9th Bomb Squadron
9th Bomb Squadron | |
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Garrison/HQ | Dyess Air Force Base |
Nickname(s) | Bats[citation needed] |
Tail Flash | "DY", Black tail stripe with white bat silhouette |
Engagements |
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Decorations |
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Insignia | |
9th Bomb Squadron emblem (approved 26 July 1932) B-1B Lancer |
The 9th Bomb Squadron is a
Formed in June 1917, the 9th is one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force. During
Mission
The 9th Bomb Squadron maintains combat readiness to deliver rapid, decisive airpower on a large scale in support of conventional warfare taskings. Squadron experts provide warfighting commanders with the best in maintenance support, operational aircrews and
The squadron repairs, services, launches, recovers and inspects 15 B-1B Lancer aircraft capable of sustained intercontinental missions and worldwide deployment/employment from forward operating locations.[3]
History
World War I
The 9th Bombardment Squadron began as the 9th Aero Squadron at
While in
As the war progressed the unit participated in many night missions and battles. Most famous of those battles were the Battle of Lorraine, Battle of St Michiel, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. For those, the unit earned their first battle streamers. After the war had drawn to a close, the unit was moved to
Inter-War period
- see also: United States Army Border Air Patrol
While at March, the 9th was equipped with some surplus
While inactive, the 9th was redesignated twice. First, as the 9th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923 and secondly, as the 9th Bombardment Squadron on 24 March 1923. On 1 April 1931, the 9th was activated and assigned to the
In the summer of 1939, the 9th received its first
With tensions increasing in the
In October of that year the unit prepared to take part in an exercise with the group in the Pacific area. With the ground echelon setting sail on 13 November 1941, the 9th made ready to fly into
World War II
After the Pearl Harbor Attack in December 1941, the squadron aircraft that had not yet been deployed to Hawaii were sent to
Battle of Java
In early January the squadron moved out, first to Hickam Field, then along a long route to the Southwest Pacific via
Newer B-17E Flying Fortresses, equipped with a tail gunner were sent to the area from the United States. This involved the group performing a cross-country trip from Hamilton Field to MacDill Field, Florida. From Florida, aircraft were flown south to
On Java, the planes arrived in flights of one, two or occasionally three planes. From Malang, the planes moved to
The attack force staged through an airfield on Kendari, spending the night of 16 January there, refueling and taking off in the early hours next morning. Two targets had been assigned: the B-17s were to attack shipping in Menado Bay, while the LB-30S bombed an airport in the vicinity. However, their orders were so unclear that the LB-30 crews could not be sure where the airport was and they had to spend fifteen or twenty minutes searching before they finally found the field at Langoan, beside a lake, about 20 miles south of Menado. Almost in the instant that the last plane reported its bombs away, they were hit by five Zeros, and for six minutes the three LB-30s were under fire. They managed to shoot down one of the Zeros before themselves escaping into the weather; but two of the aircraft had been fatally hurt.[6]
In the meantime the two B-17Es had arrived over Menado to find four transports out in the bay and two more at the docks. On their first run, because of inexperience, they got themselves so blinded by the sun that they could drop no bombs, and on the second one plane had six bombs hang in the racks; yet as they withdrew the crews saw one of the transports capsize in the bay. Their returning course took them over the airport where the plane with the hung bombs managed to kick out two more on the runways, but the last four remained in the racks. Five minutes after this they were attacked by 15 enemy fighters. Two Messerschmitts,[dubious ] the rest Zeros made their passes from the rear or by diving under the bombers and pulling up behind to deliver their fire. The B-17E Fortress tail gunners, not seen before by the enemy let them come up close. Then, for some minutes before the Japanese discovered what had been added, it beat any skeet shoot ever seen. Five Zeros and one Messerschmidt[dubious ] went down. There were wounded in both Fortresses, and they were forced to land at Kendari for medical aid, gas, and repairs. An hour later, while they were still at work on one of the B-17's engines, five Zeros swept in to strafe the field. One of the B-17's took off in the face of the attacking planes and successfully fought off the three that went after it. The other two Zeros shot up the airport and further damaged the B-17 on the ground. The crew spent two more days endeavoring to repair his engines. Then, with Japanese ground troops approaching the field, they blew up the B-17 and the crew was taken back to Malang by one of the 11th Squadron's LB-30s[6]
While the B-17s were being attacked at Kendari, the flight of three LB-30S continued on course towards Malang. Two of the LB-30s had to drop out, one landing at Makassar, where it had to be burned when it could not be repaired. The other LB-30 was forced to crash-land on a streak of sandy beach on Greater Mesalembo Island. For nine days the crew waited there, with little but coconuts to live on and no proper shelter or medical care for their wounded, hoping that the wrecked plane would be spotted by a friendly aircraft. On the tenth day, they were picked up by a Navy Consolidated PBY Catalina.[6]
Additional attacks against the Japanese were made but such attacks were on too small a scale to do more than delay the Japanese, to whom one or two transports were but minor losses. The effort to fulfill this program was out of all proportion to the final result; and, as the Japanese continued their moves south through the Dutch East Indies towards Java.[6]
On 3 February, the Japanese counter-attacked by attacking Singosari Airfield where a dive-bombing and strafing attack caught the Fortresses on the field. There had been no warning and there was no defense except for that provided by some old
From then on new replacement B-17s coming in from the States via India and Africa were barely able to keep pace with the losses. The airdromes were never safe from enemy attack and being without adequate antiaircraft defenses, planes that could not get off on a combat mission early enough to evade the expected raids were sent away from the airfields at the first alarm to spend the day cruising aimlessly up and down off the south coast of Java 100 miles west of Malang, putting hour after hour on the engines and increasing the frustration of the crews. On the morning of 8 February nine B-17s of the 7th Group took off on a mission against the airdrome at Kendari from which the Japanese were now launching most of their raids on Java. Almost immediately after taking off the formation was attacked by the Japanese. Three were shot down and the other six jettisoned their bombs and attempted to hide in the clouds. Only one of the nine planes dispatched that morning from Malang one that had returned early with engine trouble, came back undamaged. Nineteen men had been killed.[6]
On 15 February when the
With the Japanese ground forces heading south, plans were made to evacuate the bombers back to Australia. Between the 20th and 23d Malang alone suffered twelve separate attacks, and in the four days following the disastrous 20th eight more planes were lost on the ground. On 24 February 24 six B-17s attacked a Japanese convoy forming in the Makassar Strait for the final thrust across the Java Sea and again in the closing hours during the night of 28 February – 1 March, when six B-17s and one LB-30 bombed the same convoy as it moved towards the Java beaches. Their work was notable more as a gesture than for any worthwhile results and did nothing to halt or even delay the Japanese. To Fifth Bomber Command it became obvious that to continue operations on the present basis, without fighter protection and with their only three practicable airdromes under constant enemy observation, would mean the certain loss of all their planes. It was time to pull out and the remaining forces were withdrawn to Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia.[6]
India B-17 operations
The squadron re-equipped in Australia during February the unit prepared to move to a new secret station. Arriving in Karachi, India, on 12 March 1942, they established headquarters at the dirigible hangar seven miles east of Karachi and became one of the initial units of what became Tenth Air Force. Almost at once the 7th Group, already veterans of battle with the Japanese in Java, proceeded to hit the enemy which was at that time attempting to move into Burma. They also aided greatly in the delivery of troops to Burma and on their return trip bringing out evacuees.[4]
While this was being carried out, other members of the command were hastily constructing a permanent air base for the group. Many of the buildings were constructed out of packing crates and other various discarded materials. The men at that time were stationed in tents located near the newly constructed headquarters. Major Cecil E. Combs, originally with the
Middle East operations
In June 1942, the German
In anticipation of the arrival of the American air groups, the War Department sent Maj. Gen.
USAMEAF bomber forces consisted of nine B-17Es and nineteen B-24 Liberators formerly of the 9th and the
B-17s would be flown on combat missions from
The B-17Es would not engage in combat again until raids on Tobruk began again on 12 October, and attacking a coastal road near Bardia, Libya on 20 October after a mission against Tobruk was cancelled due to cloud cover. They were also engaged in attacking harbor facilities and Axis naval targets on Crete and Benghazi, Libya through which Afrika Korps supplies were landed. The B-17s made a final raid against installations at Sousse, Tunisia before being taken out of front-line service with the arrival of newer B-24 and B-25 units from the United States.[4]
Tenth Air Force operations
Reequipped with Consolidated B-24D Liberators the 9th was reassigned back to Tenth Air Force in India, where for the balance of the war, it carried out long distance heavy bomb raids over Japanese targets primarily in Burma, Thailand and French Indochina; although it also attacked Japanese targets in southeastern China attacking airfields, fuel and supply dumps, locomotive works, railways, bridges, docks, warehouses, shipping, and troop concentrations in Burma and struck oil refineries in Thailand, power plants in China and enemy shipping in the Andaman Sea. Ceased bombing operations in late May 1945 and was attached to Air Transport Command to haul gasoline from India over the Hump to China. The squadron demobilized in India, leaving B-24s to Indian Colonial forces, inactivated as an administrative unit in the United States in early 1946.[4]
Strategic Air Command
B-29 Superfortress era
Nine months after the 9th was inactivated following World War II, it was reactivated and assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group at
Training began in the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in November 1946 under the standards established by Strategic Air Command (SAC). Throughout 1947, the unit prepared its people for any combat eventuality that might arise training with assigned B-29s in global bombardment operations. Within the United States SAC units flew many simulated attacks on major metropolitan areas.[4]
On 12 September 1947, the 9th along with the group deployed to
The next flight departed on 26 February with four B-29 aircraft by way of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Lajes Field, Azores to Fürstenfeldbruck. The last flight, consisting of the remaining three aircraft in the squadron left Carswell on 27 February and flew to Lajes, then on to Fürstenfeldbruck. By 27 February, all 9th Squadron aircraft were in place for the 90-day deployment. On 25 April the unit returned to Fort Worth after a successful deployment in which the unit gained valuable training experience in Europe.[4]
B-36 Peacemaker era
On 1 July 1948, the 9th received its first
During August 1948, the 9th received two more B-36As for a total of nine wing assigned B-36s. On 17 December, four B-36s from the 9th took part in a SAC maximum effort mission. A total of ten wing bombers flew missions to key cities in the United States. Those flights gave the American public their first look at the world's largest bomber. By October 1948, the wing possessed a total of 18 of the B-36A aircraft. Of those, the 9th Bombardment Squadron had five. On 19 November, the 9th transferred their final B-29 to the
In January 1949, the United States had a new President, Harry S. Truman, and the 9th participated in the B-36 formation to commemorate the inauguration at Washington D.C. On 15 February the 9th, along with the wing, flew a sixteen ship formation commemorating air'progress in an aerial review over Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. That formation was the largest B-36 formation to date of the world's largest bomber.[4]
In August 1950, the unit began participating in simulated bombing missions to
In December 1950 the unit took part in flight to
In June 1951 three bomber crews were assigned to the Convair-operated Air Force Plant 4 at Fort Worth temporarily to participate in the B-36F operational training program. As 1952 closed the 9th was transitioning into the B-36F model. The 9th opened 1953 by deploying to
Throughout the early part of 1958 squadron B-36 crews rotated to
B-52 Stratofortress era
Special research missions were flown by the 9th in the B-52F from October 1959 to June 1960 with the AGM-28 Hound Dog air-launched cruise missile, although the squadron never employed them on nuclear alert duty. Afterwards, the squadron supported SAC's worldwide airborne alert Force from 1960 to 1965.[4]
In June 1964, the Air Staff approved the modification of 28 B-52Fs under a project known as South Bay. They could carry 24 750-pound bombs externally. The bombs were carried on external pylons installed underneath each wing inboard of the inner engine pods. These pylons had originally been designed to carry the Hound Dog cruise missile.[7]
From May to November 1965, the unit deployed to
Prior to the mission, the crews were briefed that a minimum of 2000-3000 (possibly as high as 6000 or more)
However, it seems that the results of the raid were a lot more effective than the press had led people to believe. All of the bombs were dropped into the correct target box, except for one string of bombs which had missed the area completely because of a radar failure. After about a week, US Army teams began to enter the area and reported almost total destruction of all life in the area. Additional missions were cancelled and did not resume until July. There was initially some skepticism about the usefulness of a high-altitude radar bomb drop against guerrilla forces. Nevertheless, within a few months there was universal acceptance of the power of the B-52 raids as a new type of artillery. By November 1965, the B-52s were able to support the
The unit returned to Carswell in December 1965 to joyful families in time for the holidays. In a reduction of B-52 units for budgetary reasons, the 9th was inactivated on 25 June 1968. Several of the B-52s were retired, others were sent to the
FB-111 era
On 2 July 1968, the
Due to the delayed delivery of FB-111A from General Dynamics, the group's training mission suffered. Delivery of the first aircraft, took place in late September 1969, followed by the second FB-111A on 25 October. These two planes were powered by TF30-P-12A engines. Problems with the Mark IIB avionics slowed further deliveries, with the Air Force not accepting its next FB-111A until 23 June 1969.[9]
On 8 October 1969, the 7th FB-111A entered service with the 4007th Squadron. Even though the FB-111A was officially declared operational, it had yet to reach the combat forces. After reaching operational capability, the 4007th relocated to
The crash of an F-111 at
Linebacker II and subsequent Cold War years
With the FB-111 program ended at Carswell, the squadron returned to flying the B-52D Stratofortress, some in support of alert exercises and some in support of conventional bombing in Vietnam.[4][10]
In early 1972, the unit returned to Andersen Air Force Base once again in support of Operation Arc Light. This time North Vietnam was the target. In October 1972, peace talks with the Vietnamese had reached an impasse. That, combined with increased enemy ground activity, was to see the 9th take part in a historical mission known as
With the end of the
The 9th Bombardment Squadron transferred its B-52H's to the
Reformation from 1993
Equipped with the
Aircrew have flown
During the
After the battle was won, the squadron continued its air campaign in Syria, and contributed to many other ISIL defeats in the north of the region. Since the Battle of Kobanî, Kurdish fighters in the
Lineage
- Organized as the 9th Aero Squadron on 14 June 1917
- Redesignated 9th Aero Squadron (Night Observation) August 1918[citation needed]
- Redesignated 9th Corps Observation Squadron 22 July 1919[citation needed]
- Redesignated 9th Squadron (Observation) on 14 March 1921[citation needed]
- Inactivated on 29 June 1922
- Redesignated 9th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1923
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron on 24 March 1923
- Activated on 1 April 1931
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 13 July 1943
- Inactivated on 6 January 1946
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy and activated, on 1 October 1946
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, on 20 July 1948
- Discontinued and inactivated, on 25 June 1968
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 January 1969
- Activated and organized on 2 July 1969
- Redesignated 9th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 31 December 1971
- Redesignated 9th Bomb Squadron on 1 September 1991
- Inactivated on 15 August 1992
Assignments
- Post Headquarters, Camp Kelly, 14 June-8 July 1917[citation needed]
- Post Headquarters, Camp Selfridge, 8 July-28 October 1917[citation needed]
- Aviation Concentration Center, 28 October- 7 December 1917[citation needed]
- American Expeditionary Forces, 25 March 1918[citation needed]
- Attached to the Royal Flying Corps for training, 7 December 1917 – 16 August 1918[citation needed]
- Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, 16–23 August 1918[citation needed]
- 1st Air Depot, AEF, 23–28 August 1918[citation needed]
- First Army Observation Group, 30 August 1918
- Third Army Air Service, c. 21 November 1918
- VII Corps Observation Group, c. 21 November 1918[citation needed]
- 1st Air Depot, AEF, 18–25 May 1919[citation needed]
- Advanced Section Services of Supply, 25 May-7 June 1919[citation needed]
- Post Headquarters, Mitchell Field, 8 June 1919[citation needed]
- Western Department, c. 22 July 1919
- Ninth Corps Area, 20 August 1920 – 29 June 1922
- 7th Bombardment Group, 1 April 1931 – 6 January 1946
- Attached to United States Army Middle East Air Force for operations, 28 June-c. 4 October 1942
