444th Bombardment Squadron

History

World War II

Initial organization and training in the United States

The squadron was first established at MacDill Field, Florida on 1 July 1942 as the 444th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 320th Bombardment Group, a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. The squadron trained rapidly in Florida, completing Phase I (individual) Operational Training at MacDill and Phase II (aircrew) Operational Training at Drane Field until beginning to move its aircraft to England in August without starting Phase III (unit) training.

The air echelon departed for Baer Field, Indiana on 19 August with initial plans calling for the squadron's air echelon to move to Europe via the North Atlantic Ferrying Route. At Baer Field, it received B-26s direct from the factory. However, these planes were soon withdrawn and transferred to the 319th Bombardment Group, the first B-26 group to fly its bombers across the Atlantic. The air echelon continued training at Baer Field with the few Marauders it had remaining. After delays continuing to November, it moved to Morrison Field, Florida to begin ferrying its planes using the South Atlantic Ferrying Route.

The ground echelon of the squadron, meanwhile, departed the United States on the on 5 September, arriving at RAF Hethel on 12 September, and moving to RAF Tibenham at the beginning of October. In England, it received additional training from units of Eighth Air Force. It departed for North Africa on 21 November 1942. The air echelon never conducted operations from England, with their Marauders arriving in North Africa between December 1942 and January 1943.

Combat in the Mediterranean Theater

The squadron and its aircraft arrived at its first true overseas station, Oran Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, in early January 1943. However, it did not fly its first bombing missions until April 1943, by which time it had moved to Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria from its training base at Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria. Until July 1943, operating from bases in Algeria and Tunisia, it flew missions against enemy shipping on the approaches to Tunis It flew missions against Tunisia and participated in Operation Corkscrew, the projected invasion of Pantelleria. The following month it provided air support for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.

The squadron bombed marshalling yards. bridges airfields, road junctions, viaducts, harbors, fuel and supply dumps, defense positions and other targets in Italy. It supported Operation Avalanche, the landings near Salerno, on the Italian mainland, and knocked out targets to aid the seizure of Naples and to cross the Volturno River. It flew missions against Anzio and Monte Cassino and flew interdiction missions in central Italy in preparation for the Allied approach to Rome.

In November 1943, the squadron moved to Decimomannu Airfield on Sardinia earned the squadron a French Croix de Guerre with Palm. On 12 May 1944, in the face of an intense antiaircraft artillery barrage, it bombed enemy troop concentrations near Fondi supporting United States Fifth Army's advance on Rome, for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). From June to November 1944, it flew interdiction missions in the Po Valley.

Combat in northern Europe and inactivation

Deployed to North Africa as part of Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch landings in Algeria in November. Flew tactical bombing missions against Axis Supported Allied ground forces in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, spring 1945 and becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe Army of Occupation in Germany, fall 1945. Personnel demobilized in Germany and the squadron inactivated as a paper unit in December 1945.

Service in the reserves

The 444th was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Mitchel Field, New York in July 1947 as a light bomber unit. In 1948 Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC. The 444th was inactivated when Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under the wing base organization system in June 1949.

Strategic Air Command

From 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power’s initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. To implement this new system, B-47 wings reorganized from three to four squadrons. The 444th was activated at March Air Force Base, California as the fourth squadron of the 320th Bombardment Wing.

However, SAC was relying on the longer range Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, deciding to reduce the number of B-47 wings at March Air Force Base from two to one. With this reduction, the 444th was inactivated on 15 September 1960.

Expeditionary operations

The squadron was converted to provisional status and redesignated the 444thAir Expeditionary Squadron on 13 May 2011 and assigned to Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed. It does not appear to have been activated since that time.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 444th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942 : Activated on 1 July 1942 : Redesignated 444th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944 : Inactivated on 8 December 1945
• Redesignated 444th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 26 May 1947 : Activated in the reserve on 9 July 1947 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949
• Redesignated 444th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 6 October 1958 : Activated on 1 January 1959 : Discontinued on 15 September 1960 : Converted to provisional status and redesignated 444th Air Expeditionary Squadron on 13 May 2011 : Redesignated 444th Air Expeditionary Squadron on 13 May 2011

Assignments

• 320th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1942 – 4 December 1945
• 320th Bombardment Group, 9 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 320th Bombardment Wing, 1 January 1959 – 15 September 1960
• Air Combat Command to activate or inactivate as needed

Stations

• MacDill Field, Florida, 1 July 1942
• Drane Field, Florida, 8–27 August 1942
• RAF Hethel (AAF-114), England, 4 October 1942
• Oran Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, 8 January 1943
• Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 28 January 1943
• Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria, 14 April 1943
• Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 29 June 1943
• El Bathan Airfield, Tunisia, 29 July 1943
• Decimomannu Airfield, Sardinia, Italy, c. 9 November 1943
• Alto Airfield, Corsica, France, 19 September 1944
• Dijon-Longvic Airfield (Y-9), France, 11 November 1944
• Dôle-Tavaux Airfield (Y-7), France, 2 April 1945
• Berghof, Germany, 19 June 1945
• AAF Station Herzogenaurach (R-29), 23 September 1945
• Clastres Airfield, France (A-71), c. October-28 November 1945
• Camp Shanks, New York, 5–8 December 1945
• Mitchel Field, New York, 9 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
• March Air Force Base, California, 1 January 1959 – 15 September 1960

Aircraft

• Martin B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1959–1960

Awards and campaigns

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

1. (22 August 2011). "Factsheet 444 Air Expeditionary Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
2. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 549
3. Watkins, pp. 84-85
4. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 199-201
5. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 546-548
6. (2003). "320th Bomb Group History:MacDill/Drane". 320th History Preservation.
7. (27 December 1961). "Abstract, Mission Project Closeup, Continental Air Command". Air Force History Index.
8. Schake, p. 220 (note 43)
9. (1 April 1975). "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index.
10. Station number in Anderson.
11. Station number in Johnson, p. 51.
12. Station number in Johnson, p. 25.
13. Station number in Johnson, p. 29.
14. Station number in Johnson, p. 21.