The 146th Operations Group is an active California Air National Guard unit, stationed at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California. It was first activated as the 373rd Fighter Group. The group was formed during World War II. After training in the United States, the group moved to the European Theater of Operations, where it became part of Ninth Air Force. It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on 20 March 1945. After V-E Day, the group returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.
The 373rd was redesignated as the 146th Fighter Group, was activated in the California National Guard in 1946. The group was called to active duty for the Korean War in 1951, but remained in the United States until returning to state control in 1953. It served as a fighter aircraft unit until 1960, when it transitioned to the airlift mission. The group was inactivated in 1975, but was activated in its current role in 1993.
History World War II Training in the United States The 373rd Fighter Group was activated at Westover Field, Massachusetts, on 15 August 1943. Its original squadrons were the 410th, 411th, and 412th Fighter Squadrons.Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 502-04 The cadre for the 373rd was supplied by the 326th Fighter Group. Training for the group with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts began at Westover Field in September 1943 and was continued at Norfolk Army Air Field, Virginia in October. (includes information from the Research Studies Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base)
On 12 February 1944 the group's training ended and the organization prepared for departure overseas. The group moved to Camp Shanks, New York, on 15 March. One week later the unit's personnel sailed for Great Britain aboard the . The ship reached Greenock, Scotland on 3 April, and the group moved to their new station at RAF Woodchurch, Kent, England.
Combat in Europe During the remainder of the month the group prepared for combat operations by flying training missions. Some pilots, in order to gain experience, participated in missions with the 358th Fighter Group. The group flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep over the coast of France, on 8 May 1944. Three days later the unit escorted a group of Martin B-26 Marauders to France. Then, on 21 May, the unit participated in its first strike into Germany, when 50 of its Thunderbolts conducted a fighter sweep over the lower Ruhr Valley.
The unit met its first enemy air opposition on the mission of 24 May, when it was attacked by seven Focke-Wulf Fw 190s while escorting bombers to Belgium. Three days later the group completed its first dive bombing mission. The group flew escort missions for B-26 Marauders attacking airfields, railroads and bridges preparing for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. It flew fourteen missions on D-Day when it patrolled the beaches and provided top cover for other outfits in dive-bombing attacks against enemy targets. In the days succeeding the successful establishment of the Normandy beachhead the 373rd Group swept behind enemy lines, attacking motor convoys, troops, transportation facilities, and other tactical and interdiction targets, in an effort to isolate the battlefield.
The group left Woodchurch on 4 July and were established at Tour-en-Bessin Airfield on 19 July. Although the group was primarily concerned with ground support and interdiction operations, it engaged the enemy in aerial combat on several occasions. On 7 June, one day after the landings, the 410th Squadron accounted for three aerial victories. On 29 June, while the 411th Fighter Squadron was providing top cover for a dive-bombing strike against rolling stock in the Le Mans-Tours area, its pilots ran into seven Messerschmitt Bf 109s. In the battle which ensued the 411th's pilots chalked up five aerial victories.
The movement of the group to France hindered its operations during the latter part of July. However, in August the group completed 94 missions. Most of those missions were in support of General George Patton's United States Third Army, which during the month burst out of Normandy and into Brittany, liberated all of that peninsula except three port cities, and swept past Paris to within of the German border. During the advance across France the 373rd provided "umbrella cover" for the advancing ground forces, knocked out enemy rail and railroad transportation, and struck again and again at enemy tanks, gun emplacements, troop concentrations, and strongpoints.
Late in August and early in September the 373rd Fighter Group devoted much of its attention to attacking German fortifications at Brest. The old fortifications of that city had been reinforced by the Germans and presented a barrier to American troops. In spite of repeated air attacks and shellings, the enemy still held on to its position. In addition to continuing attacks with medium bombers, Ninth Air Force directed eight fighter groups, including the 373rd, consisting of approximately 400 planes, to provide air cooperation for the troops assaulting the city. Continuous dive-bombing and strafing attacks finally forced the enemy to withdraw into the city. In the final phase of the assault the 373rd attacked enemy strongpoints which were obstructing the progress of our ground troops.
After 12 September the group returned to supporting the front line elements of General Patton's Third Army. Despite the fact that the unit's base was far from the front lines, it completed 67 dive-bombing and reconnaissance missions—some of them to targets as far away as Luxembourg and Saarbrücken. On 1 October 1944 the group was transferred from XIX Tactical Air Command to the provisional XXIX Tactical Air Command. Thereafter the 373rd sought to isolate the front line battle areas by cutting rails and by destroying bridges and other transportation targets; and it gave direct ground support to elements of the Ninth Army by hitting enemy strongpoints, tanks, and gun positions.
