Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
history

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

828th Bombardment Squadron


FieldValue
unit_name828th Bombardment Squadron
imageConsolidated B-24 "Liberator" gets a complete overhaul before flight (00910460 086).jpg
image_size300
captionB-24 Liberator as flown by the 828th Squadron
dates1943–1946
country
branch
roleheavy bomber
command_structureFifteenth Air Force
battlesMediterranean Theater of Operations
decorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
identification_symbol[[File:828th Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png165px]]
identification_symbol_label828th Bombardment Squadron emblem

The 828th Bombardment Squadron was a squadron of the United States Army Air Forces. It was active during World War II in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit, where it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States and began training with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, before inactivating in August 1946 and transferring its personnel to another unit that was activated in its place.

History

The squadron was activated at Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska as one of the four that made up the 485th Bombardment Group. It trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators until March 1944, when it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. The squadron's ground echelon arrived at its base at Venosa Airfield, Italy in April, but when the air echelon arrived in theater, it remained in Tunisia for additional training.

The squadron entered combat in May 1944, and primarily flew long range strategic bombing missions against targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, bombing marshalling yards, oil refineries, airfields, heavy industry, and other strategic objectives. The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for continuing an attack on an oil refinery near Vienna, Austria on 26 June 1944 despite heavy fighter opposition.

The 828th was occasionally diverted from the strategic campaign to carry out some support and interdiction operations. It struck bridges, harbors, and troop concentrations in August 1944 to aid with Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. It also hit communications lines and other targets during March and April 1945 to support the advance of the British Eighth Army in northern Italy.

The unit departed Italy in May 1945. In late July, it reassembled at Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa and was redesignated as a very heavy unit the following month. In September, it moved to Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas and began training with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. When Strategic Air Command was formed in March 1946, the squadron became one of its first operational squadrons. In August 1946, the squadron was inactivated and its mission, personnel and B-29s were transferred to the 341st Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously activated at Smoky Hill.

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 828th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 September 1943 : Activated on 20 September 1943 : Redesignated 828th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1944 : Redesignated 828th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Inactivated on 4 August 1946

Assignments

  • 485th Bombardment Group, 20 September 1943 – 4 August 1946

Stations

  • Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska, 20 September 1943 – 11 March 1944
  • Venosa Airfield, Italy, c. 30 April 1944 – c. 9 May 1945
  • Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 24 July 1945
  • Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 8 September 1945 – 4 August 1946

Aircraft

  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946

Awards and campaigns

Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Air Offensive, Europec. 9 May 1944–5 June 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Air Combat, EAME Theaterc. 9 May 1944–11 May 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Central Europec. 9 May 1944–21 May 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Rome-Arnoc. 9 May 1944–9 September 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Normandy6 June 1944–24 July 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Northern France25 July 1944–14 September 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Southern France15 August 1944–14 September 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]North Apennines10 September 1944–4 April 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Rhineland15 September 1944–21 March 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG200px]]Po Valley3 April 1945–8 May 1945

References

Notes

Bibliography

; Further reading

References

  1. Watkins, pp. 120–121
  2. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 772
  3. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 356–357
  4. ''See'' Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 422–423 (simultaneous activation of 341st)
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 828th Bombardment Squadron — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report