486th Bombardment Squadron

486th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1942-1945; 1947-1949; 1952-1966
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

The 486th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 340th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. It was inactivated on 2 October 1966.

History

Established as a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron in mid-1942, trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to Egypt initially in March 1943 via Air Transport Command South Atlantic Route through Caribbean, Brazil, Liberia, Central Africa and Sudan, then reassigned to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), and to XII Bomber Command in Tunisia. Supported Allied ground forces in Tunisian Campaign; participated in Invasions of Sicily and Italy during 1943, supporting Allied ground forces with tactical bombing of enemy targets. Participated in liberation of Corsia durng the spring of 1944, then returned to Italy engaging in attacks on enemy ground forces and targets in the Po Valley during the spring of 1945.

Personnel demobilized in Italy during summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States, being prepared for deployment to Pacific Theater for use as a tactical bomb squadron in programmed Invasion of Japan. Japanese capitulation led to squadron's inactivation in November 1945.

Activated as an A-26 Invader squadron in the postwar Air Force reserves in 1947; inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.

Reactivated in October 1952 as a Strategic Air Command B-47 Stratojet squadron. Initially equipped with prototypes of the the Boeing RB-47B Stratojet (YRB-47) to perform long-range photo-reconnaissance with a flight of B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned. In November 1953 began to receive production B-47E medium bomber aircraft; prototype reconnaissance aircraft already received exchanged for medium bomber versions. Participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to Europe and North Africa throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1966 with the phaseout of the B-47 the aircraft sent to storage at Davis-Monthan and inactivated. Became B-52D Heavy bombardment squadron with takeover of assets of the 325th Bombardment Squadron and transfer to Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Stood nuclear alert until 340th inactivated in 1966 when SAC began phasing out nuclear-equipped B-52s and turned over Bergstrom to Tactical Air Command.

Reassigned to 22d Bombardment Wing as a conventional B-52G squadron at March AFB, California and was deployed to Western Pacific, engaging in Arc Light strategic bombardment of enemy targets over Indochina as part of Vietnam War until 1971 when inactivated due to budget reductions.

Lineage

• Constituted 486th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 10 Aug 1942

Activated on 20 Aug 1942

Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945

• Redesignated 486th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 8 Oct 1947

Activated in the reserve on 31 Oct 1947

Inactivated on 19 Aug 1949

• Redesignated 486th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 3 Oct 1952

Activated on 20 Oct 1952

Inactivated on 1 Sep 1963

• Redesignated 486th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 1 Sep 1963

Organized on 1 Sep 1963, assuming personnel/equipment/aircraft of 335 Bombardment Squadron (Inactivated)

Inactivated on 1 July 1971

Assignments

• 340th Bombardment Group, 20 Aug 1942-7 Nov 1945; 31 Oct 1947-19 Aug 1949
• 340th Bombardment Wing, 20 Oct 1952-1 Sep 1963; 1 Sep 1963
• 22d Bombardment Wing, 2 Oct 1966-1 July 1971

Stations

• Columbia AAB, South Carolina, 20 August 1942
• Walterboro, South Carolina 30 November 1942 – 30 January 1943
• RAF Kabrit, Egypt March 1943
• Medenine Airfield, Tunisia March 1943
• Sfax Airfield, Tunisia April 1943
• Hergla Airfield, Tunisia 2 June 1943
• Comiso Airfield, Sicily c. 2 August 1943
• Catania Airport, Sicily 27 August 1943
• San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy c. 15 October 1943
• Foggia Airfield, Italy 19 November 1943

• Pompeii Airfield, Italy c. 2 January 1944
• Gaudo Airfield, Italy 23 March 1944
• Alesan, Corsica, France c. 15 April 1944
• Rimini Airfield, Italy c. 7 Apr-16 Jul 1945
• Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina 9 August 1945
• Columbia AAB, South Carolina 2 October – 7 November 1945
• Tulsa Municipal Airport, Oklahoma, 31 Oct 1947-19 Aug 1949
• Sedalia (later Whiteman) AFB, Missouri, 20 Oct 1952-1 Sep 1963
• Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 1 Sep 1963
• March AFB, California, 2 Oct 1966-1 Jul 1971

Aircraft

• B-25 Mitchell, 1942-1945
• YRB-47 Stratojet, 1954-1955
• B-47 Stratojet, 1955-1962
• B-52D Stratofortress, 1963-1966
• B-52G Stratoforetress, 1966-1971

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975