20th Bomb Squadron
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 20th Bomb Squadron is a unit of the
2d Operations Group The 2d Operations Group (2 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 2d Bomb Wing, assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. The group is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. 2 OG is one of t ...
of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
located at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 20th is equipped with the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. Formed in May 1917 as the 20th Aero Squadron, the
squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
saw combat in France on the
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Western Front. It took part in the
St. Mihiel offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
and Meuse-Argonne offensive. After the war, it served with the
Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...
and
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
as the 20th Bombardment Squadron During the 1920s and 1930s, the squadron was involved in field service testing of new
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...
aircraft, notably the
Y1B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theate ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the squadron fought in the
North African North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
and
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
Campaigns. It was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions during a raid on Steyr, Austria. It was a part of Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. As a
medium bomber A medium bomber is a military bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized bombloads over medium range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers. Mediums generally carrie ...
squadron it deployed to stand alert at forward bases in "Reflex" operations. After equipping with Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses stood nuclear alert, but during the Viet Nam War the squadron deployed frequently to perform
Operation Arc Light During Operation Arc Light (sometimes Arclight) from 1965 to 1973, the United States Air Force deployed B-52 Stratofortresses from bases in the U.S. Territory of Guam to provide battlefield air interdiction during the Vietnam War. This included ...
bombing missions. Since 1993, the 20th Bomb Squadron has flown the B-52H Stratofortress long-range strategic bomber, which can perform a variety of missions. Today the squadron is engaged in the
Global War on Terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
.


History


World War I

The squadron was first organized as the 20th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas on 17 May 1917.Barth On 29 July 1917, under command of Captain W.W. Wynne, the squadron moved to
Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. Loc ...
, Dayton, Ohio, where it received its first training in the handling of
Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
and Standard J-1 aircraft. It deployed to France where it was assigned to the 1st Day Bombardment Group. Assigned British de Havilland DH-4 aircraft with American Liberty engines, and was engaged in combat during the
St. Mihiel offensive The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
and Meuse-Argonne offensive during 1918. After the
1918 Armistice with Germany The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
, the squadron returned to the United States and arrived at
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territor ...
, New York on 2 May 1919. There most of the men were discharged from Army service and returned to civilian life.Gorrell


