21st Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 21st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 501st Bombardment Group, based at Northwest Field
, Guam
in the Mariana Islands
. It was inactivated on 10 June 1946.
The 21st Bombardment Squadron was one of the first squadrons to make a land-based attack on the Japanese home islands on 18 July 1943, flying B-24 Liberator
s. This raid, against Shimushu and Paramushiru in the Kuril Islands
, caused little or no damage, but was only the first of a long series of attacks on Japan from the north.
Inactivated in 1943; the 21st later was reorganized as a B-29 Superfortress
Bomb Squadron and engaged in combat over Japan in 1945.
bombardment squadron in November 1940 as part of the USAAC's buildup of forces after the outbreak of World War II
in Europe
; equipped with B-18 Bolo
s and early YB-17 Flying Fortress prototypes.
Deployed to Third Air Force
after the Attack on Pearl Harbor
, engaged in antisubmarine patrols with Lockheed A-29 Hudsons over the southeast Atlantic coastline. Flew its first anti-submarine warfare patrols over the waters off Savannah, Georgia
. Returned to California
and flew regular patrols with the Hudson began on 9 January 1942, from Muroc Army Airfield, and the squadron continued to fly ASW patrols until June 1942, at one point operating from five bases on the west coast at the same time.
Deployed to Alaska
as part of Eleventh Air Force
, became part of forces engaged in combat against Japanese forces in the Aleutian Campaign, 11 June 1942-14 August 1943 flying B-24 Liberator
s. The squadron would remain officially part of the 30th Bombardment Group, however it operated under the command of the 28th Composite Group in the Aleutians.
The first aircraft began operating from Fort Glenn Army Airfield, Umnak Island, at the eastern end of the Aleutian chain, on 11 June 1942, and the entire squadron was in place by 3 September. During this period Adak Army Airfield had been under construction on Adak Island
, and on 14 September six B-24s from the 21st Bombardment Squadron took part in the first major raid to be launched from this airbase. This saw twelve B-24s from the 21st and 404th Bombardment Squadrons attack the Japanese base on Kiska
, sinking two mine sweepers and damaging the camp and submarine area. This attack would be followed by a long series of attacks on the Japanese positions on Kiska and Amchitka
.
By February 1943 Amchitka Island was back in American hands, and the 21st moved to that island on 18 February 1943, operating from Amchitka Army Airfield
until July. On 18 July 1943 the 21st, 36th and 404th Bombardment Squadrons each contributed some of the six B-24s that became the first Liberators (and the first Air Force bombers since the Doolittle Raid
) to attack the Japanese home islands.
On 26 August 1943, after the liberation of Kiska Island, the 21st Bombardment Squadron became one of a number of units of the Eleventh Air Force that were ordered to prepare for a move back to the Continental United States. That move finally began on 19 September 1943, and the squadron was inactivated on 1 November 1943.
A new 21st Bombardment Squadron (unrelated to previous) was constituted and activated under Second Air Force
as Very Heavy (B-29 Superfortress
) squadron, April 1944. Not manned or equipped.
Reactivated in June 1944 at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas
as part of the 501st Bombardment Group. Trained in B-29 operations, although training was delayed for an extended time due to shortages of B-29 aircraft. Equipped with B-29B aircraft, built for fast, low-level attacks. It had all but the tail defensive armament removed, since experience had shown that by 1944 the only significant Japanese fighter attacks were coming from the rear.
Deployed to Northwest Field, Guam
. As the crews arrived they commenced ground school and shakedown missions over Rota
, Pajoros and Truk. Entered combat on 19 June 1945 when its B-29’s bombed Japanese fortifications in the Truk Islands. Flew its first mission against Japan on 27 June 1945, and afterward operated principally against the enemy’s petroleum industry on Honshu
. Flew 15 combat missions before the war ended, then flew numerous missions airdropping food and supplies for Allied prisoners in POW camps across Japan, Korea, Manchuria
and China.
