2d Antisubmarine Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 2d Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 480th Antisubmarine Group, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico
. It was inactivated on 29 January 1944.
training on mixture of B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-18 Bolo
s and B-34 Ventura as aerial antisubmarine killer hunter squadron. Redesignated 2d Antisubmarine Squadron and reassigned to 25th Antisubmarine Wing
upon inactivation of initial training group.
Deployed to RAF St Eval
England
initially as part of VIII Bomber Command
then 1st Antisubmarine Wing (Heavy), (subsequently redesignated 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional) and ultimately 480th Antisubmarine Group). The squadron was the first USAAF Antisubmarine Command squadron to cross the Atlantic. Trained with RAF Coastal Command
using B-24 Liberator
s in aerial antisubmarine tactics.
Deployed again to Port Lyautey
in French Morocco
in March 1943 to shore up scanty Allied antisubmarine defenses in the Atlantic approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar as part of 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional) under the operational control of the United States Navy
(USN) Fleet Air Wing 15 (FAW-15), which answered to the commander of the Moroccan Sea Frontier.
The squadron flew B-24s daily on operational missions as part of the 480th Antisubmarine Group, covering an area as far south as 30°N, as far north as Cape Finisterre, Spain
, and as far west as a thousand nautical miles from Port Lyautey. Much of the time, the Liberators flew convoy coverage for ships sailing from or approaching the Straits of Gibraltar. The 480th's antisubmarine activity reached a peak in July 1943 when enemy U-boat
s concentrated off the coast of Portugal
to intercept convoys bound for the Mediterranean. The squadron destroyed and damaged several submarines during the month, which aided in protecting supply lines to forces involved in the campaign for Sicily. At the time, the 480th Antisubmarine Group was under the command of Colonel Jack Roberts and consisted of both the 1st
and 2nd Antisubmarine Squadrons. The group was assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force
under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd but they operated under the control of USN FAW-15 at Port Lyautey, French Morocco, now Kenitra
, Morocco
.
Returned to the United States in November 1943, inactivating in January 1944.
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 480th Antisubmarine Group, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It was inactivated on 29 January 1944.
Lineage
- Constituted 523d Bombardment Squadron on 13 October 1942
- Activated on 18 October 1942
- Redesignated: 2d Antisubmarine Squadron on 23 November 1942
- Disbanded on 29 January 1944.
Assignments
- 378th Bombardment Group378th Bombardment GroupThe 378th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in Langley Field, Virginia...
, 18 October 1942 - 25th Antisubmarine Wing25th Antisubmarine WingThe 25th Anti-Submarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943-History:...
, 14 December 1942
- Attached to: VIII Bomber CommandVIII Bomber CommandThe VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
, c. 2 January 1942 - Attached to: 1st Antisubmarine Group [Prov], 15 January 1943
- Attached to: 2037th Antisubmarine Wing [Prov], 1 March-21 June 1943
- 480th Antisubmarine Group, 21 June 1943-29 January 1944.
Stations
- Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 18 October-26 December 1942 - RAF St EvalRAF St EvalRAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 2 January 1943 - Port LyauteyNaval Air Station Port LyauteyNaval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about 5 km north-northwest of Kenitra ; about 120 km northeast of Casablanca. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the last of US military personnel departed...
, French MoroccoFrench MoroccoFrench Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, c. 11 March-25 November 1943
- Operated from Agadir, French MoroccoFrench MoroccoFrench Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, July 1943- Clovis AAF, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, C. 4–29 January 1944.
- Clovis AAF, New Mexico
Aircraft
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942
- 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....
, 1942 - B-34 Ventura, 1942
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe 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...
, 1942-1944.
Operational history
Squadron was formed at Langley Field, VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
training on mixture of B-17 Flying Fortresses, 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 B-34 Ventura as aerial antisubmarine killer hunter squadron. Redesignated 2d Antisubmarine Squadron and reassigned to 25th Antisubmarine Wing
25th Antisubmarine Wing
The 25th Anti-Submarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943-History:...
upon inactivation of initial training group.
Deployed to RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval
RAF St Eval was a strategic airbase for the RAF Coastal Command in the Second World War . St Eval's primary role was to provided anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols off the south west coast of England...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
initially as part of VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
then 1st Antisubmarine Wing (Heavy), (subsequently redesignated 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional) and ultimately 480th Antisubmarine Group). The squadron was the first USAAF Antisubmarine Command squadron to cross the Atlantic. Trained with RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
using 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 in aerial antisubmarine tactics.
Deployed again to Port Lyautey
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey
Naval Air Station Port Lyautey is a former United States Navy Naval Air Station in Morocco, about 5 km north-northwest of Kenitra ; about 120 km northeast of Casablanca. The Naval Air Station was turned over to the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the last of US military personnel departed...
in French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
in March 1943 to shore up scanty Allied antisubmarine defenses in the Atlantic approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar as part of 2037th Antisubmarine Wing (Provisional) under the operational control of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
(USN) Fleet Air Wing 15 (FAW-15), which answered to the commander of the Moroccan Sea Frontier.
The squadron flew B-24s daily on operational missions as part of the 480th Antisubmarine Group, covering an area as far south as 30°N, as far north as Cape Finisterre, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and as far west as a thousand nautical miles from Port Lyautey. Much of the time, the Liberators flew convoy coverage for ships sailing from or approaching the Straits of Gibraltar. The 480th's antisubmarine activity reached a peak in July 1943 when enemy U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s concentrated off the coast of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to intercept convoys bound for the Mediterranean. The squadron destroyed and damaged several submarines during the month, which aided in protecting supply lines to forces involved in the campaign for Sicily. At the time, the 480th Antisubmarine Group was under the command of Colonel Jack Roberts and consisted of both the 1st
1st Antisubmarine Squadron
The 1st Antisubmarine Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 480th Antisubmarine Group, based at Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico...
and 2nd Antisubmarine Squadrons. The group was assigned to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force
Northwest African Coastal Air Force
The Northwest African Coastal Air Force was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command...
under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd but they operated under the control of USN FAW-15 at Port Lyautey, French Morocco, now Kenitra
Kenitra
Kenitra is a city in Morocco, formerly known as Port Lyautey. It is a port on the Sebou River, has a population in 2004 of 359,142 and is the capital of the Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen region. During the Cold War Kenitra's U.S...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Returned to the United States in November 1943, inactivating in January 1944.