eighth Air Force's largest mission of the war.[note 7] Brigadier General Frederick Castle, commander of the 4th Bombardment Wing commanded the raid and flew the 487th's lead aircraft. The group was attacked by Luftwaffe interceptors before escorting fighters could join the bomber formation. Three group planes were shot down, and an additional four were abandoned after making emergency landings in Belgium. Among the losses was General Castle's lead plane. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for taking control of the plane to permit other crew members to bail out and refusing to jettison the plane's bombload to avoid casualties to civilians or friendly troops below.[11] From 1 January 1945 through the end of the war, the group's bombing accuracy was the highest in the 3d Air Division.[8]

The group was diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to support ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 to January 1945. It also flew interdiction missions during the Allied crossings of the Rhine and final thrust across Germany.[1] It flew its last combat mission on 21 April 1945. By the end of the war, the group had flown 185 missions[note 8] with the loss of 33 aircraft in combat, claiming 22 enemy aircraft destroyed.[8]

The 487th remained in England after V-E Day. The air echelon began to fly their B-17s back to the United States in the last week of July, while the rest of the unit returned to the United States on the RMS Queen Elizabeth in August.[8] It reassembled at Drew Field, Florida in September and was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.[1]

Cold War

[edit]

From September 1956, the 587th Tactical Missile Group operated Air Force missiles. It was assigned to the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and stationed at Sembach Air Base, West Germany. It controlled Mace and Matador tactical cruise missiles at three dispersed locations 2.6 to 12.5 miles from Sembach. It was inactivated on 25 September 1962.

On 11 January 1982, the 487th Bombardment Group, and 587th Tactical Missile Group were consolidated (effectively merged on paper) and the merged unit became the 487th Tactical Missile Wing. This was a purely administrative, on-paper change.

Activated in 1983, the 487th Tactical Missile Wing was stationed at Comiso Air Station in Sicily. Equipped with BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile, which the 302nd Tactical Missile Squadron used. Inactivated as a result of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1991.

2003 invasion of Iraq

[edit]

Converted to provisional status and activated as an Air Expeditionary Wing during 2003 invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Inactivated after 90 days of duty due to Air-Force intensive active combat phase of Iraqi invasion having been completed.

The following units were awarded Global War on Terrorism (Expeditionary) campaign participation credit:[12]

  • 487th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 487th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
  • 487th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
  • 487th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • HQ 487th Expeditionary Medical Group
  • HQ 487th Expeditionary Mission Support Group
  • HQ 487th Expeditionary Maintenance Group
  • 487th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
  • HQ 487th Expeditionary Operations Group
  • 487th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron
  • 487th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
  • 487th Expeditionary Services Squadron

Lineage

[edit]
487th Bombardment Group
  • Constituted as the 487th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 September 1943
Activated on 20 September 1943
Redesignated 487th Bombardment Group, Heavy c. 5 April 1944
Inactivated on 7 November 1945[1]
  • Consolidated with the 587th Tactical Missile Group as the 487th Tactical Missile Wing on 11 January 1982[13]
587th Tactical Missile Group
  • Established as the 587th Tactical Missile Group c. 3 August 1956
Activated on 15 September 1956
Inactivated on 25 September 1962[13]
  • Consolidated with the 487th Bombardment Group as the 487th Tactical Missile Wing on 11 January 1982[13]
487th Tactical Missile Wing
  • 487th Bombardment Group and 587th Tactical Missile Group consolidated as the 487th Tactical Missile Wing on 11 January 1982[13]
Activated on 30 June 1983[14]
Inactivated c. 27 May 1991
  • Redesignated 487th Air Expeditionary Wing and converted to provisional status on 1 March 2003

Assignments

[edit]

