877th Bombardment Squadron: Difference between revisions

877th Bombardment Squadron
877th Bombardment Squadron
	Emblem of the 877th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 19:46, 8 March 2012

The 877th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 499th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at March Field, California on 16 February 1946.

History

Activated in November 1943 as one of the initial B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadrons. Trained in Kansas with early model B-29s, with frequent delays in training due to modifications of the aircraft correcting production deficiencies.

When training was completed moved to Isley Field, Saipan, in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. It's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron conducted combat missions over Japan participating in wide area firebombing attacks, but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria

Squadron was largely de-mobilized on Saipan during the fall of 1945. Was reoganized as part of continental Air Forces, Fourth Air Force at March Field, California in November 1945, being manned and equipped with low-hour B-29s returned from the Central Pacific. It later was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment squadrons. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the unit turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.

Lineage

Constituted 877th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 19 November 1943

Activated on 20 November 1943

Inactivated on 16 February 1946

Assignments

499th Bombardment Group, 20 November 1943-16 February 1946

Stations

Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 20 November 1943
Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 December 1943
Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico, 11 February 1944
Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 8 April-22 July 1944
Isley Airfield, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 22 September 1944-c. November 1945
March Field, California, c. November 1945-16 February 1946

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1946

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 0-89201-097-5

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==History==
-Established in late 1943 as a [[B-29 Superfortress]] Very Heavy bombardment Squadron;  trained under Second Air Force. Underwent an extended training period while B-29 Aircraft were manufactured and development difficulties corrected.
+Activated in November 1943 as one of the initial [[B-29 Superfortress]] Very Heavy bombardment squadrons.   Trained in Kansas with early model B-29s, with frequent delays in training due to modifications of the aircraft correcting production deficiencies.
+When training was completed moved to [[Isley Field]], Saipan, in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to [[XXI Bomber Command]], [[Twentieth Air Force]].  It's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.
-Deployed to [[Saipan]] in September 1944  and numerous missions in daylight, operating from high altitude to bomb strategic targets in [[Japan]].   Later, began low-level night raids, flying at low altitude to drop incendiaries on area targets. Completed a series of attacks against enemy airfields on Kyūshū to aid the Allied assault on [[Okinawa]] in April 1945.  Also dropped propaganda leaflets on Japan, and after the war dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war.
+Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on [[Moen (island)|Moen]] Island, [[Truk]], and other points in the [[Carolines]] and [[Marianas]].  The squadron conducted combat missions over Japan  participating in wide area firebombing attacks, but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.
-Returned to the United States in November 1945, being assigned to [[March Field]], [[California]]. It was assigned to the [[Fourth Air Force]] of [[Continental Air Forces]]. Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the squadron turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 16 February 1946.
+The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas.  Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended.  Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and [[Manchuria]]
+Squadron was largely de-mobilized on Saipan during the fall of 1945.  Was reoganized as part of continental Air Forces, Fourth Air Force at March Field, California in November 1945, being manned and equipped with low-hour B-29s returned from the Central Pacific.  It later was transferred to the new Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946, being one of SAC's initial bombardment squadrons.  Demobilization, however, was in full swing and the unit turned in its aircraft and was inactivated on 31 March 1946.
 ===Lineage===