60TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP

ORGANIZATION

60th Troop Carrier Group

    10th Troop Carrier Squadron 1940-1945
    11th Troop Carrier Squadron 1940-1945
    12th Troop Carrier Squadron 1940-1945
    28th Troop Carrier Squadron 1942-1945
 

HISTORY
20 Nov 1940 - Constituted as 60th Transport Group

01 Dec 1940 - Activated.  Olmsted Field, PA

20 May 1941 - Westover Field, MA

00 Jun 1942 - Prepared for duty overseas with C-47's. Moved to Chelveston and Podington, England APO #105

00 Jul 1942 - Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group

07 Aug 1942 - HQ 60th Troop Carrier Group and 10th and 28th Troop Carrier Squadrons move to Aldermaston, England APO #467

15 Aug 1942 - 11th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, moves to Aldermaston, England APO #467

Received additional training in England, then assigned to Twelfth AF for operations in the Mediterranean theater.

08 Nov 1942 - Flew its first mission, transporting paratroops from England and dropping them at Oran during the early hours of the invasion of North Africa. Operated from bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy until after V-E Day. Participated in the battle for Tunisia, dropping paratroops near the combat area on two occasions.

08 Nov 1942 - Tafaraoui, Algeria

27 Nov 1942 - Relizane, Algeria

00 May 1943 - Thiersville, Algeria

00 Jun 1943 - Trained with gliders

00 Jun 1943 - El Djem, Tunisia

00 Jul 1943 - then towed gliders to Syracuse and dropped paratroops behind enemy lines at Catania when the Allies invaded Sicily in Jul.

30 Aug 1943 - Gela, Sicily

00 Oct 1943 - Flew to northern Italy to drop supplies to men who had escaped from prisoner-of-war camps.

29 Oct 1943 - Gerbini, Sicily

26 Mar 1944 - Brindisi, Italy

08 Oct 1944 - Pomigliano, Italy

00 Oct 1944 - Dropped paratroops at Megava during the airborne invasion of Greece. When not engaged in airborne operations, the group transported men and supplies and evacuated wounded personnel.

00 Sep 1944 - Received a DUC for supporting the partisans in the Balkans, Mar-Sep 1944: flew at night, unarmed, over unfamiliar and mountainous enemy territory and landed on small, poorly-constructed airfields to provide guns, ammunition, clothing, food, medical supplies, gas, oil, jeeps, mail, and mules for underground forces in Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece; evacuated wounded partisans and escaped prisoners; also dropped propaganda leaflets.

04 Jun 1945 - Moved to Waller Field, Trinidad and assigned to Air Transport Command.

31 Jul 1945 - Inactivated

30 Sep 1946 - Activated in Germany. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. Equipped first with C-47's

1948 - Equipped (late in 1948) with C-54's.

00 Jun 1948 to 00 Sep 1949 - Participated in the Berlin airlift

00 Jul 1948 - Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group (Medium)

00 Nov 1948 - Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group (Heavy)

00 Nov 1949 - Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group (Medium)

1949 - Re-equipped with C-82 aircraft

1953 - Re-equipped with C-119 aircraft

CAMPAIGNS
Air Combat, EAME Theater, Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, North Apennines, Po Valley,

DECORATIONS
Distinguished Unit Citation

STATIONS
Name                                     Dates                                 Station No.
Olmsted Field, PA                 1 Dec 1940
Westover Field, MA c.         20 May 1941-Jun 1942
Chelveston, England               Jun 1942                             105
Aldermaston, England             Aug 1942                             467
Tafaraoui, Algeria                     8 Nov 1942
Relizane, Algeria                 27 Nov 1942
Thiersville, Algeria                 May 1943
El Djem, Tunisia                     Jun 1943
Gela, Sicily c.                     30 Aug 1943
Gerbini, Sicily                     29 Oct 1943
Brindisi, Italy                         26 Mar 1944
Pomigliano, Italy                 8 Oct 1944-May 1945
Waller Field, Trinidad         4 Jun-31 Jul 1945


