353d Bombardment Squadron

History

World War II

Initial organization and training

The squadron was organized at Geiger Field, Washington as one of the four Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons of the 301st Bombardment Group in February 1942. In late May, it moved to Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, although the air echelon operated from Muroc Army Air Base, flying antisubmarine patrols off the California coast until early June 1942. The ground echelon moved to Virginia to prepare for movement overseas, leaving for Fort Dix and the Port of Embarkation on 19 July. The air echelon left for Brainard Field, Connecticut in late June. The squadron ferried its Flying Fortresses via the North Atlantic ferry route as part of Operation Bolero, the build up of American forces in the United Kingdom. The squadron and its companion squadrons of the 301st Group were the first B-17F unit to arrive in England.

Operations from England

The ground and air echelons were reunited at RAF Chelveston on 19 August 1942. The squadron flew its first mission on 5 September 1942. From England it attacked targets primarily in France, including submarine pens, airfields, railroad targets, and bridges. On 14 September, the 301st Group and its squadrons were reassigned to XII Bomber Command in preparation for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, but they continued to operate under the control of VIII Bomber Command. Between 20 and 23 November 1942, the air echelon moved forward to bases in southeastern England, from which it flew directly to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria. The ground echelon sailed for Algeria from Liverpool on 8 December 1942.

Combat in the Mediterranean

Until August 1943, the squadron operated from airfields in Algeria, bombing docks, shipping facilities, airfields and marshalling yards in Tunisia, Sicily, and Sardinia. It also attacked enemy ships operating between Sicily and Tunisia. On 6 April 1943, the squadron withstood heavy flak from shore defenses and enemy vessels, when it attacked a merchant convoy near Bizerte, Tunisia that was carrying supplies essential for the Axis defense of Tunisia. For this mission it was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). In May and June, it participated in Operation Corkscrew, the bombing and invasion of Pantelleria, prior to the invasion of Sicily.

Starting in July 1943, the squadron began flying numerous missions to targets in Italy, moving forward to Oudna Airfield, Tunisia in early August. In November 1943, strategic and tactical air forces in the Mediterranean were divided and the squadron became part of Fifteenth Air Force. It moved to Italy in December 1943 and in February 1944 it was established at Lucera Airfield, Italy, from which it would conduct combat operations for the remainder of the war. From its Italian base, it concentrated on the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking oil centers, lines of communications, and industrial areas in Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. On 23 February 1944, it participated in an attack on the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Regensburg, succeeding despite "viscous" attacks by enemy interceptors. For this mission, it was awarded a second DUC.

The 353d also flew air support missions near Anzio and Monte Cassino, provided cover for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France and the advance of the Red Army in the Balkans and the Allied advances in the Po Valley.

Return to the United States

Following V-E Day, the squadron remained in Italy until July 1945. In August, it was designated as a "very heavy" unit in preparation for conversion to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and deployment to Pacific Theater. Before the squadron arrived at its planned training base, Pyote Army Air Field, Texas, Japan had surrendered and there was no need for additional bomber units. The squadron was inactivated in October 1945, shortly before Pyote ended training operations and became an aircraft storage depot.

Strategic Air Command

It was reactivated in 1946 as a Strategic Air Command B-29 strategic bombardment squadron. It was deployed to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, Germany, July–August 1948; to RAF Scampton, England, October 1948 – January 1949; and to RAF Stations Lakenheath and Sculthorpe, May–November 1950 for "show of force" missions in Europe as a result of the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union and rising Cold War tensions in Europe. The squadron was deployed to Far East Air Forces in February 1951, flying combat missions over North Korea, and attacking strategic industrial and military targets during the Korean War.

The squadron returned to the United States in June 1952, equipped with YRB-47B Stratojet long-range reconnaissance aircraft. It was used for strategic reconnaissance missions until 1953, when production RB-47E aircraft were received. It flew reconnaissance missions on a worldwide basis. Operations of the unit were still classified. It was suspected that the squadron was deployed frequently to Thule Air Base, Greenland and flew missions deep into the heart of the Soviet Union, taking a photographic and radar recording of the routes attacking SAC B-52 bombers would follow to reach their targets.

The squadron was inactivated in 1964 with phaseout of the B-47 from the inventory.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 353d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 3 February 1942. : Redesignated 353d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943 : Redesignated 353d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Inactivated on 15 October 1945
• Activated on 4 August 1946 : Redesignated 353d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948 : Inactivated on 16 June 1964

Assignments

• 301st Bombardment Group, 3 February 1942 – 15 October 1945; 4 August 1946 (detached 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
• 301st Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 8 June 1964

Stations

• Geiger Field, Washington, 3 February 1942
• Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 28 May 1942 (operated from Muroc Army Air Base, California, c. 28 May-14 June 1942)
• Richard E. Byrd Field, Virginia, 21 June-19 July 1942
• RAF Chelveston (Station-105), England, 19 August 1942
• Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 24 November 1942
• Biskra Airfield, Algeria, 21 December 1942
• Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, 16 January 1943
• Saint-Donat Airfield, Algeria, 8 March 1943
• Oudna Airfield, Tunisia, 6 August 1943
• Cerignola Airfield, Italy, 10 December 1943
• Lucera Airfield, Italy, 2 February 1944 – July 1945
• Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 28 July 1945
• Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho, 17 August 1945
• Pyote Army Air Base, Texas, 23 August-15 October 1945
• Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico, 4 August 1946
• Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 16 July 1947
• Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, 7 November 1949 (deployed to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
• Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, 15 April 1958 – 8 June 1964

Aircraft

• B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
• B-29 Superfortress 1946–1952
• YRB-47B Stratojet, 1952–1953
• RB-47E Stratojet, 1953–1964

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 438
2. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 436-439, 514
3. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 173-174
4. Freeman, p. 247
5. Freeman, p. 13
6. (July 2017)
7. Lineage information, assignments and aircraft through March 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 438.
8. Station number in Anderson, p. 19.
9. Station information through March 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 438, except as noted.