379th Bombardment Squadron

History

World War II

Initial organization and training

The squadron was activated at Davis-Monthan Field in March 1942 as the 379th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 310th Bombardment Group. It moved the same day to Jackson Army Air Base, Mississippi, where it began training with North American B-25 Mitchells.

Combat in the Mediterranean heater

In November 1942, the squadron flew its planes to Mediouna Airfield, French Morocco, to support Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, although some remained behind in England until as late as March 1943. The squadron engaged primarily in air support and interdiction in Tunisia, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Italy and Southern France. Through May 1943, it also attacked shipping and harbor facilities to cut the logistics lines of the Afrika Corps. It bombed marshalling yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors and other objectives in North Africa. It moved forward to Tunisia with the allied forces, locating at Dar el Koudia Airfield in June. It bombed airfields, landing grounds and gun emplacements, supporting Operation Corkscrew, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusa islands during June 1943. The following month it supported Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.

On 27 August 1943, the squadron conducted a mission against marshalling yards in Benevento, Italy. Despite heavy antiaircraft artillery, it effectively bombed the target and destroyed several enemy interceptor aircraft making persistent attacks. For this action, it was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). From August 1943 to the end of hostilities in the spring of 1945, it struck German lines of communication, bridges, rail lines, marshalling yards, viaducts, tunnels and road junctions in Italy. From January through June 1944, it gave air support to ground forces in the drive toward Rome. The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines.

In August 1944, it supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France from its base in Ghisonaccia Airfield, Corsica. On 10 March 1945, the squadron maintained close formation in the face of severe antiaircraft fire in successfully attacking the railroad bridge at Ora, a vital link in the German supply line to Italy. For this action, it was awarded its second DUC. In April 1945, it moved to Italy and was inactivated in theater in September 1945.

Air Force Reserve

It was reactivated at Bedford Army Air Field as part of the reserve in June 1947, although it is unclear whether or not the squadron was fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft. It was inactivated in June 1949.

Strategic Air Command

The squadron was activated in 1952 as a Strategic Air Command squadron. The unit received Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombardment training from the 90th Bombardment Wing between April and August 1952. It acted as a training squadron until 1954 when it replaced the propeller-driven B-29s with new Boeing B-47E Stratojet swept-wing medium bombers. These aircraft were capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and were primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union. By the early 1960s, the B-47s were considered to be reaching obsolescence, and were being phased out of SAC's strategic arsenal. They were sent to AMARC at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in early 1965. The squadron was inactivated in March.

Space range unit

The squadron was redesignated the 379th Space Range Squadron and activated at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado on 1 April 2012. It serves as a reserve associate squadron with the regular Air Force 25th Space Range Squadron. In 2014, the squadron's gaining command changed from Air Force Space Command to Air Combat Command. The squadron has participated in exercises Austere Challenge, Anakonda and Juniper Cobra in Europe; Global Thunder, Global Lightning, Ardent Sentry and Red Flag in the United States; and Valiant Shield in the Pacific.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 379th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 15 March 1942
• Redesignated 379th Bombardment Squadron, Medium c. 20 August 1943 : Inactivated on 12 September 1945
• Redesignated 379th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 11 March 1947 : Activated in the reserve on 9 August 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949
• Redesignated 379th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 15 March 1952 : Activated on 28 March 1952 (not operational until 4 March 1952) : Discontinued and inactivated on 25 March 1965 (not operational after 25 February 1965)
• Redesignated 379th Space Range Squadron on 14 February 2012 : Activated on 1 April 2012

Assignments

• 310th Bombardment Group, 15 March 1942 – 12 September 1945
• 310th Bombardment Group, 9 August 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 310th Bombardment Wing (later 310th Strategic Aerospace Wing), 28 March 1952 – 25 March 1965
• 310th Operations Group, 1 April 2012
• 926th Operations Group, 2014

Stations

• Davis–Monthan Field, Arizona, 15 March 1942
• Jackson Army Air Base, Mississippi, 15 March 1942
• Key Field, Mississippi, c. 25 April 1942
• Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, 17 May 1942
• Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina, 14 August 1942
• Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina, 18 September – 17 October 1942 (ground echelon) : RAF Hardwick (Station 104), England, September – November 1942 (air echelon)
• Mediouna Airfield, French Morocco, 18 November 1942
• Telergma Airfield, Algeria, 21 December 1942
• Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, 1 January 1943
• Dar el Koudia Airfield, Tunisia, c. 6 June 1943
• Menzel Temime Airfield, Tunisia, c. 5 August 1943
• Philippeville Airfield, Algeria, 10 November 1943
• Ghisonaccia Airfield, Corsica, France, c. 10 December 1943
• Fano Airfield, Italy, 7 April 1945
• Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, c. 15 August – 12 September 1945
• Bedford Army Air Field (later Hanscom Airport, Bedford Air Field, Hanscom Field), Massachusetts, 12 June 1947 – 27 June 1949
• Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 28 March 1952
• Smoky Hill Air Force Base (later Schilling Air Force Base), Kansas, 4 September 1952 – 25 March 1965
• Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, 1 April 2012 – present

Aircraft

• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1945
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1952–1954
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1954–1965

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 468-469
2. No byline. (10 March 2016). "379th SRS NCO named Outstanding Airman of the year". 926th Wing Public Affairs.
3. Watkins, pp. 80–81
4. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 184-186
5. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 468-471, 525-526
6. A portion of the ground echelon sailed for the United Kingdom aboard the {{RMS. Queen Mary on 5 September 1942,{{efn. Freeman refers to this as the air echelon on page 265, but contradicts this on page 15, which has more detail on the 310th Group's time in England. while the remainder sailed directly for North Africa from the United States. The air echelon ferried the squadron's Mitchells via the [[North Atlantic air ferry route in World War II
7. Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, April 2012, Maxwell AFB, AL
8. (3 March 2013). "379th is now official". 310th Space Wing Public Affairs.
9. (13 July 2016). "379th SRS welcomes new commander". 926th Wing Public Affairs.
10. Lineage, including assignments, aircraft and stations through 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 468–469
11. Ravenstein, pp. 158–159
12. Station number in Anderson, p. 19.
13. Mueller, p.221
14. Station information through March 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 468-469, except as noted.