819th Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
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.
medium bombardment squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchell
s.
After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boat
s and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast. Redesignated 3d Antisubmarine Squadron and requipped with B-18 Bolo
s, 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 Dominator
s. 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.
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 30th Bombardment Group
30th Space Wing
The 30th Space Wing is an air force wing forming a subordinate unit of the Fourteenth Air Force of the Air Force Space Command of the United States Air Force...
, based at Kahuku Army Airfield
Kahuku Army Airfield
Kahuku Army Airfield is a former wartime airfield in Hawaii. It was located in the northern part of the Island of Oahu.-World War II:Possibly developed as an emergency field dating to the 1930s, but it was not until the United States entered World War II that the airfield was developed...
, Hawaii Territory. It was inactivated on 30 November 1945.
History
Organized in early 1941 as 39th Bombardment Squadron, a First Air ForceFirst Air Force
The First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
medium bombardment squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
s.
After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German 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 and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast. Redesignated 3d Antisubmarine Squadron and requipped 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, deployed first to Savannah AAB
Hunter Army Airfield
Hunter 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...
, Georgia
Georgia (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...
to patrol southeast coast, then to airfields in the northeast to patrol shipping lanes in the 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...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area as part of 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:...
.
With inactivation of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
in fall, 1943, redesignated as 819th Bombardment Squadron the squadron deployed first 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 trained as 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...
heavy bombardment squadron, being assigned to the, 30th Bombardment Group as a replacement unit for the 21st Bombardment Squadron
21st Bombardment Squadron
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....
that had been sent 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...
. Then deployed to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
as part of Seventh Air Force
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
. 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
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
in August 1944, and conducted intensive bombing strikes against airfields and shipping at Bonin and Volcano Islands, Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, 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 Dominator
B-32 Dominator
The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a heavy bomber made for United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and has the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II. It was developed in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design...
s. 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 Group13th Bombardment GroupThe 13 AEG was re-activated by Thirteenth AF as the air component of Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica . The 13 AEG includes the 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron who fly the C-17 and LC-130 aircraft supporting the operation, respectively. ...
, 15 January 1941 - 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:...
, 30 November 1942 - 30th Bombardment Group30th Operations GroupThe 30th Operations Group is an operational component of the United States Air Force 30th Space Wing, stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The group provides the core capability for West Coast spacelift and range operations...
, 11 October 1943-30 November 1945.
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...
, 15 January 1941 - 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...
, 6 June 1941
- Detachment operated from Savannah AABHunter 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- Westover Field, 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...
, 20 January 1942 - Dover AAF, DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, 19 July 1942 - Fort Dix AAF, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 28 February 1943
- Westover Field, Massachusetts
- 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...
, 22 September-4 October 1943 - Barking Sands Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 22 October 1943
- Wheeler Field, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
(Territory), 12 November 1943-9 July 1944 - East FieldEast Field (Saipan)East Field is a former World War II airfield on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.-History:Saipan had been occupied by the Japanese since World War I, and by mid-1944, the Americans had advanced inside the Japanese ring of defense in the Pacific Theater...
, SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Mariana IslandsMariana IslandsThe 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...
, 25 July 1944 - Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 17 March 1945
- Kahuku Army AirfieldKahuku Army AirfieldKahuku Army Airfield is a former wartime airfield in Hawaii. It was located in the northern part of the Island of Oahu.-World War II:Possibly developed as an emergency field dating to the 1930s, but it was not until the United States entered World War II that the airfield was developed...
, Hawaii Territory, 26 September-30 November 1945
Aircraft
- 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....
, 1941–1942 - B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1941–1943 - A-29 Hudson, 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...
, 1943–1945