In 1946, the squadron moved to Castle Field, which was to be its home for the rest of its existence. It trained for bomber operations and also conducted the flying phase of B-52 aircrew training until inactivating in 1971. It was reactivated at Castle in the training mission in 1986 as the 329th Strategic Bomber Training Squadron.
Engaged in long-ranger strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe. Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt in December 1942; operating from airfields in Libya and Tunisia. Raided enemy military and industrial targets in Italy and in the southern Balkans, including the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Polesti, Romania receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry in that raid. Also flew tactical bombing raids against Afrika Korps defensive positions in Tunisia; supporting British Eighth Army forces in their advance to Tunis, in September and October 1943.
Returned to England with disestablishment of IX Bomber Command in North Africa. From England, resumed long-range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive. The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in the Eighth Air Force, continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945.
Post war bomber operationsedit
Having returned to the United States in June 1945; being re-manned and re-equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Trained for deployment to the Central Pacific Area to carry out very long range strategic bombing raids over Japan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for deployment, instead became Continental Air Command (later Strategic Air Command) B-29 squadron.
Began upgrading to the new Boeing B-50 Superfortress, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1950. The B-50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary. By 1951, the emergence of the Soviet MiG-15 interceptor in the skies of North Korea signaled the end of the propeller-driven B-50 as a first-line strategic bomber. Received Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bombers in 1954, and in 1955 began receiving early model of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The squadron ceased operations on 14 September 1971 and inactivated at the end of the month.[3]
Bomber crew trainingedit
Reactivated as a B-52 combat crew training squadron in 1986; inactivated in 1994 after the end of the Cold War and the reduction of the B-52 fleet.
Lineageedit
Constituted 329th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 1 March 1942
Redesignated: 329th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
Redesignated: 329th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 23 May 1945
Redesignated: 329th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948
Redesignated: 329th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 February 1955[4]
RAF Hardwick (AAF-104),[6] England, c. 6 December 1942 – 15 June 1945
Air echelon operated from: Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 7 – 15 December 1942, RAF Gambut, Libya, 16 December 1942 – 25 February 1943, Bengasi Airport, Libya, 27 June - 25 August 1943. Oudna Airfield, Tunisia, 18 September - 3 October 1943
^A Bombardment Squadron, Provisional, 329th was organized at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam on 1 June 1972 and assigned to the Strategic Wing, Provisional, 72d, operating B-52s deployed from bases in the United States. It was inactivated on 15 November 1973. This provisional unit is not related to the 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron despite its similar name.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II(PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982(PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977(PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol. I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-1987-7.
External linksedit
The 93rd Bombardment Group Museum, Station 104, Hardwick. A small museum on the actual airfield site in Nissen (Quonset) and brick built huts.
January 01, 1970
329th, combat, crew, training, squadron, inactive, united, states, force, unit, last, assigned, operations, group, castle, force, base, california, where, responsible, training, boeing, stratofortress, aircrews, until, inactivating, july, 1994, stratofortress,. The 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit It was last assigned to the 93d Operations Group at Castle Air Force Base California where it was responsible for the training of Boeing B 52 Stratofortress aircrews until inactivating on 1 July 1994 329th Combat Crew Training SquadronB 52 Stratofortress as flown by the squadronActive1942 1971 1986 1994Country United StatesBranch United States Air ForceRoleheavy bomber trainingMotto s Universal Air Enforced Peace and Law 1956 1971 Where it All Begins 1986 1994 EngagementsEuropean Theater of OperationsMediterranean Theater of Operations 1 DecorationsDistinguished Unit CitationAir Force Outstanding Unit Award 1 Insignia329th Combat Crew Training Squadron emblem note 1 1 World War II squadron emblem 2 World War II fuselage code 2 RE The squadron was first activated as the 329th Bombardment Squadron in 1942 and trained with Consolidated B 24 Liberator heavy bombers During training it also flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico It was one of the first bomber units to deploy to the European Theater of Operations to participate in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany In 1942 and 1943 its air echelon moved to reinforce the bomber force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations where it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for its participation in Operation Tidal Wave Following V E Day the squadron returned to the United States to retrain as a Boeing B 29 Superfortress unit In 1946 the squadron moved to Castle Field which was to be its home for the rest of its existence It trained for bomber operations and also conducted the flying phase of B 52 aircrew training until inactivating in 1971 It was reactivated at Castle in the training mission in 1986 as the 329th Strategic Bomber Training Squadron Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 2 Post war bomber operations 1 3 Bomber crew training 2 Lineage 2 1 Assignments 2 2 Stations 2 3 Aircraft 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 Bibliography 5 External