377th Bombardment Group


The 377th Bombardment Group was activated in October 1942 as the headquarters for antisubmarine units operating along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Shortly after it was organized, Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command reorganized its squadrons in the area to reassign them directly to the 25th Antisubmarine Wing and the group was inactivated. In 1985, the group was redesignated the 357th Tactical Missile Group.

History

The group was first activated as the 377th Bombardment Group on 18 October 1942, when it replaced the 59th Observation Group at Fort Dix Army Air Field and assumed its mission, personnel and equipment. It was equipped with the various observation aircraft flown by the 59th, but its squadrons would finally convert to North American B-25 Mitchell bombers shortly after the 377th was inactivated. only one of the group's squadrons, the 516th Bombardment Squadron, was located with it at Fort Dix. Its 517th Bombardment Squadron was at Atlantic City Airport, New Jersey; the 518th Bombardment Squadron was at Grenier Field, New Hampshire; while the 519th Bombardment Squadron made its home at Hyannis Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Massachusetts.
Just as the group was activating, the Army Air Forces organized its antisubmarine forces into the single Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, which established the 25th Antisubmarine Wing the following month to control its forces operating over the Atlantic. The group's squadrons were all renamed as antisubmarine squadrons in late November. The command's bombardment group headquarters, including the 377th, were inactivated and the group's squadrons were assigned directly to the 25th Wing.
In July 1985, the group was redesignated the 357th Tactical Missile Wing, but it has never been active under this name.

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