424th Bombardment Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1942–1945; 1953–1954; 1958–1962 |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Role | Bombardment |
Engagements | South Pacific Theater, Southwest Pacific Theater [1] |
Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Philippine Presidential Unit Citation [1] |
Insignia | |
424th Bombardment Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 2] [1] |
The 424th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 307th Bombardment Wing at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1962.
The squadron was first activated in April 1942 as the 34th Reconnaissance Squadron, one of the original four squadrons of the 307th Bombardment Group, but was redesignated the 424th Bombardment Squadron shortly afterwards. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Pacific, serving mainly in the Southwest Pacific Theater. The squadron earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions in combat. Following V-J Day, it returned to the United States for inactivation.
The squadron was activated as a light bomber crew training unit during the Korean War, replacing an Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the war and was returning to state control. It was inactivated and its personnel and equipment transferred to another unit in connection with the upgrade of the unit to jet bombers. It was activated again in 1958 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) expanded its Boeing B-47 wings from three to four squadrons. When SAC's alert commitment changed, it was inactivated in 1962. [ citation needed ]
The squadron was activated at Geiger Field, Washington on 15 April 1942 as the 35th Reconnaissance Squadron, one of the original four squadrons of the 307th Bombardment Group. [2] [3] A week later, it was redesignated the 424th Bombardment Squadron. It was first equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, but while still in training converted to Consolidated B-24 Liberators. In addition to training with these heavy bombers, it also flew some antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific northwest coast. In October 1942, it began its movement to Hawaii. [1] [3]
The squadron arrived at Dillingham Airfield, Hawaii in November 1942, continuing its training in the Liberator and flying search and antisubmarine patrols in defense of Hawaii as part of Seventh Air Force. In December 1942, it staged through Naval Air Station Midway to attack Wake Island. [3]
In February 1943, the squadron was relieved from assignment to Seventh Air Force and began to operate under the control of Thirteenth Air Force, although it did not move to Koli Airfield, Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands until March. [1] From Guadalcanal, it struck enemy airfields and military installations along with shipping in the Solomon Islands and Bismarck Archipelago. It helped neutralized enemy bases in Yap, Truk and Palau. On 29 March 1944, the squadron made an unescorted daylight attack on heavily defended airfields in the Truk Islands for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). [3]
As American forces moved forward, it supported operations in the Philippines by strikes against enemy shipping in the southern Philippines and striking airfields on Leyte, Luzon, Negros, Ceram and Halmahera and supported Allied operations in the Netherlands East Indies. It flew an unescorted mission attacking the oil refineries at Balikpapan on Borneo on 3 October 1944, for which it was awarded a second DUC. [3]
In the closing months of the war in the Pacific, it supported Australian forces on Borneo and attacked targets in Indochina. After V-J Day, it ferried liberated prisoners from Okinawa to the Philippines and flew patrols along the coast of China. It moved to Clark Field in the Philippines in September 1945 and returned to the United States for inactivation at the Port of Embarkation in December 1945. [3] [1]
During and immediately after the Korean War, Tactical Air Command (TAC) trained aircrews for the Douglas B-26 Invader at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The three squadrons of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Group performing this mission were Air National Guard units that had been mobilized for the war. At the start of 1953, these squadrons were returned to state control and the 424th was activated [1] and took over the mission, personnel, and equipment of the 122d Bombardment Squadron, which returned to the Louisiana Air National Guard. [4] In January 1954, the group mission shifted to tactical bombardment and it was redesignated the 4400th Bombardment Group. As the group began to anticipate the transition to Martin B-57 Canberra aircraft, TAC decided to replace the Table of Distribution 4400th Group and its squadrons with the regular 345th Bombardment Group, which took over their mission in July 1954 [5] and the 424th was inactivated. [1]
The squadron was activated for a third time in September 1958 as Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s Boeing B-47 Stratojet fleet reached a peak of twenty-seven wings [6] In 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of SAC assumed an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power's initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. [7] To implement this new system B-47 wings reorganized from three to four squadrons. [7] [8] The 424th was activated at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska as the fourth squadron of the 307th Bombardment Wing. [1] The alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962 and the four squadron pattern no longer met the alert cycle commitment, so the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962. [1] [8]
|
|
Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Distinguished Unit Citation | 29 March 1944 | Truk [1] | |
Distinguished Unit Citation | 3 October 1944 | Borneo [1] | |
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation | 17 October 44–4 July 45 | [1] |
Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Central Pacific | 2 November 1942–18 March 1943 | [1] | |
Air Combat, Asiatic–Pacific Theater | 2 November 1942-7 December 1945 | [1] | |
Guadalcanal | 20 January 1943–21 February 1943 | [1] | |
New Guinea | 24 January 1943–31 December 1944 | [1] | |
Northern Solomons | 23 February 1943–21 November 1944 | [1] | |
Eastern Mandates | 7 December 1943–14 April 1944 | [1] | |
Bismarck Archipelago | 15 December 1943–27 November 1944 | [1] | |
Leyte | 17 October 1944–1 July 1945 | [1] | |
Luzon | 15 December 1944–4 July 1945 | [1] | |
Southern Philippines | 27 February 1945–4 July 1945 | [1] | |
Western Pacific | 17 April 1945–2 September 1945 | [1] |
The 370th Flight Test Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the 413th Flight Test Group, stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It has been active in the flight test role since 2001.
The 345th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, where it was inactivated on 25 June 1959.
The 512th Rescue Squadron is part of the 58th Special Operations Wing based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It formerly operated the Bell UH-1N Twin Huey and currently operates the Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk and the new HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters training aircrew conducting search and rescue missions.
The 403d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Wing at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 1 January 1961.
The 415th Flight Test Flight is a United States Air Force reserve unit. It is assigned to the 413th Flight Test Group of Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
The 528th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1991.
The 529th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1991.
The 530th Combat Crew Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 380th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1991.
The 429th Attack Squadron is a classic associate squadron, stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is geographically separated from its parent 926th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 531st Bombardment Squadron was a unit of the US Air Force, first activated during World War II. After training as a heavy bomber unit in the United States, it moved to the Southwest Pacific Theater, entering combat in May 1943, flying combat missions from Australia while attached to the Royal Australian Air Force, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations and a Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. In 1945 it moved forward to the Philippines, then to Okinawa. Following V-J Day, the squadron returned to the Philippines and was inactivated there in February 1946.
The 307th Operations Group is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The 506th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 44th Bombardment Wing at Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana, where it was inactivated on 15 June 1960.
The 343d Bomb Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve squadron, assigned to the 307th Operations Group. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The 547th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated during World War II as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress unit. After training in the United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations. Following V-E Day, the squadron moved to France and was inactivated there in early 1946.
The 525th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4136th Strategic Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, where it was inactivated on 1 February 1963 when Strategic Air Command replaced its MAJCON wings with wings that could continue a heritage.
The 371st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 307th Bombardment Wing at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, where it was inactivated on 25 March 1965.
The 372nd Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 307th Bombardment Wing at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, where it was inactivated on 25 March 1965.
The 425th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 308th Bombardment Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated in 1961.
The 423d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 306th Bombardment Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
The 422d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 305th Bombardment Wing at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana, where it was inactivated on 15 February 1961. The squadron was first activated in March 1942 as the 32d Reconnaissance Squadron, but shortly was renamed as a bombardment unit. After training in the United States, it moved to England in the fall of 1942, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions. Following V-E Day, the squadron moved to Germany, where it formed part of the occupation forces until inactivating in December 1946.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency