RAF Kimbolton
Encyclopedia
RAF Kimbolton is a former World War II
airfield in England
, located 8 miles west of Huntingdon
in Cambridgeshire
.
, then expanded to Class A airfield
standards for use by American heavy bombers during 1942. Kimbolton was assigned to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Eighth Air Force
. It was given the designation USAAF Station 117.
The 91st was assigned to the 1st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-A. Its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
The 91st stayed at Kimbolton only a few weeks, because the runways at Kimbolton were not strong or long enough for the safe operation of Fortresses. The group transferred to RAF Bassingbourn
on 14 October.
. The 17th was originally intended to use RAF Bassingbourn. However, with the move of the 91st, the unit utilized Kimbolton as its shorter runways could accommodate their smaller, twin-engined medium bombers.
The 17th consisted of the following squadrons:
The 17th flew the B-26
"Marauder" medium bomber, and used Kimbolton as a transitory airfield on its way to the North African campaign. The Group departed in November for Telergma, Algeria
, with its last elements leaving in early December. With the departure of the B-26s, extensions were made to the NW-SE runway to facilitate the operation of fully loaded B-17s.
On 21 May 1943, the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived from Sioux City AAF, Iowa
.
The 379th was assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-K. Its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
The 379th BG began operations with Eighth AF on 19 May 1943, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations over Europe from May 1943 through July 1944. The group engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets such as industries, oil refineries, storage plants, submarine pens, airfields and communications centres in Germany
, France
, Holland, Belgium
, Norway
and Poland
.
Specific targets included a chemical plant in Ludwigshafen, an aircraft assembly plant in Brunswick
, ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt
and Leipzig
, synthetic oil refineries at Merseburg
and Gelsenkirchen
, marshalling yards at Hamm
and Reims
and airfields in Mesnil au Val and Berlin
.
The Group received another DUC for flying without fighter protection into central Germany to attack vital aircraft factories on 11 January 1944. On several occasions the Group attacked interdictory targets and operated in support of ground forces. It bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, radar stations and other installations before the Normandy invasion in June 1944, bombed defended positions just ahead of the Allied landings on 6 June and struck airfields, rail choke points, and gun emplacements during the campaign that followed.
During the Battle of France, the Group bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24–25 July 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 - January 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, February-March 1945.
The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups. It held records as far as bomb tonnage dropped - 26,459 tons - more than any other unit including those operational before the 379th arrived in the UK. It also exceeded all other UK Bomb Groups in the total number of missions flown, carrying out 330 between May 1943 and May 15, 1945. Two of the 524th Squadron B-17's claimed individual fame: "Ole Gappy", completed 157 missions, probably more than any other Eighth Air Force bomber and "Swamp Fire" was the first heavy bomber to achieve 100 missions without an abort. Lt Bruce E. Mills was the pilot of that mission.
After V-E Day, the 379th Bomb Group was transferred to Casablanca
, French Morocco
, during June 1945. The unit was deactivated in place in Morocco during July.
Legacy
The 379th Bomb Wing and 524th Bomb Squadron were reactivated by Strategic Air Command
and requipped with B-47 Stratojet
medium bombers at Homestead AFB, Florida
, on 1 November 1955. Upon activation, the unit was bestowed the honors, history and colors of the World War II Eighth Air Force's 379th Bomb Group. In January 1961, the wing was redesignated as a heavy bombardment wing and relocated to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan where it was equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
and KC-135 Stratotanker
aircraft. Throughout the Cold War
, the wing played a major role in the defense of the United States
.
Post World War II
The wing meritoriously served in combat during the Vietnam War
and 1990-1991 Operations Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm
flying the Boeing B-52G Stratofortress (the vertical stabilizer of the 379th's aircraft were emblazoned with the Triangle K to honor their World War II namesake). Wurtsmith AFB, named after Major General Paul B. Wurtsmith
was closed by BRAC
action in 1993 and the 379th Bombardment Wing was disestablished the same year.
In 2003, the 379th was reactivated in provisional status as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
(379 AEW) of the Air Combat Command
, assigned to Al Udeid Air Base
, Qatar.
Desert Storm Note
The 379 BW/CC with his battle staff aboard was caught making a low level turn and a surface to air missile went off right under the belly of the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F****r). The crew survived and the maintenance folks spent the next few days patching a couple of hundred holes in the belly and wings.
On Saturdays, "banger racing
" is held on one of the old loop hardstands.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located 8 miles west of Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
.
USAAF use
The airfield was originally built in 1941 for RAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, then expanded to Class A airfield
Class A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
standards for use by American heavy bombers during 1942. Kimbolton was assigned to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. It was given the designation USAAF Station 117.
91st Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The airfield was opened in 1942 and was first used by the USAAF Eighth Air Force 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Walla Walla AAF, Washington during September.The 91st was assigned to the 1st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-A. Its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
- 322d Bombardment Squadron322d Bombardment SquadronThe 322d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 91st Bombardment Wing, stationed at Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana...
(LG) - 323d Bombardment Squadron (OR)
- 324th Bombardment Squadron (DF)
- 401st Bombardment Squadron401st Bombardment SquadronThe 401st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 91st Bombardment Group, stationed at Drew Field, Florida...
(LL)
The 91st stayed at Kimbolton only a few weeks, because the runways at Kimbolton were not strong or long enough for the safe operation of Fortresses. The group transferred to RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Bassingbourn
RAF Bassingbourn is a former military airbase located in Cambridgeshire approximately north of Royston, Hertfordshire and south west of Cambridge. During World War II it served first as an RAF station and then as a bomber base of the U.S. Eighth Air Force...
on 14 October.
17th Bombardment Group (Medium)
The next USAAF unit to use Kimbolton was the 17th Bombardment Group (Medium), arriving in October from Barksdale AAF LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The 17th was originally intended to use RAF Bassingbourn. However, with the move of the 91st, the unit utilized Kimbolton as its shorter runways could accommodate their smaller, twin-engined medium bombers.
The 17th consisted of the following squadrons:
- 34th Bombardment Squadron
- 37th Bombardment Squadron
- 95th Bombardment Squadron
- 432d Bombardment Squadron432d Bombardment SquadronThe 432d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Group, stationed at Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 26 November 1945.-History:Activated during World War I...
The 17th flew the B-26
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
"Marauder" medium bomber, and used Kimbolton as a transitory airfield on its way to the North African campaign. The Group departed in November for Telergma, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, with its last elements leaving in early December. With the departure of the B-26s, extensions were made to the NW-SE runway to facilitate the operation of fully loaded B-17s.
379th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
The 379th was assigned to the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing of the 1st Bombardment Division. Its tail code was Triangle-K. Its operational B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons were:
- 524th Bombardment Squadron524th Bombardment SquadronThe 524th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 15 June 1993.-History:...
(WA) - 525th Bombardment Squadron525th Bombardment SquadronThe 525th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4136th Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
(FR) - 526th Bombardment Squadron526th Bombardment SquadronThe 526th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4042d Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan, and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.-History:...
(LF) - 527th Bombardment Squadron527th Bombardment SquadronThe 527th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 9 January 1961.-History:...
(FO)
The 379th BG began operations with Eighth AF on 19 May 1943, and received a Distinguished Unit Citation for operations over Europe from May 1943 through July 1944. The group engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic targets such as industries, oil refineries, storage plants, submarine pens, airfields and communications centres in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Holland, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Specific targets included a chemical plant in Ludwigshafen, an aircraft assembly plant in Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
and Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, synthetic oil refineries at Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
and Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, marshalling yards at Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
and airfields in Mesnil au Val and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
The Group received another DUC for flying without fighter protection into central Germany to attack vital aircraft factories on 11 January 1944. On several occasions the Group attacked interdictory targets and operated in support of ground forces. It bombed V-weapon sites, airfields, radar stations and other installations before the Normandy invasion in June 1944, bombed defended positions just ahead of the Allied landings on 6 June and struck airfields, rail choke points, and gun emplacements during the campaign that followed.
During the Battle of France, the Group bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24–25 July 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944 - January 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, February-March 1945.
The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups. It held records as far as bomb tonnage dropped - 26,459 tons - more than any other unit including those operational before the 379th arrived in the UK. It also exceeded all other UK Bomb Groups in the total number of missions flown, carrying out 330 between May 1943 and May 15, 1945. Two of the 524th Squadron B-17's claimed individual fame: "Ole Gappy", completed 157 missions, probably more than any other Eighth Air Force bomber and "Swamp Fire" was the first heavy bomber to achieve 100 missions without an abort. Lt Bruce E. Mills was the pilot of that mission.
After V-E Day, the 379th Bomb Group was transferred to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, during June 1945. The unit was deactivated in place in Morocco during July.
Legacy
The 379th Bomb Wing and 524th Bomb Squadron were reactivated by Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
and requipped with B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
medium bombers at Homestead AFB, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, on 1 November 1955. Upon activation, the unit was bestowed the honors, history and colors of the World War II Eighth Air Force's 379th Bomb Group. In January 1961, the wing was redesignated as a heavy bombardment wing and relocated to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan where it was equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
and KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
aircraft. Throughout the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the wing played a major role in the defense of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Post World War II
The wing meritoriously served in combat during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and 1990-1991 Operations Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
flying the Boeing B-52G Stratofortress (the vertical stabilizer of the 379th's aircraft were emblazoned with the Triangle K to honor their World War II namesake). Wurtsmith AFB, named after Major General Paul B. Wurtsmith
Paul Wurtsmith
Paul Bernard Wurtsmith was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II.Enlisting in the United States Army Air Corps as a flying cadet in 1927, was commissioned in 1928. Over the next 13 years, he served in instruction and command positions...
was closed by BRAC
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
action in 1993 and the 379th Bombardment Wing was disestablished the same year.
In 2003, the 379th was reactivated in provisional status as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
379th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time....
(379 AEW) of the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
, assigned to Al Udeid Air Base
Al Udeid Air Base
Al Udeid Air Base is a military base west of Doha, Qatar. It houses foreign coalition personnel and assets. It is host to a forward headquarters of United States Central Command, headquarters of United States Air Forces Central Command, and home to both No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group RAF and the...
, Qatar.
Desert Storm Note
The 379 BW/CC with his battle staff aboard was caught making a low level turn and a surface to air missile went off right under the belly of the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F****r). The crew survived and the maintenance folks spent the next few days patching a couple of hundred holes in the belly and wings.
Postwar military use
After World War II, Kimbolton was closed in 1946 but maintained in a "standby" status until the early 1960s. After the Americans left the RAF used the base for basic training(square bashing). I arrived at Kimbolton railway station by troop train direct from Padgate, the intake station. mid January 1946. Did 8 weeks and was then posted to RAF St Athen for technical training.Many hundreds of conscripts did their basic training there before it was closed.Civil use
With the end of military control, most of the buildings were torn down and the concrete areas removed. However, parts of the old hardstands are used for go-kart racing. The kart club's flag is the 379th "Triangle K" symbol. In one of the buildings at the kart track there is a collection of memorabilia including photographs and pieces of aircraft wreckage.On Saturdays, "banger racing
Banger racing
Banger Racing is a tarmac or dirt track racing type of motorsport event popularised in both North America and Europe and especially United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands in which drivers of old vehicles race against one another around a race track and the race is...
" is held on one of the old loop hardstands.