The 325th Weapons Squadron is a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air 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 of the United States Army Signal ...
unit assigned to the
USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradua ...
, stationed at
Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for 2nd Lt George Whiteman, who was killed during the attack ...
, Missouri.
The 325th is a geographically separated unit of the
57th Wing
The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy ...
at
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...
, Nevada. The mission of the squadron is to provide
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
instructional flying.
History
World War II
The 325th Bombardment Squadron was activated as a
Boeing B-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 Theater ...
heavy bomb squadron in early 1942; trained by
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...
in the southeastern United States. Deployed to
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
, being assigned to
VIII Bomber Command
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
in England, one of the first squadrons being assigned to the command.
In England, the squadron initially trained replacement crews for combat at
RAF Bovingdon
Royal Air Force Bovingdon or more simply RAF Bovingdon is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England, about south-west of Hemel Hempstead and south-east of Berkhamsted.
During the Second W ...
. During the period from 18 August 1942 through 6 January 1943, the squadron flew four combat missions while conducting replacement crew training. Upon completion of its training mission, the 325th moved to
RAF Alconbury
Royal Air Force Alconbury or more simply RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon, England. The airfield is in the civil parish of The Stukeleys, close to the villages of Great Stukeley, Little Stukeley, and Alconbury. ...
on 6 January 1943 where it and its parent
92d Bombardment Group
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
underwent reorganization. When they emerged in May 1943, the 92d BG and 325th BS were ready for combat. The group's B-17s flew their first post-reorganization combat mission on 15 May 1943.
On 20 August 1943, the personnel and aircraft were assumed by the
813th Bombardment Squadron (
Pathfinder
Pathfinder may refer to:
Businesses
* Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International
* Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature
Computing and information science
* Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser
* Pathfinder (w ...
).
In September 1943, the squadron was re-equipped with replacement personnel and aircraft, and was once again moved, this time to
RAF Podington
Royal Air Force (RAF) Podington is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station in northern Bedfordshire, England, south-east of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
History
Podington airfield was originally built between 1940 and ...
, where it remained until
VE 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 Easter ...
in May 1945. The
92d Bombardment Group
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, when it had the distinction of leading the Eighth Air Force's final sortie of the conflict. The group flew a total of 308 combat missions.
Reassigned to
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
in June 1945 as part of Operation Green. Used B-17s as transports, flying demobilized personnel to ATC sites in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
from France. Aircraft turrets were removed and re-skinned, the bomb racks removed, flooring and seating installed to accommodate 30 passengers. The flight crew was reduced to pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer and radio operator. In addition the engineer and radio operator would act as stewards, to assist and calm the many first time flyers. The 325th's aircraft helped move 19,935 troops while also helping to return 5,672 Frenchmen to France. Inactivated in February 1946.
Strategic Air Command
Reactivated as a
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
squadron in July 1946. Performed strategic bombardment training until 1950; being deployed to
Far East Air Forces
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...
and flying combat missions over North Korea. Under control of the FEAF Bomber Command (Provisional) until 20 October, the squadron bombed factories, refineries, iron works, hydroelectric plants, airfields, bridges, tunnels, troop concentrations, barracks, marshalling yards, road junctions, rail lines, supply dumps, docks, vehicles and other strategic and interdiction targets. Returned to
Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane.
The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned t ...
, Spokane, Washington in late October and November 1950.
Re-equipped with
Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built. It had the longest win ...
intercontinental strategic bomber in 1951. Engaged in training operations on a worldwide scale; being upgraded to
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
in 1957 standing nuclear alert until being stood down in 1992 at the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
.
Weapons squadron
Reactivated as a
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...
bomb squadron in 1998. Taken off operational flying status, being redesignated as a weapons training squadron at Whiteman in 2005, assuming assets on inactivated
715th Weapons Squadron.
Lineage
* Constituted as the 325th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
: Activated on 1 March 1942
: Redesignated 325th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 29 September 1944
: Inactivated on 28 February 1946
* Redesignated 325th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 15 July 1946
: Activated on 4 August 1946
: Redesignated 325th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948
: Redesignated 325th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 16 June 1951
: Redesignated 325th Bomb Squadron on 1 September 1991
: Inactivated on 1 July 1994
* Activated on 6 January 1998
: Redesignated 325th Weapons Squadron 9 September 2005
: Activated on 9 September 2005
[
]
Assignments
* 92d Bombardment Group, 1 March 1942 – 28 February 1946 (non-Operational 20 August–15 September 1943)
* 92d Bombardment Group, 4 August 1946 (attached to 92d Bombardment Wing
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...
after 16 February 1951)
* 92d Bombardment Wing
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...
(later 92d Strategic Aerospace Wing, 92d Bombardment Wing), 16 June 1952
* 92d Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – 1 July 1994
* 509th Operations Group
The 509th Operations Group (509 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 509th Bomb Wing (509 BW), assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It is equipped with all 20 of the USAF's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, flown by it ...
, 6 January 1998
* USAF Weapons School
The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force, assigned to the 57th Wing and Space Delta 1. It is located at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Mission
The mission of the USAF Weapons School is to teach gradua ...
, 9 September 2005 – present[
]
Stations
* Barksdale Field Barksdale may refer to:
Places
*Barksdale, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
*Barksdale, Texas, an unincorporated community
* Barksdale, Wisconsin, a town
** Barksdale (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
* Barksdale Air Force ...
, Louisiana, 1 March 1942
* MacDill Field
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida, 26 March 1942
* Sarasota Army Air Field
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
, Florida, 18 May–July 1942
* RAF Bovingdon
Royal Air Force Bovingdon or more simply RAF Bovingdon is a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England, about south-west of Hemel Hempstead and south-east of Berkhamsted.
During the Second W ...
(AAF-112),[Station number in Anderson.] England, August 1942
* RAF Alconbury
Royal Air Force Alconbury or more simply RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon, England. The airfield is in the civil parish of The Stukeleys, close to the villages of Great Stukeley, Little Stukeley, and Alconbury. ...
(AAF-102),[ England, January 1943
* ]RAF Podington
Royal Air Force (RAF) Podington is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station in northern Bedfordshire, England, south-east of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
History
Podington airfield was originally built between 1940 and ...
(AAF-109),[ England, 15 September 1943
* Istres-le Tubé Airfield (Y-17), France, June 1945 – 28 February 1946
* ]Fort Worth Army Air Field
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth (abbreviated NAS JRB Fort Worth) includes Carswell Field, a military airbase located west of the central business district of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. This military ai ...
, Texas, 4 August 1946
* Smoky Hill Army Air Field
Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is three miles southwest of Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, with service by one passenger airline, ...
, Kansas, 26 October 1946
* Spokane Army Air Field (later Spokane Air Force Base, Fairchild Air Force Base
Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane.
The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigned t ...
), Washington, 20 June 1947 – 1 July 1994 (deployed to Yokota Air Base
, is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.
It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa.
The base houses 14,000 personnel ...
, Japan, 9 July29 October 1950, Andersen Air Force Base
Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacific ...
, 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 ...
, 16 October 1954 – 12 January 1955 and 26 April–5 July 1956)
* Whiteman Air Force Base
Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for 2nd Lt George Whiteman, who was killed during the attack ...
, Missouri, 6 January 1998 – present[Station information in Beiley, except as noted.]
Aircraft
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1946
* Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1946, 1947–1951
* Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 1951–1957
* Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1957–1994
* Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, 1998–2005[
]
See also
* 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
*
*
*
*
*
External links
{{Strategic Air Command
Weapons 0325
Military units and formations established in 1942
1942 establishments in Louisiana