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158th Liaison Squadron
158th Liaison Squadron
	L-5 Sentinel, primary airplane flown by the squadron
Active	1944–1946; 1946–1949
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	aerial reconnaissance and support
Engagements	European Theater of Operations
Insignia
158 Liaison Sq emblem

The 158th Liaison Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It served in the European Theater of Operations in the final months of World War II before returning to the United States in 1946, when it was inactivated. Later that year, it was again activated and served in the occupation forces in Japan until inactivating in 1949 in response to the Truman administration budget cuts of that year.

History

World War II

The 158th Liaison Squadron was activated in March 1944 at Raleigh-Durham Army Air Field, North Carolina and primarily equipped with Stinson L-5 Sentinels, although it flew a number of other aircraft. Its initial mission was to conduct tactical training and indoctrination for field operations of liaison units and to act as a Replacement Training Unit.^[1]^[2]^[3] However, by the time the squadron was organized, the Army Air Forces (AAF) had already determined that standard military units like the 158th, which were based on relatively inflexible tables of organization, were not well adapted to the training mission.^[4] Therefore, in July the squadron began training for deployment overseas. It departed North Carolina in November 1944 for the port of embarkation at Camp Myles Standish, sailing on 2 December and arrived at Nantwich, England in the European Theater of Operations on 13 December.^[1]^[5]

The squadron once again equipped with the Sentinel, plus a few other types of liaison aircraft, and moved to the continent of Europe in February 1945. It began combat operations from Belgium and Germany the following month, continuing them until V-E Day.^[1] Its missions included reconnaissance and light photographic observation, troop and light cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation and command liaison and courier flights.^[6] After the German surrender, it moved to France, where it provided support services until February 1946, when it moved to Bolling Field without personnel or equipment. It remained unmanned until it was inactivated at the end of March, shortly after the AAF reorganized into Strategic, Tactical Air Command, and Air Defense Commands.^[1]

Occupation of Japan

The squadron was activated again on 25 October 1946 at Nagoya Airfield, Japan, where it formed part of the occupation forces. Once again it equipped with the Stinson L-5. Due to personnel shortages, around 1 April 1947, the squadron was reduced to zero manning, although still kept on the rolls. By September, the squadron again received personnel and aircraft.^[1] The squadron conducted passenger and light freight transport missions, and carried classified documents between Fifth Air Force bases. It also conducted occasional search and rescue missions.^[7] During June and July 1948, the squadron assisted in recovery operations following the Fukui earthquake.^[8] It also dropped leaflets to encourage citizens to pay taxes, and engaged in radio reconnaissance missions.^[9]

However, President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,^[10] and the 158th was inactivated on 1 April 1949.^[1]

Lineage

Constituted as the 158th Liaison Squadron on 23 February 1944

Activated on 1 March 1944

Inactivated on 31 March 1946

Activated on 25 October 1946

Inactivated on 1 April 1949^[1]

Assignments

I Tactical Air Division (later III Tactical Air Division), 1 March 1944
III Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1944
Ninth Air Force, 13 December 1944 (attached to Twelfth Army Group, 18 January – 25 July 1945)
European Air Transport Service, 25 September 1945
Continental Air Forces (later Strategic Air Command), 15 February – 31 March 1946
Fifth Air Force, 25 October 1946 – 1 February 1949^[1]

Stations

Raleigh-Durham Army Air Field, North Carolina, 1 March – 16 November 1944
Nantwich, Cheshire, England, 13 December 1944 – 21 January 1945
Somme-Suippe, Lorraine, France, 4 February 1945
Celles, Houyet, Belgium, 16 February 1945
Ahrweiler, Germany, 17 April 1945
Orly Airport (A-47),^[11] France, 22 July 1945
Villacoublay Airfield (Sta 180, A-42),^[12] France
Bolling Field District of Columbia, 15 February – 31 March 1946
Nagoya Airfield, Japan, 25 October 1946 – 1 February 1949^[13]

Aircraft

Stinson L-5 Sentinel, 1944, 1945–1946, 1946–1947, 1947-1949
Douglas A-24 Banshee, 1944
Douglas RA-24 Banshee, 1944
Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, 1944
Vultee BT-13 Valiant, 1944
Stinson L-1 Vigilant, 1945-1946
Piper L-4 Grasshopper, 1945-1946^[1]

Campaigns

Campaign	Dates	Notes
Rhineland	4 February 1945 – 21 March 1945	^[1]
Central Europe	22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945	^[1]
World War II Army of Occupation (Japan)	25 October 1946 – 1 February 1949	^[1]

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

^ Approved 16 December 1944.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Maurer, pp. 357-358
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron April 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron May 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ Goss, p. 75
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron November-December 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ Holley, p. 111
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron CY 1948 (1)". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron CY 1948 (2)". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ "Abstract, History 158 Liaison Squadron Jan-Mar 1949". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
^ Knaack, p. 25
^ Station number in Johnson, p. 18.
^ Station numbers in Anderson, p. 23 and Johnson, p. 17.
^ Station information in Maurer, pp. 357-358, except as noted.

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Holley, Jr., Capt Irving B. (April 1946). "Evolution of the Liaison-Type Airplane, 1917-1944, USAF Historical Study No. 44" (PDF). AAF Historical Office, Hq Army Air Forces. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems (PDF). Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

External links

Gray, Jim (Summer 2014). "What's a Liaison Squadron?" (PDF). The Stinson Owners and Pilot's Association L-5 Newsletter. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
Stevenson, Taylor (2014). "Stinson L-5 Sentinel 42-98333 158th Liaison Sqn". The Stevenson Collection. Retrieved 31 August 2021.