390th Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 390th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 42d Bombardment Group, stationed at Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan
, Philippines Commonwealth. It was inactivated on 27 January 1946
On March 15, 1943, the Squadron set out for the front. Staging at Camp Stoneman, California, the original personnel boarded the S.S. Maui at San Francisco and on March 28 cleared the Golden Gate for what was to be a 28 to 30 month tour overseas for most of the ground echelon. Debarking at New Caledonia on April 16 the squadron pitched camp outside Noumea. The flight echelon took off on the 20th-23rd for Nandi, Fiji, and on May 5 the ground men sailed on the naval transport George Clymer for Guadalcanal, reaching the Solomon Island on May 11.
From Fiji the squadron flew its first two missions, both searches. The Mitchell's left June 17–23, flying to Carney Field, Guadalcanal, to rejoin the ground echelon. Every day meant at least one mission, and for a considerable period every night meant an alert and air raid. On June 25 the squadron flew its first bombing mission, an attack from medium altitude on Vila Airdrome, Kolombangara Island. Second mission flown was a medium strike on Munda, New Georgia. Both missions scored good hits and were accomplished without loss. The squadron operated from Carney field until October 21, on each day delivering one or more attacks against Japanese airfields, supply depots and shipping in the Solomons and Bismarck Archipelago. On August 1 first flight crews returned to Fiji for six weeks of rest, training and anti-sub patrol.
Missions of this period were very successful; inflicted vast damage upon the Japanese advanced positions. High points were the sinking of a Japanese cruiser off Choiseul on July 20, and a dusk strafing attack on October 6 which crippled Japanese aircraft caught on the ground at Kahili Airdrome, Bougainville. Parafrags were used for the first time on this raid. An available tabulation of our damage to enemy shipping in the Solomons shows: 1 cruiser, 6 AKs and 5 barges sunk; 1 AK and 16 barges damaged.
On October 21–22 the squadron made a short move to Banika, Russell islands. In January 1944 moved to Stirling Island, Treasury Group. Principal target from Stirling was Rebaul, New Britain, and keystone of the Japanese conquests in the South Pacific. Rabaul with its five satellite airfields was perhaps the hottest bombing target in our experience. AA fire was encountered in some degree on every mission and frequently all planes over the target were holed. Over Rabaul the squadron met its greatest volume of air interception, Japanese planes attacking many of our formations. Squadron gunners accounted for one definite and one probable Zeke. Other Solomons and Bismarck targets were assigned us, but we kept Rabaul, the main show, under constant attack from January until the final raid on July 22, 1944.
An advance air echelon flew to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, to set up camp for the combat crews, who remained in the Russells until August 7, then flying to Hollandia via the Admiralties. The ground echelon proceeded by the S. S. Extavia on august 1 for Sansapor, Dutch New Guinea, arriving there August 26. The air and flight echelons operated at Hollandia from August 31 until September 17, bombing western New guinea targets, then traveled by C-47 and B-25 to the newly opened Mar strip at Sansapor on September 18–19.
Sansapor was "rugged". Dense tropical rain forest untouched by man had to be cleared from absolute scratch by our own efforts with axe and machete. Over a month of backbreaking, sweat-drenched labor a campsite was cleared tents rose and reasonably comfortable camp life became possible.
From Sansapor our tactical assignment was to neutralize Japanese airfields and destroy supplies and shipping throughout the eastern islands of the Netherlands East Indies, which lay to the west of our base on the Vogelkop Peninsula. Reduction of these enemy potentialities for offense was necessary to protect the left flank of the "return to the Philippines". With other squadrons of the Group, the 390th applied itself to the task.
Ambon, Celebes, Ceram, Halmahera and smaller islands were bombed and strafed; Japanese shipping in surrounding waters was harassed, damaged and sunk. Considerable AA and some interception countered our attacks, and over Menado, Celebes, our gunners added another probable Zeke to our score.
Minimum altitude strafing attacks supplanted medium level bombing until, by the end of February 1945; the former type of mission had become our specialty. Following landings on Leyte by General MacArthur's ground forces in October 1944, the squadron joined in the Philippine battle, attacking airfields in the, Central and southern islands. These missions staged at Morotai. Between November 11 and 20 the squadron, with other Group units, provided the entire aerial force for the successful Invasion of the Asia and Mapia Islands, just north of the equator from Sansapor.
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 was assigned to the 42d Bombardment Group, stationed at Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, Philippines Commonwealth. It was inactivated on 27 January 1946
History
Established at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 20 March 1942; trained under Fourth Air Force as a medium bomber squadron at McChord Field, Tacoma, Washington, on March 20, 1942. Original cadre was drawn from headquarters 42nd Bomb Group and from the 76th Bomb Squadron (M). Over a period of a year the squadron grew to T/O strength trained and equipped itself and flew its first missions in Northwest Pacific anti-submarine patrol.On March 15, 1943, the Squadron set out for the front. Staging at Camp Stoneman, California, the original personnel boarded the S.S. Maui at San Francisco and on March 28 cleared the Golden Gate for what was to be a 28 to 30 month tour overseas for most of the ground echelon. Debarking at New Caledonia on April 16 the squadron pitched camp outside Noumea. The flight echelon took off on the 20th-23rd for Nandi, Fiji, and on May 5 the ground men sailed on the naval transport George Clymer for Guadalcanal, reaching the Solomon Island on May 11.
