The 342d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive
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 ...
unit. It was last assigned to the
4137th Strategic Wing. It was last stationed at
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast o ...
, Georgia and was inactivated on 1 February 1963.
During World War II, the 342d Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the
97th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations.
History
World War II
The squadron was established as a
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb squadron in early 1942, and trained under
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 ...
in Florida. While training it flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Atlantic coastline. It was deployed to the
European Theater of Operations in June 1942, 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 ...
in England with B-17E aircraft.
![B-17-342bs-97bg-italy-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/B-17-342bs-97bg-italy-1.jpg)
Combat operations by the group began on 17 August 1942, when the squadron participated in the first
Eighth Air Force heavy bomber mission of the war, attacking the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. It then continued long-range strategic bombardment of occupied Europe, attacking airfields, marshaling yards, industries, naval installations, and other targets in France and the Low Countries.
The squadron was deployed to Algeria in November 1942, assigned to the new
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 ...
in North Africa and upgraded to B-17Fs. It raided shipping in the Mediterranean Sea and airfields, docks, harbors, and marshaling yards in north Africa, southern France,
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
,
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, and the southern Italian mainland in a campaign to cut supply lines to German forces in north Africa. It helped force the capitulation 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 ...
Island in June 1943. It bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily and southern Italy in the summer and fall of 1943.
The squadron was reassigned to the new
Fifteenth Air Force and the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations in southern Italy, November 1943, flying a combination of B-17Fs and new B-17Gs. From Southern Italy it engaged in very long-range strategic bombardment missions, attacking targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. It participated in the first shuttle-bombing mission to Russia (
Operation Frantic
Operation Frantic was a series of seven shuttle bombing operations during World War II conducted by American aircraft based in Great Britain and southern Italy which then landed at three Soviet airfields in Ukraine. The aircraft in Ukraine then ...
) in June 1944.
The squadron returned to the United States after the German capitulation in May 1945, and prepared for transition to
Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft and deployment to
Twentieth Air Force
The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
in the
Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation in August ended training activities; the squadron was demobilized and inactivated in October.
Strategic Air Command
The squadron was reactivated in 1946 under
Strategic Air Command. It was equipped with B-29 Superfortresses and participated in numerous exercises, operational readiness inspections, and overseas deployments. One of these deployments involved the squadron's mission in West Germany and Berlin (then in East Germany) in July 1947. Just a month later, the unit was in Guam and Japan. It became part of SAC nuclear deterrent force.
![Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojets - 020903-o-9999r-001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Strategic_Air_Command_B-47_Stratojets_-_020903-o-9999r-001.jpg)
The squadron began upgrading to the new
Boeing B-50 Superfortress, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1949. 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 interceptors in the skies of
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
signaled the end of the propeller-driven B-50 as a first-line strategic bomber. The squadron received
Boeing 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 ...
jet bombers in 1955 and despite initial difficulties, the Stratojet became the mainstay of the medium-bombing strength of SAC all throughout the 1950s, deployed frequently to North Africa and England for Reflex exercises. The squadron began sending its B-47s to the
at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
in 1959 when the aircraft was deemed no longer capable of penetrating Soviet airspace.
In 1960 the squadron was reassigned to the
4137th Strategic Wing, being re-equipped with
Boeing B-52G 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 ...
intercontinental heavy bombers. It moved to
Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast o ...
, Georgia by SAC to disperse its heavy bomber force. It conducted worldwide strategic-bombardment training missions and provided nuclear deterrent. It was inactivated in 1963 when SAC inactivated its strategic wings, replacing them with permanent Air Force wings. The squadron was inactivated, with aircraft, personnel, and equipment being transferred to the
781st Bombardment Squadron.
Lineage
* Constituted as the "342d Bombardment Squadron" (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
: Activated on 3 February 1942
: Redesignated "342d Bombardment Squadron", Heavy on 6 March 1944
: Inactivated on 29 October 1945
* Redesignated "342d Bombardment Squadron", Very Heavy on 15 July 1946
: Activated on 4 August 1946
: Redesignated "342d Bombardment Squadron", Medium on 28 May 1948
: Redesignated "342d Bombardment Squadron", Heavy on 1 October 1959
: Discontinued and inactivated on 1 February 1963
[
]
Assignments
* 97th Bombardment Group, 3 February 1942 – 29 October 1945
* 97th Bombardment Group, 4 August 1946
* 97th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952
* 4137th Strategic Wing, 15 May 1960 – 1 February 1963[
]
Stations
* 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, 3 February 1942
* Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida, 29 March 1942 – 16 May 1942
* RAF Grafton Underwood
Royal Air Force Grafton Underwood or more simply RAF Grafton Underwood is a former Royal Air Force station located northeast of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.
Royal Air Force use
The airfield at Grafton Underwood was opened in 1941 an ...
(USAAF Station 106), England, 9 June 1942
* RAF Polebrook
Royal Air Force Station Polebrook or more simply RAF Polebrook is a former Royal Air Force station located east-south-east of Oundle, at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, England. The airfield was built on Rothschild estate land starting in Augus ...
(USAAF Station 110), England, 8 September 1942
* Maison Blanche Airport
Houari Boumediene International Airport ( ar, مطار هواري بومدين الدولي, Maṭār Hawwārī Būmadyan al-Duwaliyy) , also known as Algiers Airport or Algiers International Airport, is the main international airport serving A ...
, Algiers, Algeria, c. 19 November 1942
* Tafaraoui Airfield
Oran Tafaraoui Airport is a joint civil/military airport in Oran Province, Algeria .
History
During World War II, it was a primary mission objective of the United States Army 34th Infantry Division during the Allied Operation Torch landings on ...
, Algeria, c. 22 November 1942
* Biskra Airfield
Mohamed Khider Airport or Biskra Ouakda Airport is an airport in Algeria, located approximately 12 km north-northeast of Oumache; about 200 km south-southwest of Constantine.
History
During World War II, the airport was known as "Bi ...
, Algeria, 27 December 1942
* Chateaudun-du-Rhumel Airfield, Algeria, 18 February 1943
* Pont du Fahs Airfield, Tunisia, 10 August 1943
* Depienne Airfield, Tunisia, 14 August 1943
* Cerignola Airfield, Italy, c. 9 December 1943
* Amendola Airfield
Amendola Air Base (ICAO: LIBA) is a military airfield of the Italian Air Force ( Aeronautica Militare). It is the home of 32nd Wing.
Overview
Amendola Air Base was primarily a training base for pilots of the AMX International AMX ground atta ...
, Italy, 16 January 1944
* Marcianise Airfield
Marcianise Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in southeast Italy, which is located approximately 10 km north-northwest of Marcianise in the province of Caserta, Campania; about 32 km north-northwest of Naples. ...
, Italy, c. 1 October 1945 – 29 October 1945
* Smoky Hill Army Air Field (later Smoky Hill Air Force Base), Kansas, 4 August 1946
* Biggs Air Force Base, Texas, 18 May 1948
* Blytheville Air Force Base
Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. It was located n ...
, Arkansas, 1 July 1959
* Robins Air Force Base
Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast o ...
, Georgia, 15 May 1960 – 1 February 1963[Station information in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp.423-424, except as noted.]
Aircraft
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
* Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1946–1950
* Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1950–1955
* Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955–1959
* Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, 1960–1963[
]
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
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
{{Strategic Air Command
Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force
Military units and formations established in 1942
Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces
World War II strategic bombing units