872d Bombardment Squadron

872d Bombardment Squadron
Active 1943-1944; 1944-1946; 2007; 2009
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Bombardment
Engagements American Theater of World War II
Pacific Theater of Operations

The 872d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 382d Bombardment Group stationed at Camp Anza, California. It was inactivated on 4 January 1946.

History

The squadron was established in late 1943 as the 872d Bombardment Squadron at El Paso Army Air Base, Texas, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron that was one of the original operational squadrons of the 497th Bombardment Group.[1] The squadron's initial cadre was drawn from the 491st Bombardment Group.[2]

In December the squadron moved on paper to Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico.[2] At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 872d drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished. Key personnel trained with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida.[3]

In April 1944, the air and ground echelons united at Pratt AAF, although its personnel were detached to other units of the group. In May the United States Army Air Forces reorganized its very heavy bombardment units. Shortly after arrival at Pratt, the 872d Bombardment Squadron and the support units of the 497th group were inactivated and their personnel absorbed into the remaining squadrons of the group.[4]

The squadron was reactivated four months later as an element of the 382d Bombardment Group at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas.[1] Its ground echelon deployed to Tinian by ship in early August 1945 while the air echelon remained at the last training base in Kansas after the Japanese surrender. The ground echelon remained in the Marianas supporting other units' aircraft and demobilization. The air echelon demobilized with its new B-29 aircraft remaining in Kansas, where they were assigned to postwar units. The entire unit inactivated by December 1945.

In 2007 the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 872d Air Expeditionary Squadron and assigned to United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as needed. It was activated in 2007 at Bulboaca, Moldava and in 2009 at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland.[5]

Lineage

Activated on 20 November 1943
Inactivated on 10 May 1944
Inactivated on 4 January 1946
Activated on 21 July 2007
Inactivated on 17 August 2007
Activated on 28 July 2009
Inactivated on 1 September 2009

Assignments

322d Air Expeditionary Group: 21 July 2007 - 17 August 2007
322d Air Expeditionary Group: 28 July 2009 - 1 September 2009 (attached to 48th Fighter Wing)

Stations

Aircraft

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. pp. 791–792. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
  2. 1 2 Stewart, Harry A.; Power, John E. (1947). Goforth, Pat E., ed. The Long Haul: The Story of the 497th Bomb Group (VH). Bangor Public Library World War Regimental Histories. San Angelo, TX: Newsfoto Publishing Co. p. 26. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. Stewart et al., pp. 27-30
  4. Stewart et al., pp. 38-40
  5. Air Force Organizational Status Change Report, Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, AL Jul and Aug 2007, Jul and Sep 2009

Bibliography

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

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