Inter-War period

After the squadron returned to the United States it re-formed with new personnel at
Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegis ...
, Houston Texas in June 1919. The 20th equipped with some de Havilland DH-4 bombers and moved to Kelly Field. it was assigned to the new 1st Day Bombardment (later, 2d Bombardment) Group. After the establishment of the permanent
United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
in 1921, it was redesignated as the 20th Squadron (Bombardment). During this period, the unit also operated some
Martin NBS-1 The Martin NBS-1 was a military aircraft of the United States Army Air Service and its successor, the Army Air Corps. An improved version of the Martin MB-1, a scout-bomber built during the final months of World War I, the NBS-1 was ordere ...
s and British Handley Page 0/400s. In May 1920 the squadron was temporarily assigned to
Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfo ...
, Virginia and became part of the First Provisional Air Brigade under Brigadier General
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
. It trained with Handley Page O/400 and Martin MB-2 bombers. Its mission would be to attack captured German ships along the Atlantic coast off Virginia in a service demonstration to determine whether a battleship could be sunk by bombing. The targets were an aged and surplus US battleship and four former German Navy vessels, including the battleship , obtained in the peace settlement after World War I and scheduled for scuttling. After the completion of the demonstration, the squadron moved permanently to Langley on 30 June 1922. During the 1920s and 1930s the squadron was used for service testing of new bombardment aircraft as they were developed and improved, primarily
Keystone Aircraft Keystone Aircraft Corporation was an early American airplane manufacturer. History Headquartered in Bristol, Pennsylvania, the company was formed as "Ogdensburg Aeroway Corp" in 1920 by Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland, but its name was quickly ...
light biplane bombers in the 1920s. These planes became the backbone of the
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
bomber fleet in the latter part of the decade. In 1932 the squadron received and began service testing the Boeing Y1B-9, the first American all-metal monoplane bomber aircraft design. The high speed of the Y1B-9A indicated that open cockpits were now impractical, and that enclosed cockpits would be needed in the future. The Boeing B-9 made obsolete the Keystone Biplane bombers then in service. The
Martin B-10 The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to ...
replaced the B-9 in 1936, but the squadron operated the B-10 for only a brief time. In 1937 the squadron received the new Boeing Y1B-17 four-engine heavy bomber. Twelve Y1B-17s were delivered to the 2d Bombardment Group for evaluation. At this time, the dozen Y1B-17s comprised the entire heavy bombardment strength of the United States. The 20th spent its time working out the defects in the prototype aircraft, working with Boeing engineers to make corrections for the final production model B-17B. One recommendation was the use of a checklist that the pilot and copilot would use together before takeoff, hopefully preventing accidents such as the one which resulted in the loss of the original Boeing Model 299. Six planes of the squadron took part in a good will flight from Langley to
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina, taking off from Langley on 15 February 1938 and returning on 27 February. They covered a total of 12,000 miles without serious incident. In May 1938, planes of the squadron took part in a demonstration in which they "intercepted" the Italian ocean liner while it was still 700 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. This demonstration of the Y1B-17's range and navigational capabilities, but also showed how useful the plane could be in attacking an enemy invasion force before it came close enough to American shores to do any damage. The
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
was not amused by this particular demonstration, and was furious about what it perceived to be Army intrusion into the Navy's mission. Shortly thereafter, the
War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...
restricted the activities of the Army Air Corps to a 100-mile range of the US shoreline. The Y1B-17s flew for three years without a serious accident, and were transferred to the
19th Bombardment Group 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics 19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full re ...
at
March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...
in October 1940. The squadron received new production Boeing B-17D Fortresses to replace them.


World War II

After the
Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
, the squadron served on
antisubmarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
duty along the mid-Atlantic coastline as part of I Bomber Command for several months until it was reorganized as
AAF Antisubmarine Command The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was formed in the fall of 1942 to establish a single command to control antisubmarine warfare (ASW) activities of the Army Air Forces (AAF). It was formed from the resources of I Bomber Command, which ...
. The squadron re-equipped with more modern B-17F Flying Fortresses and moved to Ephrata Army Air Field, Washington for transition and combat training in late 1942 and early 1943. It moved to North Africa in April 1943, carrying out bombing missions in Algeria and Tunisia as part of
Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to ...
during the North African Campaign. The unit flew many support and
air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of ...
missions, bombing such targets as marshalling yards,
airfield An aerodrome ( Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for pub ...
s, troop concentrations, bridges, docks, and shipping. The 20th participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia during April and May 1943; the reduction of
Pantelleria Pantelleria (; Sicilian: ''Pantiddirìa'', Maltese: ''Pantellerija'' or ''Qawsra''), the ancient Cossyra or Cossura, is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and east of the Tunisi ...
and the preparations for
Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
, the invasion of Sicily, in May through July 1943; and
Operation Avalanche Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...
, the invasion of Italy in September. The squadron was transferred to Fifteenth Air Force control in December 1943 and engaged in bombing operations primarily in Italy in support of the Allied drive north toward
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
from January to June 1944. It also supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944 and the campaigns against German forces in northern Italy from June 1944 until the end of the war. The unit engaged primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets after October 1943, attacking oil refineries, aircraft factories, steel plants, and other objectives in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Greece. En route to bomb a vital aircraft factory at Steyr, Austria during Big Week on 24 February 1944, the group was greatly outnumbered by enemy interceptors, but it maintained its formation and bombed the target, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for the performance. On the following day, while on a mission to attack aircraft factories at Regensburg, it met similar opposition equally well and was awarded a second DUC. The 20th served as part of the occupation force in Italy after
V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
and was inactivated in Italy on 28 February 1946.