Late in October the group moved to Le Culot Airfield, where it was located when the Germans began the breakthrough which resulted in the Battle of the Bulge. From 19 to 23 December, unfavorable weather conditions shield the Germans from air attacks. On 24 December the weather cleared and the group flew attacks in support of ground forces through the remainder of December and into January 1945.
Throughout that entire battle the 373rd Group played a small but significant role. Despite snow, fog, freezing rain, and cold weather, the group flew 13 missions during the month of January. By February 1945 the Germans were retreating rapidly. To prevent the Germans from forming a line of defense, the group flew armed reconnaissance missions, making repeated attacks against the enemy's retreating columns and against transportation targets behind enemy lines. During the month the group destroyed a total of 605 buildings, 412 railroad cars, 12 locomotives, 88 motor vehicles, and 2 tanks. The unit also made 193 railroad and road cuts. and it attacked bridges, supply dumps. ammunition stores, gun positions, and pockets of resistance. Operations continued until the war ended early in May 1945.
On 20 March 1945, the group's pilots destroyed or damaged 119 enemy aircraft on the ground. It greatly facilitated Operation Lumberjack, the general assault across the Rhine, repeatedly attacking through heavy flak in attacks against airfields east of the river and blocking lines of communication with attacks on rail lines and rolling stock without the loss of a single fighter. For this action the group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.
When the war ended the 373rd Fighter Group was stationed at Lippstadt Airfield, Germany. Later in the month the unit moved to AAF Station Illesheim. Germany, where it remained until in July. The group then moved back to England, where, on 25 July, it boarded the and sailed for the United States. After arriving at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 1 August, the Group moved to Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. On the following day the 373rd was transferred to Sioux Falls Army Air Field. South Dakota. The group's stay at that base was short, for on 17 August it moved to Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, and then to Mitchel Field, New York, on 28 September. Less than two months later, on 7 November 1945, the 373rd Fighter Group was inactivated.
373rd Fighter Group Aerial Victories Number Note Group Hq 3.5 Newton & Senning, p. 637 410th Fighter Squadron 23 Newton & Senning, p. 641 411 Fighter Squadron 45.5 Newton & Senning, pp. 641-42 412th Fighter Squadron 38 Newton & Senning, p. 642 Group Total 110
California Air National Guard
The group was redesignated the 146th Fighter Group, and allotted to the Air National Guard, on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Van Nuys Airport on 15 August 1946. The group was extended federal recognition on 16 September and assigned to the 62nd Fighter Wing.
Upon activation, the group was equipped with North American F-51D Mustangs, with a mission of air defense of Southern California and Arizona and moved into several buildings and hangars vacated just a few months previously by the 441st Army Air Force Base Unit.
146th Composite Wing
At the end of October 1950, the National Guard converted to the wing base organization. As a result, the 62d Fighter Wing was inactivated on 31 October 1950. The 146th Composite Wing was established, allotted to the state of California, and activated on 1 November 1950; assuming the personnel, equipment, and mission of the inactivated 62d Wing. The group was redesignated the 146th Composite Group and assigned to the new wing as its operational group. The 115th Bombardment Squadron was transferred to the group. However, in February 1951, the 115th was reassigned and the group reverted to its earlier designation as a fighter group.
Korean War federalization After the surprise invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, most of the Air National Guard was federalized starting in the fall of 1950. The group's 196th Fighter Squadron at Norton Air Force Base had begun equipping with Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars in 1948, was called to active duty toward the end of October. In February 1951, the group's remaining 195th and 197th Fighter Squadrons were also mobilized.
The 146th Group was not federalized until 1 April 1951. On 17 April, it became part of Strategic Air Command (SAC)Strategic Air Command General Order 32, 17 April 1952 and moved to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. At Moody, it was assigned the 178th, 186th and 190th Fighter Squadrons, all equipped with the F-51 Mustang. The group was redesignated the 146th Fighter-Bomber Group on 1 June 1951.Strategic Air Command General Order 48, 5 June 1952 In November 1951, the group moved to George Air Force Base, California, where it became part of Tactical Air Command (TAC). At George, the group prepared to transition to North American F-86 Sabres, but it was inactivated on 1 January 1953, and its equipment and personnel transferred to the 21st Fighter-Bomber Group, which was simultaneously activated.Maurer, Combat Units, p. 71
Fighter operations
The group was returned to California State control, and on 1 January 1953, the 146th was reformed at Van Nuys Airport. With the end of combat in Korea, jet-propelled aircraft began to be made available to the Air National Guard. In 1953, the 195th Squadron received North American F-86A Sabres. The 115th Squadron upgraded to F-86As in late 1953. The group completed its upgrade in 1954, when the 196th at Norton Air Force Base and the 197th at Luke Air Force Base upgraded to F-86As. Although designated as a fighter-bomber group until 1955, the group augmented Air Defense Command (ADC), standing dusk-to-dawn alerts. On 1 January 1954, the 196th moved from Norton to Ontario Municipal Airport.