819th Bombardment Squadron

819th Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 819th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1941–1943
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment; Antisubmarine Warfare

Ramp at East Field, Saipan, fall 1944. Consolidated B-24J-105-CO Liberator 42-109809 "Evasive Action" 819th Bomb Squadron, C-47 Skytrains and, in the distance, a B-29 Superfortress

The 819th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 30th Bombardment Group, based at Kahuku Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory. It was inactivated on 30 November 1945.

History

Organized in early 1941 as 39th Bombardment Squadron, a First Air Force medium bombardment squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchells.

After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boats and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast. Redesignated 3d Antisubmarine Squadron and requipped with B-18 Bolos, deployed first to Savannah AAB, Georgia to patrol southeast coast, then to airfields in the northeast to patrol shipping lanes in the New York and Boston area as part of 25th Antisubmarine Wing.

With inactivation of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in fall, 1943, redesignated as 819th Bombardment Squadron the squadron deployed first to California and trained as B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadron, being assigned to the, 30th Bombardment Group as a replacement unit for the 21st Bombardment Squadron that had been sent to Alaska. Then deployed to Hawaii as part of Seventh Air Force. Remained in Hawaii after the 30th Bomb Group deployed to the Central Pacific for defense of the islands, flying antisubmarine patrols and processed new crews and airplanes for the 30th Bomb Group that were later dispatched to combat areas.

Deployed to Saipan in August 1944, and conducted intensive bombing strikes against airfields and shipping at Bonin and Volcano Islands, Iwo Jima, ChiChi Jima, and Yap. Its final bombing mission was at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, the same day three Marine divisions invaded the island.

In March 1945, the 819th returned to Hawaii on the popular but mistaken rumor that it was to be reequipped with B-32 Dominators. Instead, many of the crews and planes were reassigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and subsequently served with it. The remaining elements waited out the war conducting training sorties and routine patrols. Inactivated on 30 November 1945.

Lineage

• Constituted 39th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940

Activated on 15 January 1941

Redesignated: 3d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942

Redesignated: 819th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 September 1943

Inactivated on 30 November 1945.

Assignments

• 13th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941
• 25th Antisubmarine Wing, 30 November 1942
• 30th Bombardment Group, 11 October 1943 – 30 November 1945.

Stations

Langley Field, Virginia, 15 January 1941 Orlando AAB, Florida, 6 June 1941 Detachment operated from Savannah AAB, Georgia, 8–14 December 1941 Westover Field, Massachusetts, 20 January 1942 Dover AAF, Delaware, 19 July 1942 Fort Dix AAF, New Jersey, 28 February 1943

March Field, California, 22 September-4 October 1943 Barking Sands Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 22 October 1943 Wheeler Field, Hawaii (Territory), 12 November 1943 – 9 July 1944 Kobler Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 25 July 1944 Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 17 March 1945 Kahuku Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 26 September-30 November 1945

Aircraft

• B-18 Bolo, 1941–1942
• B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1943
• A-29 Hudson, 1942
• B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.