Components

[edit]
  • 302d Tactical Missile Squadron: See 822d Tactical Missile Squadron
  • 487th Tactical Missile Maintenance Squadron: 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991
  • 11th Tactical Missile Squadron, 15 September 1956 – 18 June 1958[17]
  • 822d Tactical Missile Squadron (later 302d Tactical Missile Squadron): 18 June 1958 – 25 September 1962,[18] 20 June 1983 – 27 May 1991 (112 missiles)
  • 836th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945[5]
  • 837th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945[6]
  • 838th Bombardment Squadron, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945[7]
  • 839th Bombardment Squadron, 14 October 1943 – 7 November 1945[7]

Stations

[edit]

Aircraft and missiles

[edit]
  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1944
  • Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944–1945
  • BGM-109G Gryphon (1983–1991)

Awards and campaigns

[edit]
Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 April 1959-30 January 1961 587th Tactical Missile Group[22]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1985-30 June 1987 487th Tactical Missile Wing[22]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1987-30 June 1988 487th Tactical Missile Wing[22]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 July 1988-30 June 1990 487th Tactical Missile Wing[22]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 4 April 1944 – 5 June 1944 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater 4 April 1944 – 11 May 1945 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 487th Bombardment Group[1]
Global War on Terror c. Mar 2003-c. May 2003 487th Air Expeditionary Wing[12]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
Explanatory notes
  1. ^ The three missile groups of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing used the wing emblem with the group designations on the scroll.
  2. ^ This emblem was used while the group was located in England, but never received approvel. de Jong, Ivo (12 February 2016). "Memorandum about 487th Bomb Group Insignia" (PDF). 487th Bomb Group (H) Association. p. 4. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  3. ^ This emblem was used while the group was training at Alamogordo AAF. Little use was made of this unit after the group moved to England. de Jong, Ivo (12 February 2016). "Memorandum about 487th Bomb Group Insignia" (PDF). 487th Bomb Group (H) Association. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  4. ^ Aircraft is Ford B-24H-15-FO Liberator serial 42-52746. This plane was transferred to the 446th Bombardment Group in August 1944. It crashed in Belgium on 27 December 1944 on a mission to Kaiserslautern. All aircrew parachuted to safety.
  5. ^ Aircraft is Boeing B-17G-75-BO Flying Fortress serial 43-38001. It was shot down by antiaircraft artillery over Czechoslovakia on 17 April 1945. All aircrew parachuted to safety and were made Prisoners of War.
  6. ^ After the war, Lay wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film Twelve O'Clock High.
  7. ^ Eighth Air Force launched 2,034 bombers on this raid and was joined by an additional 500 from the Royal Air Force and Ninth Air Force. Freeman, p. 201.
  8. ^ A detailed list of group missions is at "Combat Missions". 487th Bomb Group (H) Association. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 357–358
  2. ^ "Approved insignia for: 487th Tactical Missile Wing". National Archives Catalog. 31 May 1983. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b See Maurer, Combat Units, p. 358 (no approved emblem)
  4. ^ Freeman, p. 285
  5. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 775
  6. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 775–776
  7. ^ a b c d Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 776
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Freeman, pp. 260–261
  9. ^ Freeman, p. 141
  10. ^ Freeman, p. 172
  11. ^ Freeman, p. 201.
  12. ^ a b "Special Order G-33994" (PDF). United States Air Forces Central Command. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d DAF/MPM Letter 406q, 11 January 1982, Subject: Organization Actions Affecting Certain United States Air Forces in Europe Units
  14. ^ See DAF/MPM Letter 406q-2, 16 December 1982, Subject: Organization Actions Affecting Certain United States Air Forces in Europe Units (directing activation on or about 8 July 1983.)
  15. ^ Ravenstein, p. 291
  16. ^ Ravenstein, p. 66
  17. ^ Robertson, Patsy (2 January 2008). "Factsheet 11 Bomb Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  18. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 769–770
  19. ^ Station number in Anderson.
  20. ^ Station information through 1945 in Maurer, pp. 357–358, except as noted.
  21. ^ See Fletcher, p. 160 (Missile units at Sembach)
  22. ^ a b c d "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 12 November 2018. (search)

Bibliography

[edit]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

[edit]
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