482nd Attack Squadron

482d Attack Squadron
MQ-9 Reaper at flight
Active	1917–1919; 1925–1942; 1944–1946; 2018–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Unmanned aerial vehicle
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Motto(s)	Aut Vinci Aut Mori (Latin for 'Either Conquer or Die') (2019–present)
Engagements	World War I Pacific Ocean Theater [1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation [1]
Insignia
482nd Attack Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 1] [1]
482d Bombardment Squadron emblem [lower-alpha 2] [2]

The 482d Attack Squadron is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where it is an operational squadron of the 25th Attack Group, operating the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle.

The first predecessor of the squadron was organized in 1917 as the 70th Aero Squadron. After being redesignated as the 482d Aero Squadron, it deployed to France as a construction unit, returning to the United States in 1919, where it was demobilized.

The second predecessor of the squadron was the 482d Bombardment Squadron, which was constituted in the Organized Reserve in 1924. The two units were consolidated in 1936 and, along with other reserve units, disbanded in May 1942, shortly after the United States entered World War II.

In 1944, the 482d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy was activated and assigned to the 505th Bombardment Group. Shortly after it was activated, the two 482d Bombardment Squadrons were consolidated. After training in the United States, it served in the strategic bombing campaign against Japan with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations. Following V-J Day, it was inactivated at Clark Field, Philippines in June 1946. It was redesignated as an attack unit and activated in October 2018.

History

World War I

The first predecessor of the squadron was established at Kelly Field, Texas in August 1917 as the 70th Aero Squadron. ^{[lower-alpha 3]} While at Camp Morrison, Virginia, the squadron was renumbered along with other aero squadrons that were construction units as the 482d Aero Squadron. The squadron was a civil engineering organization at the Western Front constructing airfields and related facilities in the Zone of Advance from its arrival in France in March 1918 until the Armistice on 11 November. It remained in France until early 1919 when it returned to the United States and was demobilized at Garden City, New York. ^[1]

Organized reserves

The 482d Bombardment Squadron was organized at Baltimore, Maryland as a reserve unit in March 1925. It was inactivated in July 1929. The unit was consolidated with the 482d Aero Squadron in 1936, but remained in inactive status until the end of May 1942, when it was disbanded along with all other Organized Reserve units. ^[3]

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan

505th Bombardment Group B-29 Superfortresses at North Field, Tinian

The second 482d Bombardment Squadron was activated at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas in March 1944 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron. The following month, it was consolidated with the reserve squadron that had been disbanded in 1942. When training was completed moved to North Field (Tinian) in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B-29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.

The squadron remained in the Western Pacific, assigned to Twentieth Air Force. It moved to Clark Field in the Philippines in March 1946. It was inactivated at Clark on 15 June 1946. Its low-hour aircraft were flown to storage depots in the United States.

Unmanned vehicle operations

The squadron was redesignated the 482nd Attack Squadron and activated at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where it is equipped with the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and is the operational component of the 25th Attack Group. ^[1]

Lineage

482d Aero Squadron

• Organized as the 70th Aero Squadron on 13 August 1917

Redesignated 482d Aero Squadron (Construction) on 1 February 1918

Demobilized on 8 February 1919

Reconstituted and consolidated with the 482d Bombardment Squadron on 2 December 1936 ^{[1] [3]}

482d Bombardment Squadron

• Constituted as the 482d Bombardment Squadron on 31 March 1924 and allotted to the reserve

Activated in March 1925

Inactivated 23 July 1929 ^[3]

Consolidated with the 482d Aero Squadron on 2 December 1936 ^[3]

Disbanded on 31 May 1942

• Reconstituted and consolidated with the 482d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 21 April 1944 ^[1]

482d Attack Squadron

• Constituted as the 482d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 28 February 1944

Activated on 11 March 1944

• Consolidated with the 482d Bombardment Squadron on 21 April 1944

Inactivated on 30 Jun 1946

• Redesignated 482d Attack Squadron on 13 February 2018 ^[1]

Activated on 2 October 2018 ^{[1] [4]}

Assignments

• Unknown, 15 August 1917 – March 1918 ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
• Advance Section, Service of Supply, March 1918 – December 1918
• Unknown, December 1918 – 8 February 1919
• Allotted to Third Corps Area, 31 March 1924 – 31 May 1942
• 347th Bombardment Group, March 1925 – 23 July 1929 ^[3]
• 505th Bombardment Group, 11 March 1944 – 30 June 1946
• 25th Attack Group, 2 October 2018 – present ^[5]

Stations

• Kelly Field, Texas, 13 August 1917
• Camp Morrison, Virginia, 21 December 1917 - 4 March 1918
• Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 27 March 1918
• Autreville Aerodrome, France, 28 March 1918
• Trampot, France, c. 9 July 1918
• Longeaux Aerodrome (Haute-Marne), France, 22 September 1918
• Trampot, France, c. 24 October 1918
• Braux, France, c. 22 November 1918
• Pont Rousseau, 25 December 1918 – unknown
• Garden City, New York, c. 8 – 18 March 1919
• Baltimore, Maryland, c. March 1925 – 23 July 1929 ^[3]
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 11 March 1944
• Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, 12 March – 6 November 1944
• North Field, Tinian, 24 December 1944 – 5 March 1946
• Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, 14 March – 30 June 1946
• Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, 2 October 2018 – present ^[6]

Aircraft

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1946 ^[1]
• General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, 2018

See also

• List of American Aero Squadrons

References

Notes

Explanatory notes

1. Modified on 20 August 202019.
2. Approved 16 December 1944. Description: On a gold disc, wide border dark red brown, an aerial bomb in drawn bow, all of the last [color mentioned], pointing toward dexter base, surmounted by a side view of an Indian head, proper, with head band and plait loop red brown, trimmed gold, holding two white feathers tipped and trimmed red brown in the headdress.
3. After the squadron was renumbered as the 482nd, a second 70th Aero Squadron was organized at the end of February 1918 at Ellington Field. Texas. It was redesignated Squadron B, Ellington Field in July 1918 and Flying School Detachment, Ellington Field in December. The detachment was demobilized in September 1919 and later (27 July 1932) consolidated with the 70th Service Squadron. Clay 1422-3.
4. Probably to Post Headquarters, Kelly Field until December 1917.

Citations

1. Haulman, Daniel L. (26 March 2018). "Factsheet 482 Attack Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
2. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp 579-580
3. Clay, p.1520
4. Ingold, Benjamin (4 October 2018). "25th Attack Group activated at Shaw". Air Combat Command. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
5. Assignment information in Haulman, Factsheet, except as noted.
6. Station information in Haulman, Factsheet, except as noted.

Bibliography

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

• Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 (PDF). Vol. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN   978-0-98419-014-0. LCCN   2010022326. OCLC   637712205. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-912799-02-1. LCCN   61060979 . 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.