The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page
  1. Home
  2. Operators
  3. Military & Government Operators
  4. USA
  5. USAAF (United States Army Air Forces)
  6. 3rd Air Force
  7. 316th Troop Carrier Group

316th Troop Carrier Group

  July 1942 to June 1948

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF & USAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Bowman Field, KY (1942), Lawson Field, GA (1942), Del Valle AAB, TX (1942), RAF Deversoir, Egypt (1942), RAF El Adem, Egypt (1942-1943), RAF Fayid, Egypt (1943), Nouvion, Algeria (1943), Guercif, French Morocco (1943), Enfidaville, Tunisia (1943), Mazzara, Sicily, Italy (1943), Borizzo, Sicily, Italy (1943-1944), RAF Cottesmore, England (1944-1945), Pope Field, NC (1945-1947), Greenville AAB, SC (1947-1948)

FORMER NAME: 316th Transport Group

SUBSEQUENT NAME: 316th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) (redesignated June 1948)

Commandos operated, squadron or station unknown:

The 316th TCG was the redesignation of the 316th Transport Group activated five months earlier. It trained at Bowman Field, KY under I Troop Carrier Command on Douglas C-47's and C-53's. In November 1942, it deployed to North Africa with the 9th Air Force and flew combat missions in the Egypt & Libya campaign. It transported supplies and evacuated casualties in support of the Allied drive across North Africa.

In February 1943, the 316th Troop Carrier Group became a part of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing of the Northwest African Troop Carrier Command in the official Allied air force organization in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. In May 1943, the group began training for the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) where they dropped paratroopers over the assault area on the night of 9 July 1943 and carried reinforcements on 11 July 1943, while under attack from enemy ground and naval forces. Meanwhile, the Group supported aerial and ground operations in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Sicily until 25 August 1943 by transporting reinforcements and supplies.

The 316th then moved to Sicily with the 12th Air Force to take part in the invasion of Italy, where it dropped paratroops over the beachhead south of the Sele River on the night of 14 September 1943. They transported cargo in the theater until February 1944, then rejoined the 9th Air Force in England and prepared for the invasion of France. The unit dropped paratroops near Sainte-Mere-Eglise on D-Day and flew a reinforcement mission on 7 June 1944. During Operation Market Garden, they dropped paratroops and released gliders carrying reinforcements. Again they dropped paratroops near Wesel on 24 March 1945 when the Allies made the airborne assault across the Rhine (Operation Varsity). They also provided transport services in Europe while not engaged in airborne operations, hauling supplies such as ammunition, gasoline, water, and rations, along with evacuating wounded personnel to hospitals in the rear.

The Group returned to the USA in May 1945 as part of the Continental Air Forces under the 3rd Air Force. There, it trained with Douglas C-47's, Fairchild C-82's and later C-119's as part of Tactical Air Command. It also operated a few Commandos during that period.

During WWII and the immediate post-war period, the 316th Troop Carrier Group was composed of up to seven troop carrier squadrons, which were equipped at some point with Commandos: