The 515th 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 first formed in the Middle East in 1942 to reinforce the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
in North Africa with personnel and aircraft diverted from delivery to the
China Burma India Theater. The squadron moved forward, eventually being stationed in Italy, where it participated in the
strategic bombing campaign against Germany, and was awarded three
Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat actions. Following
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 ...
, the squadron returned to the United States, where it converted to
Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers, but was inactivated in March 1946.
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, ...
was reactivated at
Lockbourne Air Force Base
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of ...
, Ohio in 1958, when
Strategic Air Command (SAC) reorganized its
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 ...
wings to have four squadrons. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962, when SAC
alert posture was changed and no longer fit the four squadron model.
History
World War II
Background
In early 1942, the
Afrika Corps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the f ...
was threatening British forces in Egypt. In response, two contingents of American heavy bombers were diverted to support the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
. A flight of
Consolidated B-24 Liberators being ferried to India was halted from its travel in June and some
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses from the
9th and
436th Bombardment Squadrons were flown to the Middle East from India. On 20 July 1942, these elements were organized into the 1st Provisional Group at
RAF Lydda
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, Palestine.
North African operations
![376bombgroup-bulgaria-01-jun-1944](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/376bombgroup-bulgaria-01-jun-1944.gif)
On 31 October 1942, the 1st Group was dissolved and replaced by a formal
Army Air Forces unit, the
376th Bombardment Group 376th may refer to:
* 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive wing of the United States Air Force, last stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic
*376th Air Refueling Squadron, inactive United States Air Force u ...
. The 515th Bombardment Squadron was activated as one of its four component squadrons.
The squadron was originally equipped with a mix of Liberators and Flying Fortresses, but by the end of the year, the B-17s were transferred to 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 ...
and the squadron became an all B-24 unit.
Moving forward to bases in Egypt and Libya, the squadron attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. After the fall of Tunisia in May 1943, the squadron focused on attacks on aerodrome
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 publ ...
s, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy, moving forward to Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia in late September. Its actions during these attacks on enemy targets from its activation through August 1943 earned the squadron its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).[
On 1 August 1943, operating from ]Benina Airport
Benina International Airport ( ar, مطار بنينة الدولي) serves Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the borough of Benina, 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name. The airport is operated by the Civi ...
, Libya, the squadron participated in Operation Tidal Wave
Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of ...
, the low level attack on oil refineries
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
near Ploesti, with the squadron's parent group leading the attack formation. As it approached its assigned targets, the lead aircraft realized that an order from the group commander, who had misidentified the initial point, put the group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...
off course. The group attempted an attack on the Romana Americana refinery, its assigned objective from a different direction. By this time, enemy air defenses had been alerted and intense flak
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...
forced the unit to attack targets of opportunity. The squadron was awarded its second DUC for this operation.[
]
Strategic bombing campaign
The squadron moved to San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy in November 1943, where it became part of Fifteenth Air Force and would remain until April 1945. It primarily flew long range strategic bombardment
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systematica ...
missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives. On 16 June 1944, it received a third DUC for an attack on oil industry targets in Bratislava. The squadron also provided air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...
for Operation Shingle
The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...
, the landings at Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands ...
and flew interdiction Interdiction is a military term for the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction. The former refers to operations whose ...
missions to support the Battle of Monte Cassino between February and March 1944. In the fall of 1944, it assisted the Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
in its advance through the Balkans, and in early 1945, supported Operation Grapeshot
The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack into the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on ...
, the spring offensive in Northern Italy. The squadron was withdrawn from combat in April 1945 and left Italy for the United States.[
The squadron arrived at ]Harvard Army Air Field
Harvard State Airport (Harvard State Airfield) is two miles northeast of Harvard, in Clay County, Nebraska. It has no airline flights.
History
Harvard Army Airfield was built in 1942 as a United States Army Air Forces training airfield. It is ...
, Nebraska in May 1945 and the 376th Group began conversion to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.[ However, B-29 groups were organized with three squadrons, rather than the four squadrons of B-24 groups, and the 515th was inactivated on 24 June 1945.][
]
Strategic Air Command
From 1958, the 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 ...
wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power
General Thomas Sarsfield Power (June 18, 1905 – December 6, 1970) was a United States Air Force officer who served as commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command. He was an active military flier for more than 30 years.
Early career
Thomas ...
's initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. To implement this new system the B-47 wings were expanded from three to four squadrons. The 515th was activated at Lockbourne Air Force Base
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base is an Ohio Air National Guard installation located near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County. The base was named for the famous early aviator and Columbus native Eddie Rickenbacker. It is the home of ...
as part of the 376th Bombardment Wing 376th may refer to:
* 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive wing of the United States Air Force, last stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic
*376th Air Refueling Squadron, inactive United States Air Force u ...
on 1 December 1958.
Although designated a bombardment squadron, electronic countermeasures was the unit's primary mission. SAC's alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962 and the four squadron pattern no longer met the alert cycle commitment, so the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962.[
]
Lineage
* Constituted as the 515th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 October 1942
: Activated on 31 October 1942
: Redesignated 515th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 3 May 1944
: Inactivated on 24 June 1945
* Redesignated 515th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 20 August 1958
: Activated on 1 December 1958
: Discontinued and inactivated on 1 January 1962[
]
Assignments
* 376th Bombardment Group, 31 October 1942 – 24 June 1945
* 376th Bombardment Wing, 1 December 1958 – 1 January 1962[
]
Stations
* RAF Lydda, Palestine, 31 October 1942
* RAF Abu Sueir
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, Egypt, 8 November 1942
* RAF Gambut
RAF Gambut (or RAF Kambut) is a complex of six abandoned military airfields in Libya, located about north-northeast of the village of Kambut, and east-south-east of Tobruk. During World War II, the complex was an important facility, used by ...
, Libya, 10 February 1943
* Soluch Airfield, Libya, 25 February 1943
* Benina Airport
Benina International Airport ( ar, مطار بنينة الدولي) serves Benghazi, Libya. It is located in the borough of Benina, 19 kilometres (12 mi) east of Benghazi, from which it takes its name. The airport is operated by the Civi ...
, Libya, 16 April 1943
* Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, c. 26 September 1943 (detachment operated from Benina Airport, Libya, 3–11 October 1943)
* San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy, 19 November 1943 – 19 April 1945
* Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, 8 May – 24 June 1945
* Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 1 December 1958 – 1 January 1962[
]
Aircraft
* Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1942)
* Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1942–1945)
* Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1958–1962[
]
Awards and campaigns
See also
* List of United States Air Force bomb squadrons
This is a list of United States Air Force Bomb Squadrons. It covers all squadrons that were constituted or redesignated as ''bombardment squadron'' sometime during their active service. Today ''Bomb Squadrons'' are considered to be part of the ...
* List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
*
* B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces
This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information. Heavy bomber training organizations primarily under II Bomber Command in the United States and ...
References
Notes
; Explanatory notes
; Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II
Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force
Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces
Military units and formations established in 1942
Units and formations of Strategic Air Command
World War II strategic bombing units