445th Bombardment Squadron

445th Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 445th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1942-1961
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

B-25C 41-13207 "OH-7", 445th Bombardment Squadron, 321st Bombardment Group at Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, March 1943. Photo shows its six crew members at the bomber prior to the start of a combat mission.

The 445th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 321st Bombardment Wing, stationed at Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 25 October 1961.

History

Activated in mid-1942 as a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron, trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria in early 1943. In North Africa, the squadron engaged primarily in support and interdictory operations, bombing marshalling yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors, and other objectives in North Africa.

The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain islands during June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. Inactivated in Italy after the German Capitulation in September 1945.

Reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947 and equipped with A-26/B-26 Invader medium bombers, then inactivated in 1949 due to budget cuts.

Was reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojet squadron . Trained in air refueling and strategic bombardment operations with the B-47. in 1961, the squadron began transferring its B-47s to other SAC wings and became non-operational as part of the phaseout of the B-47.

Lineage

• Constituted 445th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 Jun 1942

Activated on 26 Jun 1942

Inactivated on 12 Sep 1945

• Redesignated 445th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 26 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 Jun 1947

Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

• Redesignated 445th bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 Nov 1953

Activated on 15 Dec 1953

Discontinued, and inactivated on 25 Oct 1961

Assignments

• 321st Bombardment Group, 26 Jun 1942-12 Sep 1945; 29 Jun 1947-27 Jun 1949
• 321st Bombardment Wing, 15 Dec 1953-25 Oct 1961

Stations

Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 26 June 1942 Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, c. 1 August 1942 Walterboro Army Airfield, South Carolina, September 1942 DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, c. 1 December 1942 – 21 January 1943 Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, 12 March 1943 Souk-el-Arba Airfield, Tunisia, c. 1 June 1943 Soliman Airfield, Tunisia, 8 August 1943 Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, October 1943

Amendola Airfield, Italy, c. 20 November 1943 Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 14 January 1944 Gaudo Airfield, Italy, February 1944 Corsica, 23 April 1944 Falconara Airfield, Italy, 1 April 1945 Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, c. September-12 September 1945 Toledo Municipal Airport, Ohio, 29 June 1947 – 27 June 1949 Pinecastle AFB, Florida, 15 Dec 1953-25 Oct 1961

Aircraft

• B-25 Mitchell, 1942-1945
• B-47 Stratojet, 1953-1961

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.