In September 1945, several flights were made to Chitose Airfield in Hokkaido
near Sapporo with gasoline for the first nonstop flight from Japan to the United States by Generals Giles and LeMay. Personnel returned to United States during early 1946. Inactivated on Guam June 1946, aircraft flown to storage in western United States.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with the 501st Bombardment Group, based at Northwest Field
Northwest Field (Guam)
Northwest Field is a former World War II airfield on Guam in the Mariana Islands. It was closed in 1949 and is unused.-History:Northwest Field was constructed in 1944–45 near Ritidian Point on the northwest end of the island of Guam as a base for Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses to carry...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. It was inactivated on 10 June 1946.
The 21st Bombardment Squadron was one of the first squadrons to make a land-based attack on the Japanese home islands on 18 July 1943, flying B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s. This raid, against Shimushu and Paramushiru in the Kuril Islands
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
, caused little or no damage, but was only the first of a long series of attacks on Japan from the north.
Inactivated in 1943; the 21st later was reorganized as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
Bomb Squadron and engaged in combat over Japan in 1945.
History
Established as a Fourth Air ForceFourth Air Force
The Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
bombardment squadron in November 1940 as part of the USAAC's buildup of forces after the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; equipped with B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
s and early YB-17 Flying Fortress prototypes.
Deployed to Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
after the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, engaged in antisubmarine patrols with Lockheed A-29 Hudsons over the southeast Atlantic coastline. Flew its first anti-submarine warfare patrols over the waters off Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. Returned to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and flew regular patrols with the Hudson began on 9 January 1942, from Muroc Army Airfield, and the squadron continued to fly ASW patrols until June 1942, at one point operating from five bases on the west coast at the same time.
Deployed to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
as part of Eleventh Air Force
Eleventh Air Force
The Eleventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska....
, became part of forces engaged in combat against Japanese forces in the Aleutian Campaign, 11 June 1942-14 August 1943 flying B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s. The squadron would remain officially part of the 30th Bombardment Group, however it operated under the command of the 28th Composite Group in the Aleutians.
The first aircraft began operating from Fort Glenn Army Airfield, Umnak Island, at the eastern end of the Aleutian chain, on 11 June 1942, and the entire squadron was in place by 3 September. During this period Adak Army Airfield had been under construction on Adak Island
Adak Island
Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, and on 14 September six B-24s from the 21st Bombardment Squadron took part in the first major raid to be launched from this airbase. This saw twelve B-24s from the 21st and 404th Bombardment Squadrons attack the Japanese base on Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
, sinking two mine sweepers and damaging the camp and submarine area. This attack would be followed by a long series of attacks on the Japanese positions on Kiska and Amchitka
Amchitka
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island is about long, and from wide...
.
By February 1943 Amchitka Island was back in American hands, and the 21st moved to that island on 18 February 1943, operating from Amchitka Army Airfield
Amchitka Army Airfield
Amchitka Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located near Amchitka, in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska.-History:The airfield was used as a transit base by USAAF/RCAF for the defense of Dutch Harbor....
until July. On 18 July 1943 the 21st, 36th and 404th Bombardment Squadrons each contributed some of the six B-24s that became the first Liberators (and the first Air Force bombers since the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
) to attack the Japanese home islands.
On 26 August 1943, after the liberation of Kiska Island, the 21st Bombardment Squadron became one of a number of units of the Eleventh Air Force that were ordered to prepare for a move back to the Continental United States. That move finally began on 19 September 1943, and the squadron was inactivated on 1 November 1943.
A new 21st Bombardment Squadron (unrelated to previous) was constituted and activated under Second Air Force
Second Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
as Very Heavy (B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
) squadron, April 1944. Not manned or equipped.
Reactivated in June 1944 at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
as part of the 501st Bombardment Group. Trained in B-29 operations, although training was delayed for an extended time due to shortages of B-29 aircraft. Equipped with B-29B aircraft, built for fast, low-level attacks. It had all but the tail defensive armament removed, since experience had shown that by 1944 the only significant Japanese fighter attacks were coming from the rear.
Deployed to Northwest Field, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. As the crews arrived they commenced ground school and shakedown missions over Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...
, Pajoros and Truk. Entered combat on 19 June 1945 when its B-29’s bombed Japanese fortifications in the Truk Islands. Flew its first mission against Japan on 27 June 1945, and afterward operated principally against the enemy’s petroleum industry on Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
. Flew 15 combat missions before the war ended, then flew numerous missions airdropping food and supplies for Allied prisoners in POW camps across Japan, Korea, Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
and China.
