318th Bombardment Squadron

318th Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 318th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1942-1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

The 318th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 88th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida on 1 May 1944.

History

Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron. Was assigned to II Bomber Command as a heavy bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU). The squadron was assigned primarily to airfields in the Pacific Northwest under II BC; performing training of new units, then becoming a Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Reassigned to III Bomber Command in November 1943 when Second Air Force began to exclusively train B-29 Superfortress aircrews. Continued as a B-17 RTU until the end of heavy bomber training of replacement aircrews in May 1944; was inactivated.

Lineage

• Constituted 318th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Activated on 15 Jul 1942

Inactivated on 1 May 1944.

Assignments

• 88th Bombardment Group, 15 Jul 1942-1 May 1944

Stations

• Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah, 15 Jul 1942
• Geiger Field, Washington, 1 Sep 1942
• Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 21 Sep 1942
• Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, 26 Oct 1942
• Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 28 Nov 1942

• Redmond Army Airfield, Oregon, 1 Jan 1943
• Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 2 Feb 1943
• Madras Army Air Field, Oregon, 11 Jun 1943
• Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington, 21 Jul 1943
• Avon Park Army Air Field, Florida, c. 7 Nov 1943-1 May 1944

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1944

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