642d Bombardment Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 642d Bombing Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group
, Ninth Air Force
, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945
, Texas
and Louisiana
as a light bomb group with A-20 Havoc attack aircraft. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
(ETO) in March 1944, being assigned to the 9th Bomber Command, Ninth Air Force
.
Initially flew sweeps over Occupied France from its base in England
, attacking coastal defences, V-weapon sites, aerodromes, and other targets in France in preparation for the invasion of Normandy
. After the D-Day
invasion in June, the squadron supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, aided the Allied offensive at Caen
and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.
Moved to Advanced Landing Ground
s in France in September 1944, and advanced east supporting Allied Ground Forces with close air support. Attacked enemy fortifications and strong points, retreating armored columns along with rail and highway traffic, harassing the enemy as they retreated into Germany, then later supporting Allied Ground Forces during the Western Invasion of Germany during the spring of 1945. Ended combat operations after the German Capitulation in May, 1945.
The unit returned to the United States and initially was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina where it received A-26 Invader
attack bombers and was preparing for deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations
(PTO) for operations against the Japanese Home Islands. The deployment to the Pacific Theater was cancelled with the Japanese Capitulation in August, being reassigned to Continental Air Forces. The unit demobilized after V-J Day and was inactivated primarily as an administrative unit at Westover Field, Massachusetts during October 1945.
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 409th Bombardment Group
409th Bombardment Group
The 409th Air Expeditionary Operations Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Mobility Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time....
, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
, stationed at Westover Field, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 27 November 1945
History
Established in mid-1943 and trained in OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Texas
Texas
Texas 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...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
as a light bomb group with A-20 Havoc attack aircraft. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO) in March 1944, being assigned to the 9th Bomber Command, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
Initially flew sweeps over Occupied France from its base in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, attacking coastal defences, V-weapon sites, aerodromes, and other targets in France in preparation for the invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. After the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion in June, the squadron supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, aided the Allied offensive at Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.
Moved to Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
s in France in September 1944, and advanced east supporting Allied Ground Forces with close air support. Attacked enemy fortifications and strong points, retreating armored columns along with rail and highway traffic, harassing the enemy as they retreated into Germany, then later supporting Allied Ground Forces during the Western Invasion of Germany during the spring of 1945. Ended combat operations after the German Capitulation in May, 1945.
The unit returned to the United States and initially was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina where it received A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
attack bombers and was preparing for deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
(PTO) for operations against the Japanese Home Islands. The deployment to the Pacific Theater was cancelled with the Japanese Capitulation in August, being reassigned to Continental Air Forces. The unit demobilized after V-J Day and was inactivated primarily as an administrative unit at Westover Field, Massachusetts during October 1945.
Lineage
- Constituted 642d Bombardment Squadron (Light), and activated, on 1 Jun 1943
- Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.
Stations
- Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 1 Jun 1943
- Woodward Army Airfield, Oklahoma, 2 Oct 1943
- Pounds Army Airfield, Texas, 1 Dec 1943
- DeRidder Army Airbase, Louisiana, 17 Dec 1943-10 Feb 1944
- RAF Little WaldenRAF Little WaldenRAF Station Little Walden is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Saffron Walden; about north-northeast of London...
(AAF-165), England, 7 Mar 1944
- Bretigny Airfield (A-48), France, 18 Sep 1944
- Laon-Couvron Airfield (A-70), 12 Feb-25 Jun 1945
- Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, 15 Aug 1945
- Westover Field, Massachusetts, 6 Oct-7 Nov 1945
Aircraft
- Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1943–1945
- Douglas A-26 InvaderA-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1945