linksHistory editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message World War II edit nbsp B 24D 5 CO 41 23809 landing at RAF Hardwick 21 December 1943 Established in early 1942 initially as a Consolidated B 24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron flying antisubmarine patrols Later being redesignated as a heavy bomb group trained under Third Air Force in Florida Completed training in late 1942 deploying to European Theater of Operations as one of the initial heavy bomber squadrons assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England September 1942 Engaged in long ranger strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt in December 1942 operating from airfields in Libya and Tunisia Raided enemy military and industrial targets in Italy and in the southern Balkans including the Nazi controlled oilfields at Polesti Romania receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for its gallantry in that raid Also flew tactical bombing raids against Afrika Korps defensive positions in Tunisia supporting British Eighth Army forces in their advance to Tunis in September and October 1943 Returned to England with disestablishment of IX Bomber Command in North Africa From England resumed long range strategic bombardment raids on Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States air offensive The squadron was one of the most highly decorated units in the Eighth Air Force continuing offensive attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945 Post war bomber operations edit Having returned to the United States in June 1945 being re manned and re equipped with Boeing B 29 Superfortress heavy bombers Trained for deployment to the Central Pacific Area to carry out very long range strategic bombing raids over Japan Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for deployment instead became Continental Air Command later Strategic Air Command B 29 squadron Began upgrading to the new Boeing B 50 Superfortress an advanced version of the B 29 in 1950 The B 50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary By 1951 the emergence of the Soviet MiG 15 interceptor in the skies of North Korea signaled the end of the propeller driven B 50 as a first line strategic bomber Received Boeing B 47 Stratojet jet bombers in 1954 and in 1955 began receiving early model of the Boeing B 52 Stratofortress The squadron ceased operations on 14 September 1971 and inactivated at the end of the month 3 Bomber crew training edit Reactivated as a B 52 combat crew training squadron in 1986 inactivated in 1994 after the end of the Cold War and the reduction of the B 52 fleet Lineage editConstituted 329th Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 28 January 1942 Activated on 1 March 1942 Redesignated 329th Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 20 August 1943 Redesignated 329th Bombardment Squadron Very Heavy on 23 May 1945 Redesignated 329th Bombardment Squadron Medium on 28 May 1948 Redesignated 329th Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 1 February 1955 4 Inactivated on 30 September 1971 note 2 Redesignated 329th Strategic Bombardment Training Squadron c 12 February 1986 Activated on 1 July 1986 Redesignated 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron c 1 July 1987 Inactivated on 1 July 1994 Assignments edit 93d Bombardment Group 1 March 1942 attached to 93d Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951 93d Bombardment Wing 16 June 1952 30 September 1971 4 5 93d Bombardment Wing 1 July 1986 93d Operations Group 1 September 1991 1 July 1994 Stations edit Barksdale Field Louisiana 1 March 194 Page Field Florida 18 May 13 August 1942 RAF Alconbury AAF 102 6 England 7 September 1942 RAF Hardwick AAF 104 6 England c 6 December 1942 15 June 1945 Air echelon operated from Tafaraoui Airfield Algeria 7 15 December 1942 RAF Gambut Libya 16 December 1942 25 February 1943 Bengasi Airport Libya 27 June 25 August 1943 Oudna Airfield Tunisia 18 September 3 October 1943 Sioux Falls Army Air Field South Dakota 26 June 26 July 1945 Pratt Army Air Field Kansas 20 August 1945 Clovis Army Air Field New Mexico 13 December 1945 Castle Field later Castle Air Force Base California 21 June 1946 30 September 1971 4 7 Castle Air Force Base California 1 July 1986 1 July 1994 Aircraft edit Consolidated B 24 Liberator 1942 1945 Boeing B 29 Superfortress 1945 1949 Boeing B 50 Superfortress 1949 1954 Boeing B 47 Stratojet 1954 1955 Boeing B 52 Stratofortress 1955 197 1986 1994 4 See also editList of B 52 Units of the United States Air ForceReferences editNotes edit Explanatory notes Approved 25 April 1956 A Bombardment Squadron Provisional 329th was organized at Anderson Air Force Base Guam on 1 June 1972 and assigned to the Strategic Wing Provisional 72d operating B 52s deployed from bases in the United States It was inactivated on 15 November 1973 This provisional unit is not related to the 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron despite its similar name Citations a b c Maurer Combat Squadrons pp 405 406 a b Watkins pp 38 39 Ravenstein p 130 a b c d Lineage including assignments stations and aircraft through May 1963 in Maurer Combat Squadrons pp 405 406 Assignments through June 1977 in Ravenstein p 130 a b Station number in Anderson Mueller p 75 Bibliography edit nbsp 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 Archived from the original PDF on 23 January 2016 Retrieved 7 July 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 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 Mueller Robert 1989 Air Force Bases Vol I Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 PDF Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 53 6 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Ravenstein Charles A 1984 Air Force Combat Wings Lineage amp Honors Histories 1947 1977 PDF Washington DC Office of Air Force History ISBN 0 912799 12 9 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Watkins Robert 2008 Battle Colors Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II Vol I VIII Bomber Command Atglen PA Shiffer Publishing Ltd ISBN 978 0 7643 1987 7 External links editThe 93rd Bombardment Group Museum Station 104 Hardwick A small museum on the actual airfield site in Nissen Quonset and brick built huts Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron amp oldid 1210727707, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
