587th Bombardment Squadron

587th Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 587th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

The 587th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 394th Bombardment Group, stationed at Bolling Field, District of Columbia. It was inactivated on 28 February 1946.

History

Activated as a B-26 Marauder medium bombardment squadron in mid-1943. Trained under Third Air Force and deployed to European Theater of Operations in March 1944. Initially being stationed in England and assigned to IX Bomber Command.

Engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe initially from stations in England, then after D-Day, moved to Advanced Landing Grounds in France and Belgium; advancing eastward as Allied ground forces advanced. Supported Eighth Air Force strategic bombardment missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe; striking enemy airfields to obtain maximum interference in Luftwaffe day interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations returning to England. Also participated in Western Allied Invasion of Germany, March–April 1945, combat ending with German Capitation in May 1945.

Became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe performing occupation duty in Germany while squadron demobilized personnel in 1945. Squadron reassigned to the United States as a paper unit, inactivated in February 1946.

Lineage

• Constituted 587th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 15 February 1943

Activated on 5 March 1943

Redesignated 587th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 28 February 1946

Inactivated on 28 February 1946

Assignments

• 394th Bombardment Group, 5 March 1943 – 28 February 1946

Stations

MacDill Field, Florida, 5 March 1943 Ardmore Army Air Field, Oklahoma, 12 July 1943 Kellogg Army Airfield, Michigan, 23 August 1943 – 15 February 1944 RAF Boreham (AAF-161), England, 10 March 1944 RAF Holmsley South (AAF-455), England, 24 July 1944 Tour-en-Bessin Airfield (A-13), France, 20 August 1944

Tour-en-Bessin Airfield (A-13), France, 25 September 1944 Cambrai/Niergnies Airfield (A-74), France, 8 October 1944 Venlo Airfield (Y-55), Netherlands, 5 May 1945 AAF Station Kitzingen, Germany, 21 September 1945 – 15 February 1946 Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 15–28 February 1946

Aircraft

• B-26 Invader, 1943–1945
• A-26 Invader, 1945–1946

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.