The 5th Liaison Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated during World War II as the 5th Observation Squadron. It served as a training unit for cooperation with field artillery until 1942, when that mission was assumed by the artillery. After training in the United States, it deployed to India in 1944, where it served in combat as the 5th Liaison Squadron until V-J Day, returning to the United States for inactivation in 1946. The squadron was active in the United States as a liaison and a helicopter unit. It was last active at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska in 1954.
History
World War II
Training in the United States
Curtiss O-52 Owl
The 5th Observation Squadron was activated on 7 February 1942, at Post Field, Oklahoma as the 5th Observation Squadron (Special).[1] The squadron replaced Flight E of the 16th Observation Squadron, which had supported the Field Artillery School since 1931.[2] It was initially equipped with the Curtiss O-52 Owl observation aircraft, but also flew the Douglas B-18 Bolo bomber, and a number of light aircraft, commonly called "Grasshoppers."[1]
The 5th was assigned directly to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps and attached to the Field Artillery School,[1] providing aircraft for training with the school. However, in July 1942, the United States Army decided that field artillery units would have assigned aircraft to serve as air observation posts. These planes and pilots would be assigned to the field artillery, not the air corps, and the school to train them would be located at Post Field.[3] In August, the squadron was relieved of its attachment to the artillery school and moved to Marshall Field, Kansas to make way for the first arriving class, which began in September.[1][3]
The squadron moved to Desert Center Army Air Field, where it supported units training at the Desert Training Center, later relocating to Thermal Army Air Field in September.[1] It converted entirely to "Grasshopper" aircraft in April 1943, becoming the 5th Liaison Squadron. The pilots of these light planes were enlisted, rather than officers.[4] In October, it moved to Alamo Army Air Field, Texas and prepared for movement overseas.[1]
Combat in India and Burma
L-5 Sentinel, as flown by the squadron
In February 1944, the squadron departed the United States for the China-Burma-India Theater, arriving at Ledo Airfield, India in April.[1] From August 1944 until May 1945, Tenth Air Force created the 1st Liaison Group, a provisional unit that included the 5th, along with the 19th, 71st and 115th Liaison Squadrons for operations.[5] While in the CBI Theater it flew 33,904 sorties. In the course of 14 months of operations, 40 squadron aircraft were destroyed in accidents or by enemy action,[6] on one occasion it lost three Stinson L-1 Vigilants in an attempt to rescue a downed bomber crewmember from an improvised airstrip in a jungle clearing.[7] Two squadron pilots were killed in the line of duty and two others were MIA and later declared dead.[6] It evacuated over 4,000 casualties[note 2] from makeshift jungle airstrips and carried hundreds of tons of equipment and supplies and thousands of passengers.[7]
In addition, the squadron's pilots often acted as forward air controllers, directing attacks against Japanese gun positions and troops.[8] The squadron remained in theater until late 1945, then returned to the United States and was inactivated at the Port of Embarkation, Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, in January 1946.[1]
Post war operations
A little over a year later, the squadron was activated at Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina. It was inactivated there in April 1949.[1]
A few months later, the squadron was redesignated the 5th Helicopter Squadron. It was activated at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina in October 1949 and equipped with Sikorsky H-5 helicopters. It was inactivated in July 1952.[1]
The squadron returned to its designation as a liaison unit and was activated at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee in September 1952.[1] At Sewart, it trained for Arctic operations with de Havilland Canada L-20 Beavers. It moved to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska in April 1953 and operated the Beaver from several locations in Alaska until inactivating in July 1954.[1]
Lineage
Constituted as the 5th Observation Squadron (Special) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 7 February 1942
Redesignated 5th Observation Squadron on 8 August 1942
Redesignated 5th Liaison Squadron on 2 April 1943
Inactivated on 11 January 1946
Activated on 15 October 1947
Inactivated on 1 April 1949
Redesignated 5th Helicopter Squadron on 27 September 1949
Activated on 27 October 1949
Inactivated on 22 July 1952
Redesignated 5th Liaison Squadron on 14 August 1952
IV Air Support Command (later III Tactical Air Division), 11 August 1943 (attached to 74th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 17 August – c. 15 September 1943)
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