Strategic Air Command

The squadron was reactivated as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber squadron under Strategic Air Command in 1947 and assigned to Chatham Air Force Base near
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
, until Hunter Air Force Base was ready to accept the
2d Bombardment Wing The 2nd Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command and the Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The wing is also the host unit at Barksdale. The wing was a ...
. it flew B-29 and later Boeing B-50 Superfortresses during the early postwar era. The 20th participated in
electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
testing and evaluation from May 1950 until May 1952. Equipped with
B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft. ...
medium bombers in 1954, flying training missions and standing nuclear alert until the phaseout of the B-47 in 1963. The squadron moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, where it began to re-equip with the Boeing B-52F Stratofortress in 1963. The squadron was moved to
Carswell Air Force Base Carswell Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force (USAF) base, located northwest of Fort Worth, Texas. For most of its operational lifetime, the base's mission was to train and support heavy strategic bombing groups and wings. Carswe ...
on 25 June 1965, joining the 9th Bombardment Squadron as the second B-52F squadron at Carswell. During the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, the squadron would switch rotations to Andersen AFB, Guam for
Operation Arc Light During Operation Arc Light (sometimes Arclight) from 1965 to 1973, the United States Air Force deployed B-52 Stratofortresses from bases in the U.S. Territory of Guam to provide battlefield air interdiction during the Vietnam War. This included ...
missions over
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
with the 9th, while the other squadron remained on nuclear alert at Carswell. The unit continued Arc Light deployments, switching to the B-52D in 1969 until March 1970 when the draw down of the Vietnam War ended forward deployments to Andersen. The squadron continued nuclear alert with the B-52D until 1983, when it re-equipped with B-52Hs, acquiring the aircraft of the 46th Bombardment Squadron at
Grand Forks Air Force Base Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat Co ...
, North Dakota. During the 1980s it conducted B-52 training missions over bombing range sites and supported the wing mission of aerial bombardment.


Current era

The squadron returned to Barksdale in 1992 with the closure of Carswell and became part of the new Air Combat Command. It continued training for global conventional bombardment missions and maintained nuclear operational readiness. After the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
the 20th deployed to the island of
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands of ...
in the Indian Ocean and on 7 October 2001 flew attacks on targets in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. In February 2003 it deployed to
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
to deter North Korean aggression. On 21 July 2008, a squadron B-52 aircraft
crashed "Crashed" is the third U.S. rock Single (music), single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stat ...
near Guam during a training mission in support of Guam's
Liberation Day Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
festivities. All six crewmembers, three of whom were from the 20th, perished.


Lineage

* Organized as the 20th Aero Squadron on 17 May 1917 : Redesignated 20th Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment) c. September 1917 : Redesignated 20th Squadron (Bombardment) on 14 March 1921 :Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron on 25 January 1923 : Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939 : Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 26 March 1943 : Inactivated on 28 February 1946 * Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 April 1946 : Activated on 1 July 1947 : Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Redesignated 20th Bombardment Squadron,, Heavy on 1 April 1963 : Redesignated 20th Bomb Squadron on 1 September 1991Lineage, including assignments and stations, in Robertson, except as noted.


Assignments

* Post Headquarters, Kelly Field, 26 June 1917 * Post Headquarters, Wilbur Wright Field, 29 July 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, 1 November 1917 – 17 December 1917 * Headquarters, Chief of Air Service, American Expedetionary Force, 31 December 1917 – 23 August 1918 (attached to Royal Flying Corps for training, 7 January 1918 – 20 August 1918) * Replacement Concentration Center, American Expeditionary Force, 23 August 1918 – 26 August 1918 * 1st Day Bombardment Group, 10 September 1918 * 1st Air Depot, AEF, 17 January 1919 * Unknown, 19 January 1919 – 18 September 1919 * 1st Day Bombardment Group (later 2d Bombardment Group), 18 September 1919 – 28 February 1946 * 2d Bombardment Group, 1 July 1947 (attached to
3d Air Division The 3rd Air Division (3d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. It was inactivated on 1 April 1992 ...
6 August 1948 – 16 November 1948, 2d Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951) * 2d Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 *
7th Bombardment Wing The 7th Bomb Wing (7 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it is also the host unit. The 7 BW is one of only two B-1B Lancer strateg ...
, 25 June 1965 *
7th Operations Group The 7th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 7th Bomb Wing, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The 7th Operations Group currently flies the B-1 Lancer. The 7th Operations Group is a direct ...
, 1 September 1991 * 2d Operations Group, 18 December 1992 – present


