863d Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 863d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the 493d Bombardment Group
, based at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
with a mission to conduct antisubmarine patrols over New England
coastline using light observation aircraft. Later re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell
medium bombers, October 1942-September 1943 when the antisubmarine mission was taken over by the United States Navy
.
Re-equipped with B-24 Liberator
heavy bombers and reassigned for training at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado
. Squadron personnel formed the core of the newly-established 493d Bombardment Group
, moving to McCook Army Airfield
, Nebraska
where it completed training as part of the newly formed group.
Was deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command
in England. Assigned to RAF Debach until the end of the European War in May 1945, with a temporary move to RAF Wormingford
in early 1945 while runways were being repaired at Debach.Used B-24's until they were replaced with B-17's in September 1944.
Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Nazi Germany
and Occupied Europe. The squadron operated chiefly against industrial and military installations in Germany
, attacking an ordnance depot at Magdeburg
, marshalling yards at Cologne
, synthetic oil plants at Merseburg
, a railroad tunnel at Ahrweiler
, bridges at Irlich, factories at Frankfurt
, and other strategic objectives. Additional operations included striking airfields, bridges, and gun batteries prior to and during the invasion of Normandy
in June 1944; hitting enemy positions to assist ground forces south of Caen and at St Lo in July 1944; bombing German fortifications to cover the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944; attacking enemy communications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945; and assisting the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The squadron redeployed to the United States. in July and August 1945. Reassembled at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota
on August 12, however the Japanese Capitulation negated the need for the unit to train in B-29s and re-deploy to the Pacific Theater. The personnel were demobilized and the unit was inactivated there on August 28, 1945.
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 assignment was with the 493d Bombardment Group
493d Bombardment Group
The 493d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945....
, based 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 as an I Bomber Command squadron in late 1942; later assigned to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandArmy Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
with a mission to conduct antisubmarine patrols over New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coastline using light observation aircraft. Later re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The 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...
medium bombers, October 1942-September 1943 when the antisubmarine mission was taken over by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Re-equipped with 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...
heavy bombers and reassigned for training at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Squadron personnel formed the core of the newly-established 493d Bombardment Group
493d Bombardment Group
The 493d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945....
, moving to McCook Army Airfield
McCook Army Airfield
McCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located nine miles northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
where it completed training as part of the newly formed group.
Was deployed to the 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. Assigned to RAF Debach until the end of the European War in May 1945, with a temporary move to RAF Wormingford
RAF Wormingford
RAF Station Wormingford is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Colchester....
in early 1945 while runways were being repaired at Debach.Used B-24's until they were replaced with B-17's in September 1944.
Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in 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...
and Occupied Europe. The squadron operated chiefly against industrial and military installations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, attacking an ordnance depot at Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, marshalling yards at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, synthetic oil plants at Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
, a railroad tunnel at Ahrweiler
Ahrweiler
Ahrweiler is a district in the north of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Euskirchen, Rhein-Sieg and the city Bonn in the state North Rhine-Westphalia, and the districts of Neuwied, Mayen-Koblenz and Vulkaneifel.- History :The region was conquered by the Romans under...
, bridges at Irlich, factories at Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, and other strategic objectives. Additional operations included striking airfields, bridges, and gun batteries prior to and during the invasion of 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:...
in June 1944; hitting enemy positions to assist ground forces south of Caen and at St Lo in July 1944; bombing German fortifications to cover the airborne attack on Holland in September 1944; attacking enemy communications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945; and assisting the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
The squadron redeployed to the United States. in July and August 1945. Reassembled 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...
on August 12, however the Japanese Capitulation negated the need for the unit to train in B-29s and re-deploy to the Pacific Theater. The personnel were demobilized and the unit was inactivated there on August 28, 1945.
Lineage
- Constituted 518th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 13 October 1942
- Activated on 18 October 1942
- Redesignated: 13th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942
- Redesignated: 863d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 1 November 1943
- Inactivated on 28 August 1945.
Assignments
- 377th Bombardment Group377th Air Base WingThe 377th Air Base Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.-Mission:Provide world-class nuclear surety, expeditionary forces, and support to base operations.-Units:...
- Attached to: Army Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandArmy Air Forces Antisubmarine CommandThe Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
, 18 October 1942- 25th Antisubmarine Wing25th Antisubmarine WingThe 25th Anti-Submarine Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, based in New York City, New York. It was inactivated on 15 October 1943-History:...
, 9 December 1942 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 22 September 1943 - 493d Bombardment Group493d Bombardment GroupThe 493d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Army Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945....
, 1 November 1943-28 August 1945.
- 25th Antisubmarine Wing
Stations
- Grenier Field, New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, 18 October 1942 - Pueblo AAB, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 22 September 1943 - McCook Army AirfieldMcCook Army AirfieldMcCook Army Airfield was activated on 1 April 1943. It is located nine miles northwest of McCook, a city in Red Willow County, Nebraska, United States and is southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. It was constructed in 1943...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, 1 Nov 1943-1 Jan 1944 - Elveden Hall, 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...
, 1 Jan 1944 - RAF DebachRAF DebachRAF Debach is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles NW of Woodbridge, Suffolk.-USAAF use:Debach was one of the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber stations to be occupied. being built by the 820th Engineer Battalion of the US Army during 1943/1944...
(AAF-152), 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...
, 17 Apr 1944 - RAF WormingfordRAF WormingfordRAF Station Wormingford is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Colchester....
(AAF-159), 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...
, 17 Feb 1945 - RAF DebachRAF DebachRAF Debach is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles NW of Woodbridge, Suffolk.-USAAF use:Debach was one of the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber stations to be occupied. being built by the 820th Engineer Battalion of the US Army during 1943/1944...
, 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...
, 18 May-6 Aug 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
- North American O-47North American O-47|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.* Fahey, James C. U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946. New York: Ships and Aircraft, 1946....
, 1942–1943 - 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 - 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...
, 1943–1944 - B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944–1945
- C-47 SkytrainC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1944–1945