39th, 41st & 46th Troop Carrier Squadrons | 317th Troop Carrier Group | "Jungle Skippers" | Fifth AAF
Constituted as 317th Transport Group on 2 Feb 1942 and activated on 22 Feb. Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Group in Jul 1942. Trained with C-47’s. Moved to Australia, Dec 1942-Jan 1943, and assigned to Fifth AF. Operated in New Guinea for a short time early in 1943.
Received a DUC for making numerous flights in unarmed planes over the Owen port reinforcements and supplies to Wau, New Guinea, where enemy forces were threatening a valuable Allied airdrome. Exchanged its new C-47’s for old G39’s, C-47’s, C-49's, C-do’s, B-17’s, and LB-30’s in New Guinea and began operating from Australia, where the group had maintained its headquarters, Flew troops and equipment to New Guinea, established courier and passenger routes in Australia, and trained with airborne troops.
Equipped with C-47’s and moved to New Guinea in Sep 1943. Took part in the first airborne operation in the Southwest Pacific on 5 Sep, dropping paratroops at Nadzab, New Guinea, to cut supply lines and seize enemy bases. Until Nov 1944, transported men and cargo to Allied bases on New Guinea, New Britain, Guadalcanal, and in the Admiralty Islands. Also dropped reinforcements and supplies to US forces on Noemfoor, 3-4 Jul 1944.
After moving to the Philippines in Nov 1944, transported supplies to ground forces on Luzon, Leyte, and Mindoro, and supplied guerrillas on Mindanao, Cebu, and Panay. Participated in two airborne operations during Feb 1945: on 3 and 4 Feb dropped paratroops south of Manila to seize highway routes to the city, and on 16 and 17 Feb dropped the 502d Regiment on Corregidor to open Manila Bay to US shipping; received a DUC for the latter operation, performed at low altitude over small drop zones in a heavily defended area. Completed two unusual missions on 12 and 15 Apr 1945 when this troop Stanley Range, 30 Jan-1 Feb 1943, to trans- carrier organization bombed Carabao part of 511th Regiment near Aparri on 23 Jun 1945 to split Japanese forces in the Cagayen Valley and prevent a retreat to the hills in northern Luzon. Remained in the theater as part of Far East Air Forces after the war.
AIRCRAFT. Principally C-47, 1942-1946; B-17E.
SQUADRONS. 39th: 1942-1949; 1952-. 40th: 1942-1949; 1952-. 41st: 1942-1949; 1952-. 46th: 1942-1949.
STATIONS. Duncan Field, Tex, 22 Feb 1942; Bowman Field, Ky, 19 Tun 1942; Lawson Field, Ga, 11 Oct 1942; Maxton, NC, 3-12 Dec 1942; Townsville, Australia, 23 Jan 1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, c. 30 Sep 1943; Finschhafen, New Guinea, Apr 1944; Hollandia, New Guinea, Jun 1944; Leyte, 17 Nov 1944; Clark Field, Luzon, c. 17 Mar 1945; Okinawa, 24 Aug 1945.
CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Japan; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon.
Sources:
https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums ... fifth-aaf/https://media.defense.gov/2017/Sep/07/2 ... IPPERS.PDF
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