10th Air Force
February 1942 to present
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF Unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: New Delhi, India
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: Nil
USAAF was activated on 12 February 1942 to cover the China-Burma-India theater. It mainly operated from India, and its primary function was the defense of the ferry route over the Hump. From Kunming, Yunnan, its China Air Task Force struck at enemy installations, port facilities, and shipping in the China Sea, while its India Air Task Force guarded the Assam end of the route and insured neutralization of airfields at Myitkyina and other places in northern Burma. Although duties of the China Air Task Force were assumed by the 14th Air Force from March 1943, the 10th continued to operate from bases in Assam, disrupting enemy lines of communications, flying sweeps over the Bay of Bengal, and mining harbors at Rangoon, Bangkok, and Moulmein. Later, 10th Air Force units participated in all important phases of the Burma campaign, furnishing airborne support to General Wingate's forces, dropping supplies to Merrill's Marauders, and facilitating General Stilwell's reconquest of North Burma. By April 1945, some 350,000 men were wholly dependent upon air supply by these units. In August 1945, the 10th moved to China, anticipating an offensive against Japan proper.
The 10th Air Force operated Commandos in the Combat Cargo role, under the following groups:
Categories
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1st Combat Cargo Group / 512th Troop Carrier Group
April 1944 to December 1945United States of America
TYPE: USAAF unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Bowman Field, KY (1944), Baer Field, IN (1944), Sylhet, Bengal India (1944), Imphal, Manipur, India (1944), Tsuyung, Yunnan, China (1944-1945), Dohazari, Bengal, India (1945), Hathazari, Bengal, India (1945), Myitkyina, Burma (1945), Liuchow, Guangxi, China (1945), Kiangwan, Shanghai, China (1945), Camp Anza, CA (1945)
OTHER NAMES: 1st Combat Cargo Group (June 1944 to September 1945), 512th Troop Carrier Group (September 1945 to December 1945)
SUBSEQUENT NAME: 512th Troop Carrier Group, Medium (when reactivated August 1949)
Commandos operated, squadron or station unknown:
The 1st Combat Cargo Group was activated on 15 April 1944 at Bownman Field, KY. It trained under I Troop Carrier Command at Baer Field, IN until August 1944, on C-47 Skytrains.
The group moved to the China-Burma-India theater in August 1944, and began operations in September by transporting supplies and reinforcements to and evacuating casualties from Imphal, Burma. It continued to support Allied operations in Burma, flying in men and supplies from India, moving equipment required to construct and operate airstrips, dropping dummy cargoes to lead the enemy away from Allied offensives, dropping paratroops for the assault on Rangoon (May 1945), and evacuating prisoners of war who were freed by Allied advances. Meanwhile, part of the group had been sent to China, and for a short time (December 1944 to Jan 1945) the group's headquarters was located there. Operations in China included helping to evacuate the air base at Kweilin during a Japanese drive in September 1944, moving Chinese troops, and flying many supply missions, some of which involved ferrying gasoline and materiel over the Hump from India. The group, partially re-equipped with Commandos in June 1945, engaged primarily in transporting men, food, arms, and ammunition until the end of the war.
After V-J Day, the Group's combat task was over and it was redesignated 512th Troop Carrier Group on 19 September 1945. All of its squadrons were subsequently redesignated.
The 1st Combat Cargo Group was composed of four squadrons, however only two of them operated Commandos:
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3rd Combat Cargo Group / 513th Troop Carrier Group
June 1944 to April 1946United States of America
TYPE: USAAF unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Sylhet, Bengal, India (1944-1945), Myitkyina, Burma (1945), Kiangwan, Shanghai, China (1945-1946)
OTHER NAMES: 3rd Combat Cargo Group (June 1944 to September 1945), 513th Troop Carrier Group (September 1945 to April 1946)
SUBSEQUENT NAME: 513th Troop Carrier Group (Special) (when reactivated November 1948)
Commandos operated, squadron or station unknown:
- Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando:
The 3rd Combat Cargo Group was constituted in Sylhet, Bengal, India on 1 June 1944 and activated on 5 June. The group was initially equipped with 96 C-47s freshly ferried from the USA (100 departed, 4 lost enroute but crews safe). Its initial objective was to relieve the besieged British Garrison at Imphal, Manipur, India, and when this job was done it would be rotated back to the USA for proper training and redeployment to combat. In order to bring the unit up to speed quickly, its Commanding Officer along with the ones of its squadrons and many pilots came from the 443rd Troop Carrier Group, which had been flying in the theatre since February 1944.
The Group was the first unit of the war to fly a combat cargo mission when it started operations in June 1944 in Bengal. Once Imphal was secured, the plan changed and the 3rd Combat Cargo Group remained on theatre, where its services were badly needed. It supported ground forces during the battle for Northern Burma and the subsequent allied drive southward. It flew allied troops and material to the front, transporting gasoline, oil, vehicles, engineering and signal equipment. These items were either landed or dropped in Burma. The Group also evacuated wounded personnel to India. It moved to Myitkyina, Burma on 3 June 1945. From there, it hauled gasoline and other supplies to bases in Western China.
After V-J Day, the Group's combat task was over and it was redesignated 513th Troop Carrier Group on 19 September 1945. All of its squadrons were subsequently redesignated.
The 3rd Combat Cargo Group was composed of four squadrons:
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June 1944 to February 1946
United States of America
TYPE: USAAF unit
IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil
HEADQUARTERS: Syracuse AAB, NY (1944), Bowman Field, KY (1944), Sylhet, Bengal, India (1944), Agartala, Tripura, India (1944-1945), Chittagong, Bengal, India (1945), Namponmao, Burma (1945), RAF Ondal, Bengal, India (1945-1946)
FORMER NAME: Nil
SUBSEQUENT NAME: 514th Troop Carrier Group, Medium (when re-established May 1949)
Commandos operated, squadron or station unknown:
The 4th Combat Cargo Group was activated on 13 June 1944 at Syracuse AAB, NY. It trained under I Troop Carrier Command at Bowman Field, KY until November 1944, on Commandos and C-47 Skytrains.
The Group moved to the China-Burma-India theater in November 1944, initially operating from Sylhet, Bengal, India. Operations began with Commandos in December 1944. The group transported reinforcements and supplies for Allied forces in Burma until May 1945. Operations included moving equipment and materials for the Ledo Road in December 1944, transporting men, mules, and boats when the Allies crossed the Irrawaddy River in February 1945, and dropping Gurkha paratroops during the assault on Rangoon in May 1945. The Group then moved to Burma in June 1945 and hauled ammunition, gasoline, mules, and men to China until the war ended.
The Group finally returned to India in November 1945. Unlike the other two Combat Cargo Groups in the theatre (1st & 3rd CCG), the 4th was not redesignated as a Troop Carrier Group following V-J Day, and was instead inactivated on 9 February 1946 and disbanded on 8 October 1948. However, the 514th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, established on 10 May 1949 with a fleet of Commandos, descends directly from the 4th Combat Cargo Group.
The 4th Combat Cargo Group was composed of four squadrons: