365th Bombardment Squadron
| 365th Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award[1] | |
| Insignia | |
| Patch with 365th Bombardment Squadron emblem[1][b] |  |
| 365th Bombardment Squadron emblem(World War II)[2] |  |
| World War II fuselage code[2] | XK |
The 365th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive
V-E Day
, it moved to the continent of Europe and engaged in photographic mapping until inactivating in December 1946.
The squadron was briefly active on paper from 1947 to 1949. It was activated again in 1951 as a strategic bomber unit, flying Boeing B-47 Stratojets. In 1949, it moved to Indiana, where it converted to the Convair B-58 Hustler. It was inactivated in 1970, when the Hustler was phased out of service.
History
World War II
Initial organization and training
The
European Theater of Operations on the RMS Queen Mary on 5 September, landing in Scotland on 12 September. The air echelon received additional training at Hancock Field, New York, before taking the North Atlantic ferrying route to Prestwick in September and October.[5]
Combat in Europe
The ground echelon arrived at RAF Grafton Underwood in September. The squadron flew its first mission on 17 November 1942.[5] In December it moved to RAF Chelveston, which would be its combat station for the remainder of the war.[1]
The squadron primarily engaged in the
VIII Bomber Command made their first combat strike in German airspace.[4]
It also attacked automotive factories and
Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). Missions included attacks on Berlin, oil refineries at Merseburg, aircraft factories at Anklam, shipping at Gdynia and the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt.[4]
On 11 January 1944, the squadron participated in an attack on an aircraft plant in central Germany, near Brunswick. Extensive cloud cover had resulted in the recall of two of the three bombardment divisions involved in the mission and made the rendezvous of the fighter groups scheduled to provide cover in the target area difficult. In contrast, clear weather to the east of the target permitted the Germans to assemble one of the largest fighter formations since October 1943, with 207 enemy fighters making contact with the strike force. For this mission, it was awarded a second DUC. Between 20 and 25 February 1944, it took part in Big Week, the intensive campaign by Eighth Air Force against the German aircraft manufacturing industry.[4][7]
The squadron was occasionally diverted from its strategic mission to carry out
Saint Lo. It attacked antiaircraft batteries to support Operation Market Garden, the airborne attacks near Arnhem attempting to secure a bridgehead across the Rhine. In December 1944 and January 1945, it attacked enemy installations near the Battle of the Bulge. In March 1945, it supported Operation Varsity, airborne assault across the Rhine in Germany.[4]
The squadron flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945.
Strategic Air Command
The squadron, along with a number of other units, was activated at
Andrews Field in 1947 as a paper unit.[8] It was not manned or equipped before inactivating on 6 September 1948[1]
It was eactivated under
Bunker Hill Air Force Base
, Indiana.
B-58 operations
The squadron began training crews on the Convair B-58 Hustler in 1961, replacing its Stratojets. The squadron also was equipped with training models of the Hustler.[1]
At the beginning of the
alert. Even these aircraft were "second cycle" (follow on) sorties. Training was suspended, and the squadron, along with SAC's other B-58 squadrons, began placing its bombers on alert. By the first week of November, 84 B-58s were standing nuclear alert, and as SAC redeployed its Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, 20 of these were "first cycle" sorties.[e] Within a short time, this grew to 41 bombers. By 20 November, SAC resumed its normal alert posture, and half the squadron's aircraft were kept on alert.[9][10]
In December 1965,
Secretary of Defense announced a phaseout program that would further reduce SAC’s bomber force. This program called for the mid-1971 retirement of all B-58s and some Boeing B-52 Stratofortress models.[11] With the removal of the B-58 from SAC's bomber force, the squadron was inactivated at the end of January 1970.[citation needed
]
Lineage
- Constituted as the 365th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
- Activated on 1 March 1942
- Redesignated 365th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943
- Inactivated on 25 December 1946
- Redesignated 365th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 11 June 1947
- Activated on 1 July 1947
- Inactivated on 6 September 1948
- Redesignated 365th Bombardment Squadron Medium on 20 December 1950
Assignments
- 305th Bombardment Group, 1 March 1942
- XII Tactical Air Command, 1 November 1946 – 25 December 1946
- 305th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1947 – 6 September 1948
- 305th Bombardment Group, 2 January 1951 (attached to 305th Bombardment Wing after 10 February 1951)[14]
- 305th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 1 January 1970[14][15]
Stations
|
|
Aircraft
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1946
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1951-1953
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1952–1960
- Convair B-58 Hustler, 1960–1970[12][14]
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center on 17 January 1970 and scrapped on 21 July 1977. Brewer, Alex P.; Brewer, Randy A. "B-58.com, The B-58 Hustler Page: Inventory". B-58.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023..
- ^ Approved 20 June 1952. Description: On a shield, blue, two swords, natural colors crossed horizontally, bordered golden yellow, over which is an eagle, natural colors, facing to the right, wings spread horizontally, perched on top of a globe, natural colors, bordered golden yellow, and with latitude and longitude lines white.
- ^ Aircraft is Lockheed Vega built Boeing B-17F-35-VE Flying Fortress, serial 42-5910. Hell Cat. This aircraft was originally assigned to the 326th Bombardment Squadron and named Ruthie. It was badly shot up by fighters on the 4 July 1943, mission to Nantes but managed to return to RAF Alconbury. After being repaired she was transferred to the 365th and renamed Hell Cat. It ran out of fuel and crash landed at Hawkinge, England on 15 September 1943 and was scrapped two days later. Photo taken at RAF Chelveston.
- ^ Maurer describes the flak as heavy, but Freeman describes it as light, at least until the unit reached its target.
- ^ The availability of KC-135s to refuel the B-58s was the main factor in relegating them to the second cycle of the war plan. KC-135s were primarily dedicated to refueling B-52s. See Kipp et al. p. 30 and following for SAC bomber actions during the Cuban Crisis.
- Boeing B-52D Stratofortresscrews and aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia until it was inactivated on 30 June 1975.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 451-452
- ^ a b Watkins, pp. 54-55
- ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 450-453, 517-518
- ^ a b c d e f Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 177-179
- ^ a b c d e Freeman, pp. 247-248
- ^ Freeman, p. 29
- ^ Freeman, pp. 104-106
- ^ Mueller, pp. 8-9
- ^ Kipp et al. , pp. 57-58, 61
- ^ "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
- ^ Knaack, p. 248 n.41
- ^ a b Lineage and Aircraft information through May 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 451-452.
- ^ See Ravenstein, p. 150 (end of assignment to 305th Wing); Mueller, p. 214 (end of stationing at Grissom).
- ^ a b c Ravenstein, pp. 150-151
- ^ Assignment information through May 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 451-452, except as noted.
- ^ Station Number in Anderson, p. 19.
- ^ Station Number in Anderson, p. 46.
- ^ Station Number in Johnson, p. 23.
- ^ Station Number in Johnson, p. 40.
- ^ Station information through May 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 451-452, except as noted.
- ^ Mueller, p. 214
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2.
- Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Kipp, Robert; Peake, Lynn; Wolk, Herman. "Strategic Air Command Operations in the Cuban Crisis of 1962, SAC Historical Study No. 90 (Top Secret NOFORN, FRD, redacted and declassified)". Strategic Air Command. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. OCLC 72556.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II. Vol. I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-1987-7.
