The 747th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. 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, de ...

was first activated in June 1943. After training in the United States,, it deployed to the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forc ...

, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned two

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

s for its combat operations. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and began reorganizing as a very heavy bomber unit, but after the Japanese surrender, was inactivated in October 1945. The squadron was reactivated in the reserve in 1947, but does not appear to have been fully equipped or manned before inactivating in 1949.

History

World War II

The

was first activated as the 747th Bombardment Squadron at Wendover Field, Utah on 1 June 1943, where it was one of the four original squadrons of the

456th Bombardment Group Activated in June 1943 as a heavy bombardment group. Trained with B-24 Liberators for duty overseas. Moved to Italy, December 1943 – January 1944. Began combat with Fifteenth Air Force in February 1944, operating chiefly against strategic tar ...

and received its initial

cadre Cadre may refer to: *Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff *Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...

. Shortly thereafter the

moved to Gowen Field, Idaho and began to train with

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

bombers. It completed its training in December 1943 and began its movement to the

.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 734Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 330-332 The squadron arrived in theater at

Cerignola 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 ...

on 11 January 1944 and later that month moved to its combat station of

Stornara 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. The squadron began combat operations the following month, primarily engaging in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Its early operations were conducted against airfields, aircraft factories, and railroad bridges in Italy, Austria and Romania. On 10 May 1944, the squadron was targeted against a manufacturing center at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Adverse weather caused most of the attacking force to turn back before reaching the target. The 747th and the rest of the 456th Group proceeded to attack the target despite heavy

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Vehicles * Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft * Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car * ...

opposition that was able to concentrate on defending against the group's Liberators. Its actions in this operation earned the squadron its first

(DUC). The squadron expanded its operations to include attacks on locomotive manufacturing plants,

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, liquefie ...

, oil storage facilities and

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...

s in France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Balkan peninsula. On 2 July 1944, the squadron braved severe enemy fighter attacks while bombing oil facilities at Budapest, Hungary, for which it was awarded a second DUC. The squadron was occasionally diverted from its strategic mission to carry out air support and air interdiction missions. From July through August 1944, it helped prepare the way for

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...

, the invasion of southern France. In the spring of 1945, it 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 6 ...

, the offensive by the United States Fifth Army and

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...

against remaining German forces in northern Italy. Following V-E Day, the squadron

airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distanc ...

ed supplies to airfields in northern Italy. It returned to the United States in July and began to reorganize as a very heavy bomber unit. However, with the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...

, the squadron was inactivated on 17 October 1945.

Air Force reserve

The squadron was reactivated as a reserve unit under

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...

(ADC) at

McChord Field McChord Field is a United States Air Force base in the northwest United States, in Pierce County, Washington. South of Tacoma, McChord Field is the home of the 62d Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command, the field's primary mission being worldw ...

, Washington in August 1947, where its training was supervised by ADC's 406th AAF Base Unit (later the 2345th Air Force Reserve Training Center). It was nominally a very heavy bomber unit, but the squadron does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft while a reserve unit. In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

units from ADC. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force. ConAC also reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949. As a result, the squadron was inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to elements of the

302d Troop Carrier Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

, which was activated simultaneously.Ravenstein, pp. 147-149

Lineage

* Constituted as the 747th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943 : Activated on 1 June 1943 : Redesignated 747th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 5 March 1944 : Redesignated 747th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Inactivated on 17 October 1945 * Activated in the reserve on 1 August 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Assignments

* 456th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 – 17 October 1945 * 456th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1947 – 27 June 1949

Stations

* Wendover Field, Utah, 1 June 1943 * Gowen Field, Idaho, 14 July 1943 *

Bruning Army Air Field Bruning Army Air Field was a flight training installation of the United States Army Air Forces used during World War II and located in northeast Thayer County, Nebraska, at coordinates 40°20'25" North, 97°25'42" West, approximately six miles ...

, Nebraska, 2 August 1943 * Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, 9 September 1943 * Muroc Army Air Field, California, 2 October–4 December 1943 * Cerignola Airfield, Italy, 11 January 1944 * Stornara Airfield, Italy, 25 January 1944 – 19 July 1945 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 1 August 1945 *

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, 17 August-17 October 1945 * McChord Field (later McChord Air Force Base), Washington, 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949

Aircraft

* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * ; Further reading * * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Military units and formations of the United States Air Force Reserves Military units and formations established in 1943 Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces World War II strategic bombing units