492d Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 492d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 4228th Strategic Wing, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base
, Mississippi
. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.
and constructed and maintained facilities, January-December 1918. Returned to the United States in early 1919 and was demobilized. Re-established in 1924 as the 492d Bombardment Squadron in the reserve. Assigned to the Army to Ninth Corps Area and assigned to Seattle, Washington
. Was apparently never active during period 1924-1942 and disbanded.
Reconstituted as the active duty 492d Bombardment Squadron in 1942. Activated as a B-24 Liberator
heavy bombardment squadron in the China-Burma-India Theater under Tenth Air Force
. Was organized with aircraft/personnel/equipment at Karachi Airport, India
, then deployed to eastern India and operated from airfields in the Assam Valley. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of Japanese military, industrial and transportation targets primarily in Burma, Thailand
, and Indochina
, although struck enemy targets in southeast China
until May 1945. Also transported gasoline to forward bases in China, 20 June-30 September 1944 and 20 June-18 September 1945. Personnel demobilized in India and the squadron was inactivated, December 1945.
Reactivated in 1946 as a B-29 Superfortress
bombardment squadron and trained in global bombardment operations flying simulated bombing missions over various cities, as well as performing intercontinental training missions over the Pacific and later to Europe. In June 1948 the first Consolidated B-36A Peacekeeper
was delivered. Operated B-36s until 1958 when the squadron began conversion to the B-52 Stratoforterss.
In 1959 was reassigned to SAC provisional 4228th Strategic Wing, being re-equipped with B-52F Stratofortress intercontinental heavy bombers. Was reassigned to Columbus Air Force Base
, Mississippi
by SAC to disperse its heavy bomber force. Conducted worldwide strategic bombardment training missions and providing nuclear deterrent. Was inactivated in 1963 when SAC inactivated its provisional Strategic Wings, redesignating them permanent Air Force Wings. Squadron was inactivated with aircraft/personnel/equipment being redesignated 736th Bombardment Squadron
in an in-place, name-only transfer.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 4228th Strategic Wing, stationed at Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. It was inactivated on 1 February 1963.
History
Activated in the summer of 1917 as the Air Service 80th Aero Squadron; redesignated 492d Aero Squadron in Feb 1918 when the Air Service reorganized. Deployed to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and constructed and maintained facilities, January-December 1918. Returned to the United States in early 1919 and was demobilized. Re-established in 1924 as the 492d Bombardment Squadron in the reserve. Assigned to the Army to Ninth Corps Area and assigned to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Was apparently never active during period 1924-1942 and disbanded.
Reconstituted as the active duty 492d Bombardment Squadron in 1942. Activated as a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
heavy bombardment squadron in the China-Burma-India Theater under Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
. Was organized with aircraft/personnel/equipment at Karachi Airport, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, then deployed to eastern India and operated from airfields in the Assam Valley. Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of Japanese military, industrial and transportation targets primarily in Burma, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, although struck enemy targets in southeast China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
until May 1945. Also transported gasoline to forward bases in China, 20 June-30 September 1944 and 20 June-18 September 1945. Personnel demobilized in India and the squadron was inactivated, December 1945.
Reactivated in 1946 as a B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombardment squadron and trained in global bombardment operations flying simulated bombing missions over various cities, as well as performing intercontinental training missions over the Pacific and later to Europe. In June 1948 the first Consolidated B-36A Peacekeeper
Convair B-36
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...
was delivered. Operated B-36s until 1958 when the squadron began conversion to the B-52 Stratoforterss.
In 1959 was reassigned to SAC provisional 4228th Strategic Wing, being re-equipped with B-52F Stratofortress intercontinental heavy bombers. Was reassigned to Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
by SAC to disperse its heavy bomber force. Conducted worldwide strategic bombardment training missions and providing nuclear deterrent. Was inactivated in 1963 when SAC inactivated its provisional Strategic Wings, redesignating them permanent Air Force Wings. Squadron was inactivated with aircraft/personnel/equipment being redesignated 736th Bombardment Squadron
736th Bombardment Squadron
The 736th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 454th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and was inactivated on 2 July 1969.-History:...
in an in-place, name-only transfer.
Lineage
- Organized as 80th Aero Squadron on 15 August 1917
- Redesignated 492nd Aero Squadron on 1 February 1918
- Demobilized on 13 February 1919
- Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 492nd Bombardment Squadron which was constituted and allotted to the reserve on 31 March 1924
- Disbanded on 31 May 1942
- Consolidated (1960) with 492nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) which was constituted on 19 September 1942
- Activated on 25 October 1942
- Inactivated on 6 January 1946
- Redesignated 492nd Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), and activated, on 1 October 1946
- Redesignated 492nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 July 1948
- Discontinued, and inactivated on 1 February 1963; personnel/aircraft/equipment redesignated as 736th Bombardment Squadron736th Bombardment SquadronThe 736th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 454th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and was inactivated on 2 July 1969.-History:...
Assignments
- Unknown, 15 August 1917-February 1918
- Headquarters, Air Service, Service of Supply, February-December 1918
- Detachment attached to Second Aviation Instruction Center, 25 April-9 December 1918
- Unknown, December 1918-13 February 1919
- 7th Bombardment Group, 25 October 1942-6 January 1946; 1 October 1946
- 7th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952
- 4228th Strategic Wing, 15 June 1959-1 February 1963
Stations
- Kelly Field, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 15 August 1917 - Garden CityGarden City, New YorkGarden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 3–22 November 1917 - Tours, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 17 December 1917 - Brest, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, c. 30 December 1918-c. 19 January 1919 - Garden CityGarden City, New YorkGarden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, c. 31 January-13 February 1919 - Karachi Airport, British India, 25 October 1942
- Gaya Airfield, British India, 14 November 1942
- Piardoba AirfieldPiardoba AirfieldPiardoba Airfield is an abandoned airfield in India, located 6.6 miles S of Bishnupur, West Bengal, Bankura District in the state of West Bengal, India.-History:...
, British India, 26 February 1943 - Panagarh Airfield, British India, 25 April 1943
- Madhaiganj Air Base, British India, 22 January 1944
- Tezgaon Airdrome, British India, 17 June 1944
- Madhaiganj Air Base, British India, 6 October 1944
- Detachment at Liulang Air BaseLiulang Air BaseLuliang Air Base is a People's Liberation Army Air Force Base, located about 5 kilometers southwest of Luliang in Yunnan Province, China.-History:...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, ferrying gasoline to Suichwan AirfieldSuichwan AirfieldSuichwan Airfield is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield in China, located approximately 2 miles southwest-west of Yutianzhen in the People’s Republic of China.-History:...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, 20 December 1944-30 January 1945- Tezpur Airfield, British India, 1 June-7 December 1945
- Camp KilmerCamp KilmerCamp Kilmer, New Jersey is a former United States Army camp that was activated in June 1942 as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. The camp was organized as part of the Army Service Forces Transportation Corps. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, 5–6 January 1946 - Fort Worth Army Airfield, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, 1 October 1946 - Columbus AFB, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, 15 June 1959-1 February 1963
Aircraft
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
, 1942–1945 - B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1946–1948 - B-36 Peacemaker, 1948–1958
- B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, 1958-1963.