The 616th Bombardment Squadron was activated in 1943 as one of the four squadrons of the 477th Bombardment Group, the first (and only) bombardment group in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

to include black pilots. Members of the squadron participated in the Freeman Field Mutiny, protesting

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

in the military. The squadron was inactivated in 1945 when the 477th became a composite group that included

bombardment A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, ...

and fighter squadrons.

History

The 616th Bombardment Squadron was activated in June 1943 at

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, as one of the four original squadrons of the 477th Bombardment Group, but was inactivated in August.Maurer, Maurer ''Combat Units'', pp. 349–350 The 477th group was reactivated in January 1944 at

Selfridge Field Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Unit ...

, Michigan as the "first colored bombardment group in the Army Air Forces" with personnel drawn from Selfridge and from

Tuskegee Army Air Field Sharpe Field is a closed private use airport located northwest of the central business district of Tuskegee, a city in Macon County, Alabama, United States. This airport is privately owned by the Bradbury Family Partnership. Formerly known ...

, Alabama. It was the second combat group to be activated with African American personnel and would be the only African-American bombardment group. The group moved to

Godman Field Godman or God-man may refer to: * Godman (name) * Godman (India), a colloquial term used in India for a charismatic spiritual leader * ''The Godman'', a 1999 Indian Malayalam film * ''God-Man'', a recurring character in the comic '' Tom the Dancin ...

, Kentucky in May. The unit encountered problems attributed to the lack of experienced personnel, which required even basic training in military occupational specialties to be conducted within the unit, rather than at technical training schools. The initial commander of the 477th group enforced the then-standard practice of

on the posts where the squadron was stationed. The squadron's members were involved in the civil rights action referred to as the Freeman Field Mutiny; the "mutiny" came about when African-American aviators became outraged enough by racial segregation in the military that they resorted to mass insistence that military regulations prohibiting discrimination be enforced. The Freeman Field Mutiny was a crucial event in the African-American struggle for equal civil rights. The 616th was inactivated in June 1945 as the 477th became a composite group formed of the

99th Fighter Squadron The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...

, 617th Bombardment Squadron and 618th Bombardment Squadron. At this time, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., a black officer, assumed command of the group.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 616th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 13 May 1943 : Activated on 1 June 1943 : Inactivated on 25 August 1943 : Activated on 15 January 1944 : Inactivated on 22 June 1945

Assignments

* 477th Bombardment Group: 1 June 1943 – 25 August 1943 * 477th Bombardment Group (later 477th Composite Group): 15 May 1944 – 22 June 1945

Stations

* MacDill Field, Florida: 1 June 1943 – 25 August 1943 * Selfridge Field, Michigan: 15 January 1944 * Godman Field, Kentucky: 6 May 1944 * Sturgis Army Air Field, Kentucky: 19 June 1944 * Godman Field, Kentucky: 20 July 1944 *

Freeman Field : ''For the civil use of this facility after 1946, see Freeman Municipal Airport '' Freeman Army Airfield is an inactive United States Army Air Forces base. It is located south-southwest of Seymour, Indiana. The base was established in 1942 a ...

, Indiana: 5 March 1945 * Godman Field, Kentucky: 27 April 1945 – 22 June 1945

Aircraft

Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in t ...

, 1943 *

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 ...

, 1944–1945

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II Military units and formations established in 1943 Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces