146th Operations Group

The 146th Operations Group is an active unit of the California Air National Guard stationed at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Its lineage began during World War II, when the 373rd Fighter Group was activated at Westover Field, Massachusetts, on 15 August 1943. The original organization comprised the 410th, 411th, and 412th Fighter Squadrons, and it trained in the United States with Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers before deploying to the European Theater of Operations. After arriving in England in April 1944, the group entered combat as part of the Ninth Air Force. Its missions included fighter sweeps, bomber escort, dive-bombing, armed reconnaissance, interdiction, and close support of Allied ground forces. The 373rd supported preparations for the Normandy invasion and flew fourteen missions on D-Day. During the campaign in France, it attacked airfields, bridges, railways, vehicles, troops, artillery positions, fortified areas, and other tactical targets. The group supported the advance of General George Patton's Third Army, participated in operations around Brest, and later supported Ninth Army forces during the autumn campaigns and the Battle of the Bulge. The unit's most significant wartime action occurred on 20 March 1945 during Operation Lumberjack, the Allied assault across the Rhine. Its aircraft attacked German airfields and transportation networks under heavy anti-aircraft fire and were credited in the source account with destroying or damaging 119 aircraft on the ground. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for that operation. It continued combat operations until the end of the war in Europe, then returned to the United States and was inactivated at Mitchel Field, New York, on 7 November 1945. The lineage was revived in the California National Guard after the group was redesignated the 146th Fighter Group and allotted to the Air National Guard in 1946. Organized at Van Nuys Airport, the unit initially operated North American F-51D Mustangs in an air-defense role covering Southern California and Arizona. During the Korean War period, the group and associated squadrons experienced federalization, changes in command relationships, and transfers among Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command. The group was redesignated the 146th Fighter-Bomber Group in 1951, inactivated federally in 1953, and reformed under California state control the same year. During the 1950s, the unit moved from piston-powered Mustangs to North American F-86 Sabres and later F-86L interceptors. Its designations reflected changing missions, including fighter-interceptor and tactical-fighter responsibilities. In 1961, the group transitioned from fighter operations to airlift, replacing its Sabres with Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter transports and becoming the 146th Air Transport Group. It was federalized during the Berlin Crisis and supported worldwide Military Air Transport Service requirements. Throughout the 1960s, its airlift missions reached locations including Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, South Vietnam, Okinawa, and Thailand. The organization later replaced the C-97 with Lockheed C-130A Hercules aircraft and continued its evolution within the Air National Guard. Although the historical lineage includes several fighter and transport designations, the present-day entity is the 146th Operations Group. It is not a commercial consumer brand; the supplied name refers to a military organizational lineage whose identity is expressed through unit history, operational service, aircraft missions, and its relationship with the California Air National Guard.

