346th Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 346th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts
on 31 March 1974
first in the Pacific Northwest, but the poor flying weather in the northwest forced a relocation to the Midwest for the second and third phases of training.
After completion of training, the 99th departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in Algeria
, where the ground echelon went by ship from New York
to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flying to Morrision Field, Florida
then along the South Atlantic Route to Navarin Airfield
, Algeria
where the ground and air echelons of the group were reunited in late February 1943. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the squadron engaged in combat operations in support of American ground forces in Algeria and Tunisia during the 1943 North African campaign.
Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria
Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily
and southern Italy
in the summer and fall of 1943. Was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force
in October 1943 and until the German Capitulation in May 1945, engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Italy
, France
, Germany
, Czechoslovakia
, Austria
, Hungary
, Rumania, Bulgaria
, Yugoslavia
, and Greece
, attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. Squadron was demoblized in Italy in late 1945; inactivated in November.
Activated in the reserves in 1947, however unit never equipped or manned. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restraints. Reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command
B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental strategic bombardment squadron. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired. Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
es and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed to Pacific during Vietnam War
, engaging in Arc Light
combat missions over North Vietnam
; also deployed to Thailand
flying out of U-Tapao RTNAF for combat missions over Cambodia
and Laos
. Inactivated in 1974 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and closure of Westover AFB.
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. It was last assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on 31 March 1974
History
Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Second Air ForceSecond 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....
first in the Pacific Northwest, but the poor flying weather in the northwest forced a relocation to the Midwest for the second and third phases of training.
After completion of training, the 99th departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, where the ground echelon went by ship from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flying to Morrision Field, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
then along the South Atlantic Route to Navarin Airfield
Navarin Airfield
Navarin Airfield is a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located approximately 10 km est of El Eulma in Sétif Province. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign for heavy B-17 Flying Fortress bombers against the German Afrika...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
where the ground and air echelons of the group were reunited in late February 1943. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the squadron engaged in combat operations in support of American ground forces in Algeria and Tunisia during the 1943 North African campaign.
Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria
Pantelleria
Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...
Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the summer and fall of 1943. Was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
in October 1943 and until the German Capitulation in May 1945, engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Rumania, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. Squadron was demoblized in Italy in late 1945; inactivated in November.
Activated in the reserves in 1947, however unit never equipped or manned. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restraints. Reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental strategic bombardment squadron. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired. Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed to Pacific during Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, engaging in Arc Light
Operation Arc Light
Operation Arc Light was the 1965 deployment of B-52D Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in the US to Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam...
combat missions over North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
; also deployed to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
flying out of U-Tapao RTNAF for combat missions over Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. Inactivated in 1974 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and closure of Westover AFB.
Lineage
- Constituted 346th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942
- Activated on 1 Jun 1942
- Inactivated on 8 Nov 1945
- Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 13 May 1947
- Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947
- Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949
- Redesignated 346th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy), and activated, on 1 Jan 1953.
- Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 1 Oct 1955
- Inactivated on 31 Mar 1974
Assignments
- 99th Bombardment Group99th Air Base WingThe 99th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command United States Air Force Warfare Center. It is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada...
, 1 Jun 1942-8 Nov 1945; 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949 - 99th Strategic Reconnaissance (later Bombardment) Wing99th Air Base WingThe 99th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command United States Air Force Warfare Center. It is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada...
, 1 Jan 1953-31 Mar 1974
Stations
- Orlando AABOrlando Executive AirportOrlando Executive Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Orlando, a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, June 1, 1942 - MacDill Field, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, June 1, 1942 - Pendleton FieldEastern Oregon Regional AirportEastern Oregon Regional Airport , also known as Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton, is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Pendleton, a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, USA. The airport covers and has three runways. It is used primarily...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, June 29, 1942 - Gowen FieldBoise AirportBoise Airport , also known as Boise Air Terminal or Gowen Field, is a joint civil-military, commercial and general aviation airport located three nautical miles south of downtown Boise in Ada County, Idaho, USA...
, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, August 28, 1942 - Walla Walla AAFldWalla Walla Regional AirportWalla Walla Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Walla Walla, a city in Walla Walla County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is owned by the Port of Walla Walla.- History :...
, Washington, September 30, 1942 - Sioux City AABSioux Gateway Airport-History:The construction of Sioux City Army Air Base began in March 1942, about three months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Opened on 5 July 1942, it became a major training center during World War II for crew members of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses...
, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, November 18, 1942 – January 3, 1943 - Navarin AirfieldNavarin AirfieldNavarin Airfield is a World War II military airfield in Algeria, located approximately 10 km est of El Eulma in Sétif Province. It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign for heavy B-17 Flying Fortress bombers against the German Afrika...
, AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
February 22, 1943 – March 25, 1943
- Oudna AirfieldOudna AirfieldOudna Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Tunisia, which was located approximately 7 km southwest of La Mohammedia; about 14 km south-southwest of Tunis It was used by the United States Army Air Force Twelfth Air Force during the North African Campaign as a heavy...
, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, August 4, 1943 - Tortorella AirfieldTortorella AirfieldTortorella Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in Italy, which is located approximately 9 km east-northeast of Foggia; about 130 km northeast of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, December 11, 1943 - Marcianise AirfieldMarcianise AirfieldMarcianise Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield in southeast Italy, which is located approximately 10 km north-northwest of Marcianise in the province of Caserta, Campania; about 32 km north-northwest of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, c. October 27 – November 8, 1945 - Birmingham Municipal Airport, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949. - Fairchild AFB, Washington, January 1, 1953
- Westover AFB, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, September 4, 1956 – March 31, 1974
Aircraft
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
- B/RB-36 Peacemaker, 1953–1956
- B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, 1956–1974