COMMANDERS

Name                                 Dates
Lt Col Samuel C Eaton Jr 1 Dec 1940
Capt Arthur L Logan 16 May 1941
Lt Col Russell L Maughari 28 Jul 1941
Lt Col A J Kerwin Malone 15 Apr 1942
Lt Col T Schofield 11 Oct 1942
Lt Col Julius A Kolb 2 Dec 1942
Lt Col Frederick H Sherwood 29 Mar 1943
Col Clarence J Galligan 26 Jul 1943
Lt Col Kenneth W Holbert 8 Dec 1944
Lt Col Charles A Gibson Jr Jan 1945-unkn

 



USAAF CRONOLOGY

http://paul.rutgers.edu/~mcgrew/wwii/usaf/html/

http://www.milhist.net/usaaf/mto42.html

SUNDAY, 8 NOV 1942

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)
  NE AFRICA [US Army, Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF)]: HQ 376th
Bombardment Group (Heavy) and the 513th, 514th and 515th Bombardment
Squadrons (Heavy) move from Lydda, Palestine to Abu Sueir, Egypt with
B-24s.

  NW AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force): The invasion of N Africa (Operation TORCH)
begins. In French Morocco, C-47s of the 60th Troop Carrier Group attempting
to land troops at La Senia Airfield find the French unexpectedly hostile and
have several aircraft shot down by fighters and AA; several other C-47s are
damaged when trying to land on the dry lakebed of Sebkra d'Oran. Spitfires of
the 31st Fighter Group, flying from Gibraltar into Tafaraoui Airfield,
Algeria during the afternoon of D-Day, claim 3 hostile French fighters
destroyed. In Algeria, the following units arrive at Tafaraoui Airfield
from the UK: HQ XII Fighter Command, HQ 31st Fighter Group, HQ 60th Troop
Carrier Group and 10th, 11th and 12th Troop Carrier Squadrons with C-47s, air
echelon of 2d, 4th and 5th Fighter Squadrons, 52d Fighter Group with
Spitfires, and the 308th and 309th Fighter Squadrons, 31st Fighter Group,
with Spitfires; the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, arrives
at St Leu from the UK with P-38s. In French Morocco during Nov 42, HQ 5th
Bombardment Wing and HQ 7th Fighter Wing arrive at Casablanca from the US.

WEDNESDAY, 11 NOV 1942

NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Algeria, fighters fly reconnaissance over the Oran-Tafaraoui area and
escort C-47s carrying paratroops from Gibraltar to Algiers. All French
resistance against the Allies in NW Africa ceases in the early morning. HQ
319th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from England to St Leu, Algeria. The
16th, 17th and 18th Troop Carrier Squadrons, 64th Troop Carrier Group, based in
England begin operating from Maison Blance, Algeria. The 92d Fighter Squadron,
81st Fighter Group, arrives at Port Lyautey, French Morocco from the US with
P-39s.
 

THURSDAY, 12 NOV 1942

NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Algeria, fighters fly patrols over a wide area around Oran and escort
C-47s which drop US paratroops at Duzerville Airfield SE of Bone; Duzerville
Airfield is bombed by Axis aircraft during the night of 12/13 Nov; HQ XII
Fighter Command moves from Tafaraoi to La Senia; the ground echelon of the 2d,
4th and 5th Fighter Squadrons, 52d Fighter Group, arrive at La Senia from the
UK; the 5th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Twelfth AF (attached to 3d
Photographic Group) arrives La Senia from the UK with F-4s (first mission in
Nov 42); the 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, moves from Tafaraoui
to La Senia with Spitfires. In French Morocco, the 16th and 122d Observation
Squadrons, 68th Observation Group, move from Fedala to Casablanca with A-20s
and P-39s.
 

