679th Bombardment Squadron
| 679th Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 679th Bombardment Squadron | |
| Active | 1943-1944 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Bombardment |
The 679th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 444th Bombardment Group. It was inactivated at Dudhkundi Airfield, India on 12 Oct 1944.
History
Established in early 1943 as one of the first B-29 Superfortress squadron; however no B-29s were yet available for operational use. Trained with B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses throughout 1943. Received early model B-29s and prototype YB-29s beginning in August 1943, however aircraft were still undergoing development and were frequently modified by Boeing technicians in the field while the squadron was undergoing training in Kansas.
Deployed to India in early 1944; several aircraft breaking down en-route via South Atlantic Transport route from Florida to Brazil then to Liberia; across central Africa and Arabia, arriving in Karachi, India in March 1944. Arrived at converted B-24 airfield in eastern India in mid-April 1944. Aircraft still undergoing modifications while transporting munitions and fuel to forward airfield in central China; staging first attacks on Japanese Home Islands since the 1942 Doolittle Raid. Lack of logistical support limited number of attacks on Japan from Chinese staging airfields; squadron also attacked strategic enemy targets in Thailand; Indochina and Malay Peninsula.
Host 444th Bomb Group ordered to XXI Bomber Command in newly-established airfields in Mariana Islands in Central Pacific Area. Squadron inactivated and merged into other group squadrons in October 1944; group becoming a three squadron organization as the new table of authorization was set up by XXI Bomber Command.
Lineage
- Constituted 679th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 15 Feb 1943
- Activated on 1 Mar 1943
- Redesignated 679th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 20 Nov 1943
- Disbanded on 12 Oct 1944
Assignments
- 444th Bombardment Group, 1 Mar 1943-12 Oct 1944
Stations
- Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz, 1 Mar 1943
- Great Bend AAFld, Kan, 3 Aug 1943-12 Mar 1944
- Charra Airfield, India, c. 13 Apr 1944
- Dudhkundi Airfield, India, 1 Jul-12 Oct 1944
Aircraft
- B-24 Liberator, 1943
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943-1944
- YB-29 Superfortress, 1943-1944
- B-29 Superfortress, 1943-1944
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN: 0892010975