From Fiji the squadron flew its first two missions, both searches. The Mitchell's left June 17–23, flying to Carney Field, Guadalcanal, to rejoin the ground echelon. Every day meant at least one mission, and for a considerable period every night meant an alert and air raid. On June 25 the squadron flew its first bombing mission, an attack from medium altitude on Vila Airdrome, Kolombangara Island. Second mission flown was a medium strike on Munda, New Georgia. Both missions scored good hits and were accomplished without loss. The squadron operated from Carney field until October 21, on each day delivering one or more attacks against Japanese airfields, supply depots and shipping in the Solomons and Bismarck Archipelago. On August 1 first flight crews returned to Fiji for six weeks of rest, training and anti-sub patrol.
Missions of this period were very successful; inflicted vast damage upon the Japanese advanced positions. High points were the sinking of a Japanese cruiser off Choiseul on July 20, and a dusk strafing attack on October 6 which crippled Japanese aircraft caught on the ground at Kahili Airdrome, Bougainville. Parafrags were used for the first time on this raid. An available tabulation of our damage to enemy shipping in the Solomons shows: 1 cruiser, 6 AKs and 5 barges sunk; 1 AK and 16 barges damaged.
On October 21–22 the squadron made a short move to Banika, Russell islands. In January 1944 moved to Stirling Island, Treasury Group. Principal target from Stirling was Rebaul, New Britain, and keystone of the Japanese conquests in the South Pacific. Rabaul with its five satellite airfields was perhaps the hottest bombing target in our experience. AA fire was encountered in some degree on every mission and frequently all planes over the target were holed. Over Rabaul the squadron met its greatest volume of air interception, Japanese planes attacking many of our formations. Squadron gunners accounted for one definite and one probable Zeke. Other Solomons and Bismarck targets were assigned us, but we kept Rabaul, the main show, under constant attack from January until the final raid on July 22, 1944.
An advance air echelon flew to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, to set up camp for the combat crews, who remained in the Russells until August 7, then flying to Hollandia via the Admiralties. The ground echelon proceeded by the S. S. Extavia on august 1 for Sansapor, Dutch New Guinea, arriving there August 26. The air and flight echelons operated at Hollandia from August 31 until September 17, bombing western New guinea targets, then traveled by C-47 and B-25 to the newly opened Mar strip at Sansapor on September 18–19.
Sansapor was "rugged". Dense tropical rain forest untouched by man had to be cleared from absolute scratch by our own efforts with axe and machete. Over a month of backbreaking, sweat-drenched labor a campsite was cleared tents rose and reasonably comfortable camp life became possible.
From Sansapor our tactical assignment was to neutralize Japanese airfields and destroy supplies and shipping throughout the eastern islands of the Netherlands East Indies, which lay to the west of our base on the Vogelkop Peninsula. Reduction of these enemy potentialities for offense was necessary to protect the left flank of the "return to the Philippines". With other squadrons of the Group, the 390th applied itself to the task.
Ambon, Celebes, Ceram, Halmahera and smaller islands were bombed and strafed; Japanese shipping in surrounding waters was harassed, damaged and sunk. Considerable AA and some interception countered our attacks, and over Menado, Celebes, our gunners added another probable Zeke to our score.
Minimum altitude strafing attacks supplanted medium level bombing until, by the end of February 1945; the former type of mission had become our specialty. Following landings on Leyte by General MacArthur's ground forces in October 1944, the squadron joined in the Philippine battle, attacking airfields in the, Central and southern islands. These missions staged at Morotai. Between November 11 and 20 the squadron, with other Group units, provided the entire aerial force for the successful Invasion of the Asia and Mapia Islands, just north of the equator from Sansapor.
Lineage
- Constituted 390th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 4 March 1942
- Activated on 20 March 1942
- Inactivated on 27 January 1946
Stations
- Gowen Field, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, 20 March 1942 - McChord Field, Washington, 20 March 1942-15 March 1943
- Plaine Des Gaiacs AirfieldPlaine Des Gaiacs AirfieldPlaine Des Gaiacs Airfield is a former World War II airfield on New Caledonia, Melanesia in the South Pacific. It is located at Plaine Des Gaiacs near the village of Pouembout...
, New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, 15 April 1943 - Nadi Airfield, Viti LevuViti LevuViti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
, Fiji Islands, 23 April 1943 - Carney AirfieldCarney AirfieldCarney Airfield is a former World War II airfield on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. It is located near Koli Point about fifteen miles from Henderson Field, closes to the Metapona River to the east and the Naumbu River to the west...
, GuadalcanalGuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, Solomon IslandsSolomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, 11 May 1943 - Russell Islands, 22 October 1943
- Operated from Stirling Airfield, Solomon IslandsSolomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, 8 March-8 May 1944, and 17 June-24 July 1944
- Hollandia Airfield Complex, New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, c. 7 August 1944 - Sansapor AirfieldSansapor AirfieldSansapor Airfield is a former World War II airfield located in the village of Mar, in West Irian Jaya Province, Indonesia. The airfield was abandoned after the war and today is almost totally returned to its natural state....
, New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, 23 August 1944
- Operated from Wama Airfield, MorotaiMorotaiMorotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
, Netherlands East Indies, 24 February-c. 20 March 1945- Puerto Princesa Airfield, PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, Philippines Commonwealth, c. 21 March 1945-27 January 1946
- Puerto Princesa Airfield, Palawan
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....
, 1942 - A-29 Hudson, 1942
- B-26 MarauderB-26 MarauderThe Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
, 1941–1943 - 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...
, 1943–1945