4th Combat Cargo Group

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History

The 4th Combat Cargo Group was a transport unit that fought in the Burma campaign and took part in the last stages of the air-lift of supplies into China over the 'Hump'.

The group was formed in the US in June 1944 and trained with a mix of C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains. In November 1944 the group moved to India, where it operated the C-46.

The group began operations in December 1944, transporting troops and a wide range of supplies into Burma during the later stages of the Allied advance into central Burma. In December 1944 it was used to fly supplies out to the men building the Ledo Road. In February 1945 it supported the crossing of the Irrawaddy River. The group then supported the advance on Rangoon, which fell on 1 May 1945. The group was used to drop Gurkha paratroops on Rangoon.

The fall of Rangoon freed up several groups that had been involved in the Burma campaign, including several transport groups. The 4th Combat Cargo Group was one of these groups, and was allocated to the 'Hump', flying supplies from Burma into China. The group moved to a Burmese base in June 1945 and was used on the Hump route until late in 1945.

In November 1945 the group moved back to India, where it was inactivated on 9 February 1946.

Books

Pending

Aircraft

Training: Curtiss C-46 Commando and Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Dec 1944-: Curtiss C-46 Commando

Timeline

9 June 1944 Constituted as 4th Combat Cargo Group
13 June 1944 Activated
Nov 1944 To India
9 Feb 1946 Inactivated
8 Oct 1948 Disbanded

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Col Stuart D Baird: 13 Jun 1944-unkn

Main Bases

Syracuse AAB, NY: 13 Jun 1944
Bowman Field, Ky: 17 Aug-6 Nov 1944
Sylhet, India: 28 Nov 1944
Agartala, India: Dec 1944
Chittagong, India: 5 Jan 1945
Namponmao, Burma: Jun 1945
Pandaveswar, India: Nov 1945
Panagarh, India: 15 Jan-9 Feb 1946.

Component Units

13th Combat Cargo Squadron: 1944-1945
14th Combat Cargo Squadron: 1944-1945
15th Combat Cargo Squadron: 1944-1945
16th Combat Cargo Squadron: 1944-1945

Assigned To

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (4 December 2015), 4th Combat Cargo Group , http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/4th_Combat_Cargo_Group.html

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