- 7th Bombardment Group, 1 October 1946 (attached to 7th Bombardment Wingafter 16 February 1951)
- 7th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 25 June 1968
- 340th Bombardment Group, 2 July 1969
- 7th Bombardment Wing, 31 December 1971
- 7th Operations Group, 1 September 1991 – 15 August 1992
- 7th Operations Group, 1 October 1993 – present[13]
Stations
World War I
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Inter-War period
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World War II
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United States Air Force
- Fort Worth Army Air Field (later Griffiss Air Force Base, Carswell Air Force Base), Texas, 1 October 1946 – 25 June 1968
- Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, 2 July 1969 – 15 August 1992
- Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, since 1 October 1993[1]
- Ørland Main Air Station, Norway, since 27 February 2021 (BTF Deployment)[15]
Aircraft
World War I
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Inter-War period
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World War II
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (1940–1942)
- Consolidated LB-30 Liberator (1942)
- Consolidated B-24 Liberator (1942–1945)[1]
United States Air Force
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See also
- List of American Aero Squadrons
- United States Army Air Forces in Australia
- List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force
Explanatory notes
- ^ Aircraft is North American Rockwell B-1B Lancer Lot IV, serial 85-69.
- Roman Numeral for 9. [citation needed]
- ^ Aircraft is Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress, serial 41-2459, photographed at RAF Shallufa, Egypt in December 1941 en route via Florida, Caribbean, Brazil, across the South Atlantic and Central Africa.
- ^ The aircraft crash landed on 8 February 1942 at Djojakarta, Java and was abandoned. It was captured and repaired by the Japanese and used for training to develop fighter tactics against US AAF B-17s. The eventual fate of this aircraft is unknown.
- ^ Aircraft is Convair B-36D Peacemaker, serial 44-92097.
- ^ Aircraft is General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark, serial 68-248, taken in 1970.
- ^ Aircraft is Boeing B-52D-BO Stratofortress, serial 56-687. This aircraft is now on display at the B-52 Memorial Park, Orlando International Airport (former McCoy Air Fotce Base), Florida.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Robertson, Patsy (9 January 2008). "Factsheet 9 Bomb Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ "World War I Aero Squadrons". Cross and Cockade Journal. 5 (2). Society of World War I Aero Historians: 145. 1964.
- ^ No byline (2 January 2008). "Dyess Air Force Base Units: 7th Operations Group". 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae McLaughlin, [page needed]
- ^ a b c Bowman, [page needed]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Edmonds, [page needed]
- ^ Baugher, Joseph (30 June 2000). "Boeing B-52F Stratofortress". joebuagher.com.
- ^ a b c d Baugher, Joseph (25 February 2002). "Service of Boeing B-52F Stratofortress". joebuagher.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ a b Baugher, Joseph (19 March 2014). "General Dynamics FB-111A". joebuagher.com.
- ^ Baugher, Joseph (31 May 2013). "Service of Boeing B-52D Stratofortress". joebuagher.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
- ^ Baugher, Joseph (30 June 2001). "Service of Boeing B-52H Stratofortress". joebuagher.com.
- ^ Barnes, Julian E. (17 February 2015). "B-1 Pilots Describe Bombing Campaign Against ISIS in Kobani". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ a b c Lineage, including assignments and stations, in Robertson, except as noted.
- ^ Clay, [page needed]
- ^ Diana Stancy Correll (27 February 2021). "B-1B Lancers conduct first Bomber Task Force mission from Norway". Air Force Times. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Bowman, Martin (2003). B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War. Combat Aircraft No. 39. illustrated by Styling, Mark. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-481-7.
- Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 (PDF). Vol. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. OCLC 637712205. Archived from the original(PDF) on 27 September 2013.
- Edmonds, Walter D. (1992) [1951]. They Fought With What They Had: The Story of the Army Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, 1941–1942 (PDF) (Reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. ISBN 1-84176-481-7.
- 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.
- 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.
- McLaughlin, SSG George W. (1996). 9th Bombardment Squadron (PDF). Carswell AFB, TX: 7th Bombardment Wing History Office.*
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.