5th Combat Cargo Squadron

  April 1944 to January 1946

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Syracuse AAB, NY (1944), Baer Field, IN (1944), Biak AAF, Papua, Dutch East Indies (1944-1945), Dulag, Philippines (1945), Bolo Point, Okinawa, Japan (1945), Yokota, Japan (1945-1946)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: 5^th Air Commando Squadron (when reconstituted 1965)

The 5^th Combat Cargo Squadron was one of the 2^nd Combat Cargo Group's four squadrons during World War II. It was constituted on 25 April 1944 and activated on 1 May 1944 at Syracuse AAB, NY with a fleet of Douglas C-47. Commandos started replacing the C-47s from August 1944 and the crews were trained by a mix of civilian instructors from Curtiss-Wright and ATC ones from Reno AAF, NV.

Between 9 and 27 October 1944, the 5^th was located at Baer Field, IN for overseas processing following the completion of its training. It arrived at Biak AAF, Papua in November, flying passengers and cargo to American bases in Australia, New Guinea, the Admiralties, and the Philippines. The unit was also involved in the airdrop of supplies to American and guerrilla forces in the Philippines. The squadron moved forward to Dulag on Leyte in May 1945. It continued flights to bases in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines, and transported personnel and supplies to the Ryukyus, evacuating casualties on the return flights. On 16 August 1945, the day after Japan surrendered, the squadron moved to Okinawa, transporting occupation forces personnel and equipment to Japan and ferrying liberated prisoners of war to the Philippines. In September 1945, the 5^th Combat Cargo Squadron relocated to Yokota AB, Japan, where it was inactivated on 15 January 1946 and disbanded on 8 October 1948.

The squadron was later reconstituted in Vietnam as the 5^th Air Commando Squadron, later redesignated the 5^th Special Operations Squadron, and still active today.

September 1944 to January 1946

The 5^th Combat Cargo Squadron operated a total of 22 Commandos. The first two delivered, C-46As, were lost to accidents while the squadron was still training in the USA. The rest, a complement of 20 C-46Ds, ferried to Australia for operation in the Soutwest Pacific theatre in October 1944 according to Special Order No.69.

• Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: 42-107397
• Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando: 42-101042
• Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando: 42-96824, 42-101038, 42-101041, 42-101079, 42-101092, 42-101136, 42-101138, 42-101140, 42-101143, 42-101146, 42-101155, 42-101156, 42-101157, 42-101158, 42-101159, 42-101161, 42-101162, 42-101165, 42-101166, 42-101207, 44-77317