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45th Bombardment Squadron

January 01, 1970

The 45th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 40th Bombardment Wing, based at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 1 September 1964.

45th Bombardment Squadron
40th Bombardment Wing B-47 Stratojet at Smoky Hill Air Force Base
Active1941–1946; 1952–1964
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleBombardment
EngagementsChina-Burma-India Theater
Pacific Theater
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
45th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 6 March 1942)[1]

History edit

World War II edit

Antisubmarine Warfare edit

The 45th Bombardment Squadron was formed at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, on 1 April 1941, and assigned to the newly formed 40th Bombardment Group (Medium). Its initial mission was the aerial defense of Puerto Rico and the Antilles chain of islands. Equipped with Douglas B-18 Bolos.[2]

After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the unit was placed on full alert and all aircraft were kept armed and "bombed-up" at all times. On many occasions, the units' B-18's got off following a "scramble" on only 15 minutes notice. As the strength of Air Corps units in the Antilles grew and was augmented by Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command and Navy air assets, it became possible to re-deploy the 45th to Panama to aid the hard-pressed Pacific and Caribbean approaches patrol forces there. Accordingly, on 7 June 1942 (following its redesignation as the 45th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 7 May 1942) the Squadron departed for Panama by ship, arriving at France Field on 17 June where it was assigned LB-30 aircraft and later B-24s. Anti-submarine patrols were made over the Pacific.[3]

On 18 February 1943 the 45th Bomb Squadron was transferred to Seymour Field, Galapagos Islands. In May it moved back to Panama, being assigned to Howard Field, Panama Canal Zone. With the general wind-down in action in the Caribbean, the Squadron was moved back to the United States in May 1943.

B-29 Superfortress edit

 
45th Bombardment Squadron B-29 Superfortress[note 1]

Assigned to Pratt Army Airfield, Kansas in July 1943, being re-manned with new personnel. Received prototype and early production-model B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombers. Trained under Second Air Force for an extended period due to Boeing technicians making modifications of B-29 aircraft. Deployed to the new XX Bomber Command as part of the 58th Bombardment Wing in the China-Burma-India Theater, flying to bases in India via South Atlantic Transport route; across central Africa, Arabia to Karachi. Additional modifications of B-29s were necessary in India to accommodate very high ground temperatures of 115 °F (46 °C).

From airfields in eastern India, engaged in very long range bombardment raids on Japan. The squadron participated in the first American Air Force attack on the Japanese Home Islands since the 1942 Doolittle raid on 15/16 June 1944, attacking the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata on Kyushu by using its forward staging base at Hsinching Airfield (A-1), China, for refueling.[4] Performed a total of nine missions to Japan, also engaged in very long range attacks against enemy targets in Thailand, Manchuria, Borneo, Formosa, Burma, Malaya, Japanese-occupied China, Singapore, Saigon and Cam Rahn Bay, French Indochina. Also engaged in aerial mining of Japanese-occupied seaports in Thailand Malaya and French Indochina.[4]

Advance of American forces in the Central Pacific though the Northern Mariana Islands made new airfields available within the effective bombing range of Japan. Moved to West Field on Tinian in April 1945, becoming part of the new XXI Bomber Command. From the Marianas, engaged in very long range strategic attacks on Japan, its first mission being on 5 May 1945 against the Hiro Naval Aircraft Factory in Kure. Air attacks over Japan were initially high-altitude daylight bombing missions against industrial, transportation and military targets, largely ineffective due to high upper level winds dispersing bombs over a wide area. By July, began low-level large area night incendiary raids on urban areas, and dropped mines in Japanese shipping lanes. Continued aerial assaults until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945, final combat mission taking place on 9/10 August attacking the Hikari Naval Arsenal.[4]

After V-J Day, the squadron dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners in Japan, Korea, and Formosa, and took part in show-of-force missions. Demobilized on Tinian in 1946, aircraft being returned to the United States for storage. Inactivated as a paper unit in October.

Strategic Air Command edit

Reactivated in 1953 under Strategic Air Command, receiving then second-line B-29s for training and organization. Replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers in 1954, capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. In the late 1950s, the B-47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence, and was being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. Began sending aircraft to other B-47 wings as replacements in early 1964, being one of the last SAC squadrons equipped with the Stratojet. Inactivated in September when the last aircraft was retired.

Operations edit

  • Combat Operations: Antisubmarine patrols, Dec 1941 – May 1943. Combat in CBI, 5 June 1944 – 29 March 1945, and Western Pacific, 5 May-14 Aug 1945.
  • Campaigns: Antisubmarine, American Theater; India-Burma; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Western Pacific; Central Burma.

Lineage edit

  • Constituted as the 45th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 November 1940
Activated on 1 April 1941
Redesignated: 45th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 7 May 1942
Redesignated: 45th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 20 November 1943
Inactivated on 1 October 1946
Redesignated: 45th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 May 1952 (not operational until 30 September 1953)
Activated on 28 May 1952
Inactivated on 1 September 1964 (not operational after 15 August 1964)[5][6]

Assignments edit

Stations edit

Aircraft edit

References edit

Notes edit

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ Aircraft is Boeing B-29-40-BW Superfortress, serial 42-24579 "Eddie Allen". Photo taken in India or China, summer 1944. This plane was named after Eddie Allen, a chief test pilot at Boeing Aircraft Co., who built and presented the plane to the Army Air Forces, The test pilot was killed in the second experimental B-29.
Citations
  1. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 201-202
  2. ^ Conaway, William. "40th Bombardment Group (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45.
  3. ^ Conaway, William. "45th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)". VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941–45.
  4. ^ a b c Mann, Robert A. (2009), The B-29 Superfortress: A Comprehensive Registry of the Planes and Their Missions, McFarland, ISBN 0-7864-4458-4
  5. ^ a b c d Lineage, including assignments, through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 201-202.
  6. ^ See Ravenstein, pp. 68-69 (inactivation of 40th Wing
  7. ^ a b c Ravenstein, pp. 68-69

Bibliography edit

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

  • Hagedorn, Dan (1995). Alae supra canalem = Wings over the canal: the Sixth Air Force and the Antilles Air Command. Paducah, KY: Turner Pub. Co. ISBN 978-1-56311-153-2
  • 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.
  • Mayborn, Mitch (1971). The Boeing B-29 Superfortress (Aircraft in Profile 101). Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications (reprint). OCLC 36547156
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

External links edit

  • Conaway, William. "VI Bomber Command In Defense Of The Panama Canal 1941–45". Planes and Pilots of World War Two.

January 01, 1970
45th, bombardment, squadron, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources 45th Bombardment Squadron news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2012 Learn how and when to remove this message The 45th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit Its last assignment was with the 40th Bombardment Wing based at Forbes Air Force Base Kansas It was inactivated on 1 September 1964 45th Bombardment Squadron40th Bombardment Wing B 47 Stratojet at Smoky Hill Air Force BaseActive1941 1946 1952 1964Country United StatesBranch United States Air ForceRoleBombardmentEngagementsChina Burma India TheaterPacific TheaterDecorationsDistinguished Unit CitationInsignia45th Bombardment Squadron emblem approved 6 March 1942 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II 1 1 1 Antisubmarine Warfare 1 1 2 B 29 Superfortress 1 2 Strategic Air Command 1 3 Operations 2 Lineage 2 1 Assignments 2 2 Stations 2 3 Aircraft 3 References 3 1 Notes 3 2 Bibliography 4 External linksHistory editWorld War II edit Antisubmarine Warfare edit The 45th Bombardment Squadron was formed at Borinquen Field Puerto Rico on 1 April 1941 and assigned to the newly formed 40th Bombardment Group Medium Its initial mission was the aerial defense of Puerto Rico and the Antilles chain of islands Equipped with Douglas B 18 Bolos 2 After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor the unit was placed on full alert and all aircraft were kept armed and bombed up at all times On many occasions the units B 18 s got off following a scramble on only 15 minutes notice As the strength of Air Corps units in the Antilles grew and was augmented by Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command and Navy air assets it became possible to re deploy the 45th to Panama to aid the hard pressed Pacific and Caribbean approaches patrol forces there Accordingly on 7 June 1942 following its redesignation as the 45th Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 7 May 1942 the Squadron departed for Panama by ship arriving at France Field on 17 June where it was assigned LB 30 aircraft and later B 24s Anti submarine patrols were made over the Pacific 3 On 18 February 1943 the 45th Bomb Squadron was transferred to Seymour Field Galapagos Islands In May it moved back to Panama being assigned to Howard Field Panama Canal Zone With the general wind down in action in the Caribbean the Squadron was moved back to the United States in May 1943 B 29 Superfortress edit nbsp 45th Bombardment Squadron B 29 Superfortress note 1 Assigned to Pratt Army Airfield Kansas in July 1943 being re manned with new personnel Received prototype and early production model B 29 Superfortress very heavy bombers Trained under Second Air Force for an extended period due to Boeing technicians making modifications of B 29 aircraft Deployed to the new XX Bomber Command as part of the 58th Bombardment Wing in the China Burma India Theater flying to bases in India via South Atlantic Transport route across central Africa Arabia to Karachi Additional modifications of B 29s were necessary in India to accommodate very high ground temperatures of 115 F 46 C From airfields in eastern India engaged in very long range bombardment raids on Japan The squadron participated in the first American Air Force attack on the Japanese Home Islands since the 1942 Doolittle raid on 15 16 June 1944 attacking the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata on Kyushu by using its forward staging base at Hsinching Airfield A 1 China for refueling 4 Performed a total of nine missions to Japan also engaged in very long range attacks against enemy targets in Thailand Manchuria Borneo Formosa Burma Malaya Japanese occupied China Singapore Saigon and Cam Rahn Bay French Indochina Also engaged in aerial mining of Japanese occupied seaports in Thailand Malaya and French Indochina 4 Advance of American forces in the Central Pacific though the Northern Mariana Islands made new airfields available within the effective bombing range of Japan Moved to West Field on Tinian in April 1945 becoming part of the new XXI Bomber Command From the Marianas engaged in very long range strategic attacks on Japan its first mission being on 5 May 1945 against the Hiro Naval Aircraft Factory in Kure Air attacks over Japan were initially high altitude daylight bombing missions against industrial transportation and military targets largely ineffective due to high upper level winds dispersing bombs over a wide area By July began low level large area night incendiary raids on urban areas and dropped mines in Japanese shipping lanes Continued aerial assaults until the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945 final combat mission taking place on 9 10 August attacking the Hikari Naval Arsenal 4 After V J Day the squadron dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners in Japan Korea and Formosa and took part in show of force missions Demobilized on Tinian in 1946 aircraft being returned to the United States for storage Inactivated as a paper unit in October Strategic Air Command edit Reactivated in 1953 under Strategic Air Command receiving then second line B 29s for training and organization Replaced the propeller driven B 29s with new B 47E Stratojet swept wing medium bombers in 1954 capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union In the late 1950s the B 47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence and was being phased out of SAC s strategic arsenal Began sending aircraft to other B 47 wings as replacements in early 1964 being one of the last SAC squadrons equipped with the Stratojet Inactivated in September when the last aircraft was retired Operations edit Combat Operations Antisubmarine patrols Dec 1941 May 1943 Combat in CBI 5 June 1944 29 March 1945 and Western Pacific 5 May 14 Aug 1945 Campaigns Antisubmarine American Theater India Burma Air Offensive Japan China Defensive Western Pacific Central Burma Lineage editConstituted as the 45th Bombardment Squadron Medium on 22 November 1940 Activated on 1 April 1941 Redesignated 45th Bombardment Squadron Heavy on 7 May 1942 Redesignated 45th Bombardment Squadron Very Heavy on 20 November 1943 Inactivated on 1 October 1946 Redesignated 45th Bombardment Squadron Medium on 9 May 1952 not operational until 30 September 1953 Activated on 28 May 1952 Inactivated on 1 September 1964 not operational after 15 August 1964 5 6 Assignments edit 40th Bombardment Group 1 April 1941 1 October 1946 40th Bombardment Wing later 40th Strategic Aerospace Wing 28 May 1952 1 September 1964 5 7 Stations edit Borinquen Field Puerto Rico 1 April 1941 France Field Panama Canal Zone 17 June 1942 David Field Panama 13 November 1942 Seymour Island Airfield Baltra Galapagos Islands 18 February 1943 Howard Field Panama Canal Zone c 22 May 15 June 1943 Pratt Army Air Field Kansas 1 July 1943 12 March 1944 Chakulia Airfield India c 11 April 1944 April 1945 West Field 9Tinian Mariana Islands April 7 November 1945 March Field California 27 November 1945 Davis Monthan Field Arizona c 13 May 1 October 1946 Smoky Hill Air Force Base Kansas 28 May 1952 Forbes Air Force Base Kansas 20 June 1960 1 September 1964 5 7 Aircraft edit Douglas B 18 Bolo 1941 1942 Consolidated LB 30 Liberator 1942 1943 Consolidated B 24 Liberator 1943 Martin B 26 Marauder 1943 Boeing YB 17 Flying Fortress 1943 1944 Boeing YB 29 Superfortress 1943 1944 Boeing B 29 Superfortress 1944 1946 1953 1954 Boeing B 47 Stratojet 1954 1964 5 7 References editNotes edit Explanatory notes Aircraft is Boeing B 29 40 BW Superfortress serial 42 24579 Eddie Allen Photo taken in India or China summer 1944 This plane was named after Eddie Allen a chief test pilot at Boeing Aircraft Co who built and presented the plane to the Army Air Forces The test pilot was killed in the second experimental B 29 Citations Maurer Combat Squadrons pp 201 202 Conaway William 40th Bombardment Group Heavy VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941 45 Conaway William 45th Bombardment Squadron Heavy VI Bomber Command in Defense of the Panama Canal 1941 45 a b c Mann Robert A 2009 The B 29 Superfortress A Comprehensive Registry of the Planes and Their Missions McFarland ISBN 0 7864 4458 4 a b c d Lineage including assignments through March 1963 in Maurer Combat Squadrons pp 201 202 See Ravenstein pp 68 69 inactivation of 40th Wing a b c Ravenstein pp 68 69 Bibliography edit nbsp This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Hagedorn Dan 1995 Alae supra canalem Wings over the canal the Sixth Air Force and the Antilles Air Command Paducah KY Turner Pub Co ISBN 978 1 56311 153 2 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 Mayborn Mitch 1971 The Boeing B 29 Superfortress Aircraft in Profile 101 Leatherhead UK Profile Publications reprint OCLC 36547156 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 External links editConaway William VI Bomber Command In Defense Of The Panama Canal 1941 45 Planes and Pilots of World War Two Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 45th Bombardment Squadron amp oldid 1205385622, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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