Stations

; World War I * Camp Kelly, Texas, 26 June 1917 * Wilbur Wright Field, Ohio, 29 July 1917 *
Aviation Concentration Center Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden City. In September ...
, Garden City, New York, 1 November 1917 – 17 December 1917 *
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland, 31 December 1918 * Winchester, England * Romsey RC, Winchester, England, 2 January 1918 – 4 January 1918 * Stamford, England, 7 January 1918 :: Detachment assigned to Narborough, England, 7 January 1918 – 15 August 1918 *
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, England, 20 August 1918 *
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, France, 22 August 1918 * St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, 23 August 1918 *
Delouze Aerodrome Delouze Aerodrome was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located NE of Delouze-Rosières, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. Overview A lease was signed by the Air Service for 210 acres of land on 21 ...
, France, 26 August 1918 * Amanty Airdrome, France, 7 September 1918 *
Maulan Aerodrome Maulan Aerodrome, was a temporary World War I airfield in France. It was located South-Southwest of the commune of Maulan, in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. Overview A small airfield was set up in September, 1914 by ...
, France, 23 September 1918 *
Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 17 January 1919 * Guitres, France, 19 January 1919 * Saint-Denis-de-Pile, France 14 February 1919 *
Libourne Libourne (; oc, label= Gascon, Liborna ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Ém ...
, France, 27 February 1919 – 20 April 1919 ; Inter-War period * Mitchel Field, New York, 2 May 1919 * Ellington Field, Texas, June 1919 * Kelly Field, Texas, 24 September 1919 * Langley Field, Virginia, 30 June 1922 : Operated from Mitchel Field, New York, 8 December 1941 – 24 January 1942 ; World War II * Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 29 October 1942 *
Great Falls Army Air Base Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
, Montana, 28 November 1942 – 13 March 1943 * Navarin Airfield, Algeria, 25 April 1943 *
Chateau-dun-du-Rhumel Airfield Chateaudun-du-Rhumel (Chateaudun Du Rhumel) Airfield is an abandoned military airfield in Algeria, located about 6 km north-northwest of Chelghoum el Aid, in Mila province, about 47 km southwest of Constantine. Overview During World ...
, Algeria, 27 April 1943 * Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, 17 June 1943 * Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 31 July 1943 * Amendola Airfield, Italy, 8 December 1943 *
Foggia Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...
, Italy, 10 October 1945 – 28 February 1946 ; United States Air Force * Andrews Field, Maryland, 1 July 1947 * Davis-Monthan Field (later Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Arizona, 24 September 1947 : Deployed at
RAF Lakenheath Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, north-east of Mildenhall and west of Thetford. The base also sits close to Brandon. Despite being an RAF sta ...
, England, 6 August 1948 – 16 November 1948 * Chatham Air Force Base, Georgia, 1 May 1949 * Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia, 29 September 1950 : Deployed at
RAF Wyton Royal Air Force Wyton or more simply RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is decommissioned and is now home to the Joint Forces Intelligence Group. History Flying station Wyton has b ...
, England, 4 May 1951 – 7 September 1951 : Deployed at
RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the Second World War the airfield was used by Bomber Command. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford was one ...
, England, 6 September 1952 – 3 December 1952 : Deployed at: Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, 5 August 1954 – 30 September 1954; 3 November 1955 – 7 November 1955; 8 March 1956 – 18 March 1956 and 6 July 1956 – 26 August 1956 : Deployed at RAF Lakenheath, England; 10 March 1958 – 18 March 1958 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana 1 April 1963 * Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, 25 June 1965 – 1992 * Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 17 December 1992 – present


Aircraft

;; World War I * Curtiss JN-4, 1917 * Standard J-1, 1917 * de Havilland DH-4, 1918 ;; Inter-War period * de Havilland DH-4, 1919–c. 1927 * Martin MB-2/NBS-1, 1921–1927 * Handley Page 0/400, 1921–Unknown * Huff-Daland XLB-1, 1927 (service test) * Keystone XLB-5, 1927 (service test) * Keystone LB-5, 1927–1929 * Keystone LB-6, 1929–Unknown * Keystone LB-7, 1929–Unknown *
Keystone B-3 The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps by Keystone Aircraft in the late 1920s. Design and development The B-3 was originally ordered as the LB-10A (a single-tail modification of the Keystone LB-6) ...
, 1931–Unknown *
Keystone B-5 The Keystone B-5 is a light bomber made by the Keystone Aircraft company for the United States Army Air Corps in the early 1930s. The B-5A was a Keystone B-3A with Wright Cyclone rather than Pratt & Whitney engines. Design and development Three ...
, 1931 *
Keystone B-6 The Keystone B-6 was a biplane bomber developed by the Keystone Aircraft company for the United States Army Air Corps. Design and development In 1931, the United States Army Air Corps received five working models (Y1B-6s) of the B-6 bomber. The ...
, 1932–1935 * Boeing Y1B-9, 1932–1936 *
Curtiss B-2 Condor The Curtiss B-2 Condor was a 1920s United States bomber aircraft. It was a descendant of the Martin NBS-1, which was built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the Glenn L. Martin Company. There were a few differences, such as stron ...
, 1935–Unknown * Martin YB-10, 1936–1937 * Martin B-10, 1936–Unknown * Martin YB-12, 1936–1937 * Boeing YB-17 Fortress, 1937–1941 (service test) *
Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American heavy bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company ...
, 1938–1942 *
North American BC-1 The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces ...
, 1938–Unknown *
Douglas B-23 Dragon The Douglas B-23 Dragon is an American twin-engined bomber developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company as a successor to (and a refinement of) the B-18 Bolo. Design and development Douglas proposed a number of modifications designed to improve th ...
, c. 1939 *
Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...
, c. 1939–1940 *
Douglas A-20 Havoc The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was o ...
, c. 1940–Unknown ;; World War II * Lockheed B-34 Lexington, c. 1941–unknown *
North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
, 1941–1942 * Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1937–1945 ;; United States Air Force * Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1947–1950 * Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1949–1953 * Boeing B-47E Stratojet, 1954–1963 * Boeing B-52F Stratofortress, 1963–1969 * Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, 1969–1983 * Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, 1983–Present


See also

*
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations Units in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) were the second-largest user of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II. There were a total of six combat groups (twenty-four squadrons) equipped with the bomber assigned to the ...
*
List of American aero squadrons This is a partial list of original Air Service, United States Army "Aero Squadrons" before and during World War I. Units formed after 1 January 1919, are not listed. Aero Squadrons were the designation of the first United States Army aviatio ...
*
List of B-29 Superfortress operators This is a list of B-29 Superfortress units consisting of nations, their air forces, and the unit assignments that used the B-29 during World War II, Korean War, and post war periods, including variants and other historical information Delivery ...
* List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force *
List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been operational with the United States Air Force since 5 June, 1955. This list is of the units it was assigned to, and the bases it was stationed. In addition to the USAF, A single RB-52B (52-008) was flown ...


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * * {{Strategic Air Command Military units and formations in Louisiana
020 020 is the national dialling code for London in the United Kingdom. All subscriber numbers within the area code consist of eight digits and it has capacity for approaching 100 million telephone numbers. The code is used at 170 telephone exch ...
Keystone aircraft