The organization now known as the 146th Operations Group traces its lineage to the 373rd Fighter Group, activated at Westover Field, Massachusetts, on 15 August 1943. Its initial squadrons were the 410th, 411th, and 412th Fighter Squadrons. The group trained with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts at Westover and Norfolk Army Air Field before moving to Camp Shanks, New York, in March 1944. Its personnel sailed for Britain aboard the SS Duchess of Bedford and reached the European theater in early April, establishing themselves at RAF Woodchurch in Kent. The group flew its first combat mission on 8 May 1944, conducting a fighter sweep over the French coast. It soon added bomber escort, dive-bombing, armed reconnaissance, and interdiction duties. The 373rd supported the Allied build-up to Operation Overlord and flew fourteen missions on 6 June 1944, patrolling the Normandy beaches and protecting other aircraft attacking German positions. After the landings, it moved to the continent and provided tactical support for advancing Allied armies. Missions included attacks on roads, bridges, railways, airfields, troop concentrations, vehicles, artillery, tanks, and fortified positions. The group supported the Third Army's advance across France during August 1944 and participated in attacks connected with the siege and capture of Brest. In the autumn it shifted much of its effort toward isolating the battlefield by cutting rail lines and destroying transportation infrastructure while also striking enemy strongpoints. It was located at Le Culot Airfield when the German offensive in the Ardennes began. Poor weather restricted flying between 19 and 23 December 1944, but operations resumed when conditions improved, continuing through the Battle of the Bulge and into 1945. By February 1945, the group was conducting armed reconnaissance against retreating German forces and their supply and transportation systems. On 20 March 1945, during Operation Lumberjack and the Allied advance toward the Rhine, the group attacked German airfields and communications targets despite intense anti-aircraft fire. The action was recognized with a Distinguished Unit Citation. Combat continued until the end of the European war. After V-E Day, the group moved through bases in Germany and England, returned to the United States in August 1945, and was inactivated at Mitchel Field, New York, on 7 November 1945. The lineage resumed in the Air National Guard when the group was redesignated the 146th Fighter Group and allotted to California on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Van Nuys Airport in August and received federal recognition in September. Equipped initially with North American F-51D Mustangs, it undertook air-defense duties for Southern California and Arizona. In 1950, the National Guard's wing-base reorganization produced the 146th Composite Wing, and the group temporarily became the 146th Composite Group before returning to a fighter-group designation. The Korean War period brought federalization and several organizational changes. The 146th was federalized on 1 April 1951, assigned to Strategic Air Command, and moved to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It was redesignated the 146th Fighter-Bomber Group in June and moved to George Air Force Base, California, in November under Tactical Air Command. The federal organization was inactivated on 1 January 1953, while the California unit was reformed at Van Nuys the same day. It then transitioned to F-86 Sabre jet fighters, later receiving F-86L interceptors and performing air-defense alert duties. Further designation changes reflected the shift among fighter-bomber, fighter-interceptor, and tactical-fighter roles. In 1961, the group changed from fighter operations to airlift, receiving Boeing C-97 Stratofreighters and becoming the 146th Air Transport Group. The unit was federalized during the Berlin Crisis from 1 October 1961 to 31 August 1962 and augmented the worldwide airlift capacity of Military Air Transport Service. During the 1960s, its aircraft flew long-range missions to the Pacific and supported operations connected with the Vietnam War, including missions involving South Vietnam, Okinawa, and Thailand. The C-97s were retired in 1970, after which the organization transitioned to Lockheed C-130A Hercules transports and continued theater airlift missions. The historical source states that the group was inactivated in 1975 and activated again in its current role in 1993. It is currently identified as the 146th Operations Group at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California.

• 1993

  Reactivation in its current role

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The historical source identifies 1993 as the year the group was activated in its current role.

• 1970

  C-130 Hercules transition

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The C-97 fleet was retired and the unit moved to Lockheed C-130A Hercules theater transport operations.

• 1961

  Transition to airlift

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group replaced its Sabres with Boeing C-97 Stratofreighters and became the 146th Air Transport Group.

• 1961

  Berlin Crisis mobilization

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The unit was federalized on 1 October during the Berlin Crisis and augmented Military Air Transport Service operations.

• 1953

  Return to California control

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The federal organization was inactivated on 1 January, and the California Air National Guard group was reformed at Van Nuys the same day.

• 1951

  Korean War federalization

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 146th Fighter Group was federalized, assigned to Strategic Air Command, moved to Moody Air Force Base, and redesignated the 146th Fighter-Bomber Group.

• 1946

  Redesignation for the Air National Guard

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The lineage was redesignated the 146th Fighter Group, allotted to the Air National Guard, organized at Van Nuys Airport, and federally recognized in California.

• 1945

  Distinguished Unit Citation action

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  On 20 March, the group attacked German airfields and transportation targets during Operation Lumberjack and received a Distinguished Unit Citation.

• 1945

  World War II inactivation

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Following its return to the United States, the 373rd Fighter Group was inactivated at Mitchel Field, New York, on 7 November.

• 1944

  Deployment to the European theater

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  After training with P-47 Thunderbolts, the group crossed the Atlantic and established operations at RAF Woodchurch in England.

• 1944

  First combat operations and Normandy support

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group began combat missions in May and flew fourteen missions on D-Day, supporting the Normandy invasion and subsequent Allied ground advances.

• 1943

  373rd Fighter Group activated

  [1]146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The 373rd Fighter Group was activated at Westover Field, Massachusetts, on 15 August with the 410th, 411th, and 412th Fighter Squadrons.

A military operations organization rather than a commercial brand, positioned within the California Air National Guard as an operational unit with a lineage spanning World War II fighter-bomber service, postwar air defense, and Cold War and later airlift missions.

