7th Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 7th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 34th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
Northeast Air District bomber squadron; equipped with B-18 Bolo
s and light observation aircraft. Performed coastal patrols over the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. Reassigned to the Pacific Northwest after the Pearl Harbor Attack, engaged in antisubmarine patrol duty over the Washington and Oregon coast until May 1942.
Reassigned to II Bomber Command
, trained with early-model B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator
s, becoming an Operational Training Unit (OTU), stationed in the Pacific Northwest and Montana. Moved to Southern California in early 1943, became a training unit at the Desert Training Center
.
Was equpped with production Flying Fortresses in 1944, trained for overseas duty. Deployed to European Theater of Operations
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command
in England
in April 1944. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
, attacking transportation, industrial, Oil Industry and other targets as directed. Also engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy forces in France
in support of the Operation Overlord
landings in Normandy
, and the subsequent breakout at St-Lo in July 1944. Attacked enemy formations and armor during the Battle of the Bulge
, January 1945. Continued bombardment of strategic targets until the German Capitulation in May.
Largely demobilized in England during the summer of 1945; small cadre of personnel reassembled at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota in August to prepare for B-29 Superfortress
training, however Japanese Capitulation led to inactivation of unit in late August.
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. It was last assigned to the 34th Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
History
Established in early 1941 as an Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
Northeast Air District bomber squadron; equipped with B-18 Bolo
B-18 Bolo
The 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....
s and light observation aircraft. Performed coastal patrols over the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. Reassigned to the Pacific Northwest after the Pearl Harbor Attack, engaged in antisubmarine patrol duty over the Washington and Oregon coast until May 1942.
Reassigned to II Bomber Command
II Bomber Command
The II Bomber Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to Second Air Force, based at Fort George Wright, Washington. It was inactivated on 6 October 1943....
, trained with early-model B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s, becoming an Operational Training Unit (OTU), stationed in the Pacific Northwest and Montana. Moved to Southern California in early 1943, became a training unit at the Desert Training Center
Desert Training Center
The Desert Training Center was a World War II training facility established in the Mojave Desert; largely in Southern California and Western Arizona in 1942....
.
Was equpped with production Flying Fortresses in 1944, trained for overseas duty. Deployed to European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command
VIII Bomber Command
The VIII Bomber Command is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit that is better known as the later appellation Eighth Air Force, as was popularized in post-World War II filmsand is frequently called the First Eighth Air Force by its veterans and successors in the services.The command was...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in April 1944. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, attacking transportation, industrial, Oil Industry and other targets as directed. Also engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy forces in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in support of the Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
landings in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, and the subsequent breakout at St-Lo in July 1944. Attacked enemy formations and armor during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, January 1945. Continued bombardment of strategic targets until the German Capitulation in May.
Largely demobilized in England during the summer of 1945; small cadre of personnel reassembled at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota in August to prepare for B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
training, however Japanese Capitulation led to inactivation of unit in late August.
Lineage
- Constituted 7th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940
- Activated on 15 Jan 1941
- Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945
Stations
- Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 15 Jan 1941 - Westover Field, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 29 May 1941 - Pendleton Field, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, c. 25 Jan 1942 - Davis-Monthan Field, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, c. 13 May 1942 - Geiger Field, Washington, 1 Ju1 1942
- Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 1 Dec 1942
- Great Falls Army Air Base, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, c. 15 Jan 1943
- Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington 31 Jan 1943
- Blythe Army Air Base, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1 Feb 1943 - Salinas Army Air Base, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 29 May 1943 - Blythe Army Air Base, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
,, 13 Jul 1943-c. 2 Apr 1944 - RAF MendleshamRAF MendleshamRAF Mendlesham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 5½ miles E of Stowmarket in Suffolk.-RAF Fighter Command use:...
(AAF-156), EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, c. 23 Apr 1944-24 Jul 1945 - Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, c. 13-28 Aug 1945
Aircraft
- PT-17 Stearman, 1941
- LB-30B Liberator, 1941
- 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....
, 1941 - B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1942, 1944–1945
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 1942-1944.