SATURDAY, 14 NOV 1942

NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Algeria, US Spitfires fly routine patrols in the Oran-Tafaraoui area and
escort C-53's carrying paratroops from Gibraltar to Algiers; HQ 52d Fighter
Group moves from Tafaraoui to La Senia; the 28th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th
Troop Carrier Group, arrives at Tafaraoui from the UK with C-47s; the 71st
Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group moves from St Leu to Tafaraoui with P-38s;
the 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group moves from Tafaraoui to La Senia
with Spitfires. In French Morocco, the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop
Carrier Group, begins operating from Casablanca with C-47s (squadron is enroute
from the UK).
 

SUNDAY, 15 NOV 1942

NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Algeria, C-47s fly an airborne operation from Algiers to Youks-le-Bains;
escort is provided at intervals by Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires and
Hurricanes. British First Army ground forces reach Tunisia at Taberka; the
following units arrive at Tafaraoui from the UK: HQ 14th Fighter Group; HQ 62d
Troop Carrier Group and the 4th and 7th Troop Carrier Squadrons with C-47s; the
94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, with P-38s.
 

FRIDAY 27 NOV 1942

  NW AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force): In Algeria, HQ XII Bomber Command moves from
Tafaraoui to Algiers; HQ 60th Troop Carrier Group and the 10th and 28th Troop
Carrier Squadrons move from Tafaraoui to Relizane; the 5th Photographic
Reconnaissance Squadron, Twelfth AF (attached to 3d Photographic Group),
moves from Tafaraoui to Algiers.

SUNDAY, 29 NOV 1942

NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Tunisia, the British First Army, after taking Tebourba on 27 Nov, is
stalled at Djedeida; in an effort to rejuvenate the drive on Tunis elements of
the British 1 Parachute Brigade are dropped at Depienne by Twelfth AF C-47s,
but the objective of capturing Oudna airfield and threatening Tunis, 10 miles
(16 km) to the N, fails because of overwhelming defense of the airfield; over
300 casualties are suffered by the paratroops; P-38s and DB-7s attack Gabes
Airfield while other US fighters operate with the RAF out of Bone, Algeria,
furnishing air cover for ground units in the battle area. The 11th Troop
Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Tafaraoui to Relizane,
Algeria with C-47s.
 

MONDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 1942
NORTHWEST AFRICA (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Tunisia, B-17s bomb the N quay at Bizerte; B-26s hit the airfield and
railroad at Gabes; DB-7s attack a bridge and railway station at Djedeida; P-38s
escort all 3 missions; other P-38s strafe Gabes Airfield, fly reconnaissance,
and shoot down a Bf 109 in an aerial battle near Tunis; elements of the British
First Army remain hard pressed at Djedeida. The 12th Troop Carrier Squadron,
60th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Tafaraoui to Relizane, Algeria with C-47s.

SATURDAY, 26 DEC 1942

WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Twelfth Air Force):
   In Tunisia, B-17s, with fighter escort, hit the harbor and shipping at
Bizerte; heavy AA and fighter attacks account for two B-17s and two P-38s shot
down; P-38s claim two Fw 190s destroyed.  Other B-17s, with P-40 escort, bomb
the harbor and shipping at Sfax; three enemy vessels are claimed sunk.  P-38s
on reconnaissance attack locomotives and motor vehicles south of Tunis and west
of Sousse.  P-40s strafe barges off Sousse, destroying one of them, and strafe
ground targets during reconnaissance over the Kairouan-Sousse-Kasserine area.
During the night of 26/27 Dec, C-47s drop a detachment of US paratroops at a
bridge north of El Djem.
   HQ 27th Bombardment Group (Light) and its 16th, 17th and 91st Bombardment
Squadrons (Light) with A-20s is established at Ste-Barbe-du-Tlelat, Algeria
upon arrival from the US.  The group will enter combat on 6 Jun 43.