The 19th Military Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 62d Military Airlift Wing at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 22 December 1969. The squadron was activated in 1952 as the 19th Logistics Support Squadron and served to transport special weapons.
In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron, which served during the Battle of the Atlantic from bases in the United States, Newfoundand, and England before disbanding and transferring its aircraft and personnel to form pathfinder units. The consolidated squadron was designated the 19th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron, but has not been active since consolidation.
History World War II
The first predecessor of the squadron was activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah in July 1942 as the 363d Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 304th Bombardment Group. In September, the squadron moved to Geiger Field, Washington, where it received its first personnel and began training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, but soon moved to Langley Field, Virginia and switched to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 101Maurer, Combat Units, p. 177
After its arrival on the eastern seaboard, the squadron began antisubmarine warfare patrols. In November, it was renamed the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron and in December, its parent 304th Bombardment Group, whose squadrons had dispersed to various locations, was inactivated and the squadron was assigned to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing, which supervised Army Air Forces throughout the Atlantic coast.Maurer, pp. 388-89 The Navy believed that more antisubmarine forces were required to protect convoys in the North Atlantic, where attacks were becoming more concentrated. In March, the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron relocated to Gander Airport, Newfoundland, soon joined by two other squadrons.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 25–26, 37–38, 101
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command had moved some of its North American based antisubmarine squadrons to England in December 1942, but those squadrons had subsequently been moved to airfields in French Morocco,Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 3, 10 where they were assigned to the newly created 480th Antisubmarine GroupMaurer, Combat Units, p. 352 under the control of Fleet Air Wing 15, part of the Moroccan Sea Frontier.Warnock, pp. 15-16
To replace them, the antisubmarine squadrons in Newfoundland, including the 19th, moved to RAF St Eval in Cornwall in March 1943, where they formed the 479th Antisubmarine GroupFerguson, p. 99 under the operational control of RAF Coastal Command.Warnock, p. 13 The group conducted patrols over the Bay of Biscay in coordination with Coastal Command, achieving its greatest success in the first two months it was in action. Following this period, German U-boats adopted tactics that kept them submerged in the group's area of operations during daylight hours. The 479th Group continued its patrols, occasionally engaging Luftwaffe aircraft until October. The 479th Group was disbanded in England in November, along with the 19th Squadron.Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 350-51 The squadron's personnel and aircraft were transferred to Eighth Air Force,Warnock, p. 18 where they formed the cadre for new special operations and pathfinder units.Freeman, pp. 159, 260
Special weapons airlift The second predecessor of the unit was established at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas as the 19th Logistic Support Squadron in September 1952 as the first of three logistic support squadrons organized by Air Materiel Command (AMC) and equipped with Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs. Its mission was to provide worldwide airlift of nuclear weapons and related equipment, with a secondary mission to airlift other Department of Defense cargo as required when space was available. Until February 1955, when AMC united its logistic support squadrons under the 3079th Aviation Depot Wing, the squadron was assigned to the San Antonio Air Materiel Area.
In July 1963, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) assumed the mission of transporting special weapons from AMC and assigned the squadron to the 62d Troop Carrier Wing, at McChord Air Force Base, Washington one of MATS's two C-124 troop carrier wings. In 1964, it was redesignated the 19th Air Transport Squadron. Shortly before its inactivation, its mission changed to that of strategic transport squadron flying worldwide airlift operations.AFOMO Letter 117p, 4 April 1969, Subject: Redesignation of the 19th Military Airlift Squadron, Special Beginning in 1966, the 62d Wing began replacing its C-124s with Lockheed C-141 Starlifters. The squadron was inactivated in 1969Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons with the retirement of the C-124 from regular service.
In 1985 the two squadrons were consolidated and redesignated as the 19th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron.
Lineage 19th Antisubmarine Squadron Constituted as the 363d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 Activated on 15 July 1942 Redesignated 19th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942 Disbanded on 11 November 19431942-1943 Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft, in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 101 Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 19th Military Airlift Squadron as the 19th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron
19th Military Airlift Squadron Constituted as the 19th Logistic Support Squadron on 1 September 1952 Activated on 23 September 1952 Redesignated 19th Air Transport Squadron, Special on 8 July 1964AFOMO Letter 244n, 24 June 1964, Subject: Redesignation of the 7th and 19th Logistic Support Squadrons; Reassignment of the 7th Logistic Support Squadron Redesignated 19th Military Airlift Squadron, Special on 8 January 1966AFOMO Letter 503n, 27 December 1965, Subject: Redesignation of the Headquarters, Western Transport Air Force and Redesignation and Organization of its Assigned Military Airift Units Redesignated 19th Military Airlift Squadron on 8 April 1969 Inactivated on 22 December 1969 Consolidated with the 19th Antisubmarine Squadron as the 19th Aeromedical Airlift Squadron on 19 September 1985
Assignments 304th Bombardment Group, 15 July 1942 25th Antisubmarine Wing, 30 December 1942 Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, 8 June 1943 479th Antisubmarine Group, 8 July – 11 November 1943 San Antonio Air Materiel Area, 23 September 1952 3079th Aviation Depot Wing, 6 February 1955 39th Logistic Support Group, 1 July 1962 62d Troop Carrier Wing (later 62d Air Transport Wing, 62d Military Airlift Wing), 1 July 1963 – 22 December 1969Ravenstein, pp. 98-100
Stations Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 15 July 1942 Geiger Field, Washington, 15 September 1942 Ephrata Army Air Field, Washington, 1 October 1942 Langley Field, Virginia, 29 October 1942 – 19 March 1943 Gander Airport, Newfoundland, 19 March – c. 25 June 1943 RAF St Eval (Station 129),Station number in Anderson, p. 20. England, c. 30 June 1943 RAF Dunkeswell (Station 173),Station number in Anderson, p. 22. England, 6 August 1943 RAF Podington, England (Station 109), 11 November 1943 Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, 23 September 1952 – 22 December 1969Mueller, p. 283
Aircraft Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942 Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1942–1944 Douglas C-124 Globemaster II 1952–1969
Awards and campaigns
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates NotesAntisubmarine15 July 1942–c. 24 June 194319th Antisubmarine SquadronAir Offensive, Europec. 30 June 1943–11 November 194319th Antisubmarine Squadron
See also List of United States Air Force airlift squadrons B-17 Flying Fortress units of the United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces
References Notes Explanatory notes
Citations
Bibliography
.
Further reading