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417th Bombardment Squadron

Field	Value
unit_name	417th Bombardment Squadron
image	Douglas B-18B Pima.jpg
image_size	300
caption	B-18B Bolo with nose radome
dates	1939–1944
country
branch
role	Medium bomber
battles	American Theater: Antisubmarine Campaign
identification_symbol	[[File:417thbombsquadron-emblem.jpg	165px]]
identification_symbol_label	417th Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 417th Bombardment Squadron was a United States Army Air Forces unit. It was activated in the fall of 1939 as the 27th Reconnaissance Squadron and moved to Puerto Rico two months later. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor it engaged in antisubmarine patrols in the Caribbean until the antisubmarine mission was taken over by the Navy. In the spring of 1944, it returned to the United States, where it was disbanded on 20 June 1944.

History

The squadron was first organized in September 1939 the 27th Reconnaissance Squadron (Long Range) at Langley Field, Virginia, and assigned to the new Puerto Rican Department, which had been organized in July. Drawing its personnel from various organizations stationed at Langley, the squadron's ground echelon embarked on the bound for Puerto Rico on 17 November 1939, arriving at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico on 21 November. The air echelon, with nine Douglas B-18A Bolo bombers, arrived on 5 December.

Borinquen was a newly opened field and, in addition to flying training flights, squadron members engaged in making their quarters more livable. As the military garrison at Borrinquen grew, the squadron provided the cadre for the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, which was activated on 1 April 1941 and continued training the 5th until it began independent operations in September.

After the Pearl Harbor Attack, Flight A of the squadron deployed to Camaguey Airfield, Cuba in April 1942, from which it patrolled the Old Bahama Channel until August 1943, except for a brief period in May 1942.

B-25 Mitchel in antisubmarine camouflage

On 22 April 1942, the squadron was redesignated as the 417th Bombardment Squadron. while the Navy assumed the antisubmarine patrols the squadron had been performing.

In April 1944 the squadron returned to the United States and was disbanded on 20 June, with most of its personnel used to form cadres for heavy bomber units being formed by Second Air Force.

Lineage

Constituted as the 27th Reconnaissance Squadron (Long Range) on 16 September 1939 and activated : Redesignated 27th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940 : Redesignated 417th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 22 April 1942 : Redesignated 417th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 7 May 1942 : Disbanded on 20 June 1944

Assignments

Puerto Rican Department, 16 September 1939 (attached to 25th Bombardment Group after c. 5 November 1940) : 25th Bombardment Group: 25 February 1942 – 20 June 1944

Stations

Langley Field, Virginia, 16 September–17 November 1939
Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, 21 November 1939 (detachment operated from Camaguey Airfield, Cuba, 13 April 1942 – August 1943)
Vernam Field, Jamaica, 24 September 1942
Losey Field, Puerto Rico, 29 May 1943 – 24 March 1944
Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, April 1944 – 20 June 1944

Aircraft

Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1939–1943
North American B-25 Mitchell, 1943–1944

Campaigns

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
[[File:American Campaign Streamer.png	200px]]	Antisubmarine	7 December 1941 – 1 August 1943

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 510-511
Clay, p. 26
In November 1940, the [[25th Bombardment Group]] arrived, and the squadron was attached to it.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 75-76
Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 485
(17 July 2023). "Factsheet 25 Attack Group (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
Assignments in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 511, except as noted
Aircraft in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 511, except as noted

Info: Wikipedia Source

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