• Fighter-bomber aircraft · 1943

  Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

  The P-47 Thunderbolt was the principal aircraft used by the 373rd Fighter Group during its training and initial European combat deployment. The group employed it for fighter sweeps, bomber escort, dive-bombing, armed reconnaissance, interdiction, and close support of Allied ground forces.

• Fighter aircraft · 1946

  North American F-51D Mustang

  The California Air National Guard's postwar 146th Fighter Group initially operated F-51D Mustangs. These aircraft supported the unit's air-defense mission over Southern California and Arizona after its reorganization in 1946.

• Jet fighter aircraft · 1953

  North American F-86 Sabre

  The group transitioned to F-86A Sabres during the 1950s as the California Air National Guard modernized its fighter force. The aircraft supported fighter-bomber and air-defense duties before the organization moved to later interceptor and tactical-fighter configurations.

• Interceptor aircraft · 1958

  North American F-86L Sabre

  Beginning in 1958, the group received F-86L interceptors designed for air-defense operations and linked to the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment control network.

• Strategic transport aircraft · 1961

  Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter

  The C-97 became the group's principal aircraft after its 1961 conversion from fighter operations to airlift. The aircraft supported long-distance Military Air Transport Service missions worldwide, including flights to the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

• Theater transport aircraft · 1970

  Lockheed C-130A Hercules

  After the C-97 was retired, the unit transitioned to C-130A Hercules transports for theater airlift missions supporting Tactical Air Command requirements in the United States and Alaska.

• 1961Berlin Crisis mobilization

  United States · Europe

  The newly converted airlift organization was federalized during the Berlin Crisis and assigned to augment Military Air Transport Service.

  Outcome. The unit returned to California state control on 31 August 1962.

  Source
• 1960Cold War and Vietnam-era airlift

  United States · Japan · Philippines · South Vietnam · Okinawa · Thailand

  During the 1960s, the group's transport aircraft flew long-distance missions supporting Air Force requirements and operations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

  Outcome. The unit maintained a worldwide airlift role before transitioning from C-97 aircraft to C-130A Hercules transports.

  Source
• 1945Operation Lumberjack

  Germany

  The group attacked German airfields and communications networks during the Allied assault toward the Rhine on 20 March.

  Outcome. The action earned the group a Distinguished Unit Citation.

  Source
• 1944Normandy campaign

  France · United Kingdom

  The group escorted bombers, patrolled the invasion beaches, and attacked German tactical targets before and after the Normandy landings.

  Outcome. The group continued from air support over the beachhead into interdiction and ground-support operations across France.

  Source
• 1944Brest operations

  France

  The 373rd participated in repeated dive-bombing and strafing attacks against German fortifications and strongpoints around Brest.

  Outcome. Air attacks helped Allied ground forces overcome fortified positions and complete the assault's final phase.

  Source
• 1944Battle of the Bulge support

  Belgium · Luxembourg

  The group resumed attacks against German ground forces and transportation targets after weather temporarily restricted operations during the German Ardennes offensive.

  Outcome. It continued tactical support missions through December 1944 and January 1945.

  Source

• 1970

  Transition to C-130A Hercules aircraftGeneration change

  Background

  The C-97 transport fleet reached the end of its service with the organization.

  Action taken

  The unit replaced its C-97s with Lockheed C-130A Hercules transports.

  Aftermath

  The organization continued in a theater-airlift role supporting Tactical Air Command requirements.

  Source

• 1961

  Conversion from fighter operations to airliftStrategy

  Background

  The organization changed mission as the Air National Guard adjusted its force structure and transport requirements expanded.

  Action taken

  The group exchanged Sabre fighters for Boeing C-97 Stratofreighters and adopted the 146th Air Transport Group designation.

  Aftermath

  It undertook worldwide airlift missions and supported Military Air Transport Service during the Berlin Crisis.

  Source

• 1946

  Reconstitution as an Air National Guard fighter groupStrategy

  Background

  After its World War II inactivation, the lineage was assigned to the California Air National Guard.

  Action taken

  The 373rd lineage was redesignated the 146th Fighter Group and organized at Van Nuys Airport.

  Aftermath

  The unit resumed military aviation operations with an air-defense mission in Southern California and Arizona.

  Source

1. 1146th Operations Groupen.wikipedia.org