881st Bombardment Squadron: Difference between revisions

881st Bombardment Squadron
881st Bombardment Squadron
	Emblem of the 881st Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

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Revision as of 20:02, 8 March 2012

The 881st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 500th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at March Field, California on 12 November 1945.

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 881st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 19 Nov 1943

Activated on 20 Nov 1943

Inactivated on 17 Jan 1946

Assignments

500th Bombardment Group, 20 Nov 1943-17 Jan 1946

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 20 Nov 1943
Clovis Army Airfield, New Mexico, 12 Jan 1944
Walker Army Airfield, Kansas, 23 Jul 1944
Isley Airfield, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 18 Sep 1944-21 Oct 1945
March Field, California, 24 Oct 1945-17 Jan 1946

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1945

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==
+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.
-Established as a [[B-29 Superfortress]] very heavy bombardment group in late 1943; trained by [[Second Air Force]], initially with B-17s until production B-29s became available.   Deployed to [[Central Pacific Area]] (CPA) in August 1944, assigned to [[XXI Bomber Command]] on [[Saipan]].  Conducted very long range strategic bombardment attacks on the [[Japan|Japanese Home Islands]], attacking military and industrial targets.   Supported the invasion of Okinawa hitting enemy strong points with massive bombing attacks.  Ended combat with the Japanese Capitulation in August 1945.
+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.
-Afer hostilities ended, the squadron dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners in Japan, [[Korea]], [[China]], and [[Formosa]] after the war. Returned to the US in October 1945.
+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.
-The squadron was assigned first to Continental Air Forces's [[Fourth Air Force]] at [[March Field|March AFB]], [[California]],  However demobilization was in full swing and the unit was inactivated on 17 Jan 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===