The two squadrons were consolidated in 1985, but the consolidated squadron has not been active. It was converted to provisional status in February 2001 and redesignated 341st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.
The 641st initially flew sweeps over Occupied France from its base in England, attacking coastal defenses, V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites, airfields, and other targets in France in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. After D-Day, the squadron supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, it aided the Allied offensive at Caen and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.[2]
In December, the squadron converted to Douglas A-26 Invaders. It then participated in the Battle of the Bulge by attacking lines of communications and logistics. The squadron continued combat operations until May, flying its last combat mission against an ammunition dump in Czechoslovakia on 3 May.[2]
The 341st Air Refueling Squadron was activated in June 1955 at Castle Air Force Base, California, although it did not become operational until 20 July.[3] After completing training with the 93d Bombardment Wing at Castle, the squadron moved to its permanent home at Dow Air Force Base, Maine where it was assigned to the 4060th Air Refueling Wing. The squadron mission was to provide air refueling for Strategic Air Command (SAC) units. The squadron flew KC-97F and KC-97G Stratofreighters from activation in 1955 until it was discontinued in 1963.
The 341st provided refueling support for SAC wings deploying and redeploying from Europe and North Africa during Operation Reflex.[4] It also deployed to locations such as Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland[5] and Thule Air Base, Greenland.[6] In 1960 the squadron transferred to the 4038th Strategic Wing, which replaced the 4060th wing at Dow[7] as part of a SAC program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.
During October and November 1962 the 341st temporarily curtailed training and assumed an increased alert posture in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.[8] The squadron became non-operational on 15 July 1963[9] and was inactivated on 1 September as part of the phaseout of the KC-97 from SAC.
The 641st Bombardment Squadron and the 341st Air Refueling Squadron were consolidated into a single unit on 19 September 1985 but the consolidated squadron has not been active.[10] In 2001, the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 341st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.
Lineage
641st Bombardment Squadron
Constituted as the 641st Bombardment Squadron (Light) and activated, on 1 June 1943
Redesignated 641st Bombardment Squadron, Light c. March 1944
^Approved 21 December 1943. Description: Over and through an Indian red disc, the armed warrior Constantine the Great, in black and white, holding under the right arm a black and white aerial bomb, and a shield in the left arm formed in the shape of the nose of an A-20 aircraft with four 50 caliber machine guns thereon.
Citations
^ abcdefghijkMaurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 690–691
^ abcDepartment of the Air Force/MPM Letter 662q, 19 September 85, Subject: Reconstitution, Redesignation, and Consolidation of Selected Air Force Tactical Squadrons
^ abcLineage, including stations and aircraft through 1945 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons pp. 690–691
United States
United States Air Force