In September 1945, several flights were made to Chitose Airfield in Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
near Sapporo with gasoline for the first nonstop flight from Japan to the United States by Generals Giles and LeMay. Personnel returned to United States during early 1946. Inactivated on Guam June 1946, aircraft flown to storage in western United States.
Lineage
- Constituted 21st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940
- Activated on 15 January 1941
- Disbanded on 1 November 1943
- Constituted 21st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 28 March 1944
- Activated on 1 April 1944
- Inactivated on 10 May 1944
- Activated on 1 June 1944
- Inactivated on 10 June 1946.
Assignments
- 30th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941
- Operated under control of 28th Composite Group, 9 January 1942-September 1943
- Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 18 October-1 November 1943 - 16th Bombardment Group, 1 April-10 May 1944
- 501st Bombardment Group, 1 June 1944-10 June 1946.
- Second Air Force
Stations
- March Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 15 January 1941 - New Orleans AirportNew Orleans Lakefront AirportLakefront Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles northeast of the central business district of New Orleans, in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States...
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, 22 May 1941
- Detachment operated from Hunter Army AirfieldHunter Army AirfieldHunter Army Airfield , located in Savannah, Georgia, United States, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart.Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more than 350 acres...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 8–14 December 1941- Muroc Army Airfield, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 25 December 1941 - March Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 11 February-20 August 1944
- Muroc Army Airfield, California
- Detachment operated from: San Diego Airport, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 10 May 1942-16 June 1942 - Detachment operated from: Los Angeles Airport, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 28 May-7 June 1942 - Detachment operated from: McChord Field, Washington, 28 May-7 June 1942
- Detachment operated from: Hamilton FieldHamilton Air Force BaseHamilton Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located along the western shore of San Pablo Bay, south of Novato, California.-History:...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 28 May-7 June 1942 - Air echelon operated from Fort Glenn Army Airfield, Umnak Island, Aleutians, beginning 11 June 1942
- Fort Glenn Army Airfield, Umnak Island, Aleutians, 3 September 1942 - 19 September 1943
- Operated from Adak Army Airfield, Adak IslandAdak IslandAdak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, Aleutians, 21 September-15 November 1942, c. 16 December 1942-Unknown and 18 February-13 August 1943 - Operated from Amchitka Army AirfieldAmchitka Army AirfieldAmchitka Army Airfield is an abandoned airfield located near Amchitka, in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska.-History:The airfield was used as a transit base by USAAF/RCAF for the defense of Dutch Harbor....
, Annette IslandAnnette IslandAnnette Island, or Taak'w Aan, is an island in Gravina Islands of the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean on the southeastern coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is at . It is about long and about wide. The land area is...
, Aleutians, 18 February-July 1943- Shemya Army AirfieldEareckson Air StationEareckson Air Station is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. It was closed as an active Air Force Station on 1 July 1994, however the airport is still owned by the USAF and is operated by the USAF 611th Air Support Squadron...
, Shemya Island, Aleutians, c. 27 July-c. 19 September 1943 - Smoky Hill Army Airfield, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 11 October-1 November 1943 - Dalhart Army Airfield, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 1 April-10 May 1944; 1 June 1944 - Harvard Army AirfieldHarvard Army AirfieldHarvard State Airport , also known as Harvard State Airfield, is a public use airport located two nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Harvard, a city in Clay County, Nebraska, United States. It is owned by the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 23 August 1944-7 March 1945 - Northwest FieldNorthwest Field (Guam)Northwest Field is a former World War II airfield on Guam in the Mariana Islands. It was closed in 1949 and is unused.-History:Northwest Field was constructed in 1944–45 near Ritidian Point on the northwest end of the island of Guam as a base for Twentieth Air Force B-29 Superfortresses to carry...
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 14 April 1945-10 June 1946
- Shemya Army Airfield
Aircraft
- Douglas B-18 BoloB-18 BoloThe Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its DC-2 and was developed to replace the Martin B-10....
: 1941 - Boeing YB-17 Flying Fortress: 1941
- Lockheed A-29 Hudson: 1941-1942
- Consolidated LB-30 Liberator: 1942
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator: 1942-1943
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress: 1944-1946