432d Bombardment Squadron

432d Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 432d Bombardment Squadron
Active	1917-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

The 432d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Group, stationed at Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts. It was inactivated on 26 November 1945.

History

Activated during World War I. Deployed to France and constructed facilities, maintained aircraft, and trained observers in Zone of Advance, 1917–1919; prepared for combat as observation unit in Ju1 1918, but never went to front. Returned to the United States and demobilized in 1919.

Reactivated in 1940 as a reconnaissance squadron, assigned to GHQAF at March Field, California. Reassigned to Pacific Northwest Air District in June 1940, mission being reconnaissance and observation. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, flew antisubmarine patrols over Oregon/Washington coastline.

Reassigned to Lexington County Airport (later Columbia Army Airfield), South Carolina in early 1942. Public mission was to perform antisubmarine patrols over southeast coast; actual mission was to train aircrews for Doolittle Raid with B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. Some aircrew from squadron later participated in the raid, the balance of the squadron completed training in Louisiana before being deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) as part of Operation Torch forces; being formed into XII Bomber Command in Algeria during December 1942.

Transitioned to B-26 Marauder medium bomber in Algeria; engaged in combat operations over North Africa supporting American and later Allied ground forces in Tunisia. Provided tactical air support in liberation of Sardinia and Corsica, 1943-1944. Flew tactical bombardment missions of enemy targets in Italy and Southern France from airfields in Corsica, later supporting Allied ground forces during Invasion of Southern France, August 1944. Moved into Southern France and performed tactical bombardment of enemy targets during Allied drive northward into Eastern France; participating in Western Allied invasion of Germany during March–April 1945.

Remained in Europe after German capitulation, becoming part of United States Air Forces in Europe occupation forces, being assigned to American Occupation Zone in Austria. Squadron returned to France in November 1945 and demobilized. Inactivated as a paper unit in the United States.

Lineage

• Organized as 89th Aero Squadron on 19 August 1917

Demobilized on 19 May 1919.

• Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 89th Observation Squadron (Long Range, Light Bombardment) which was constituted on 1 March 1935

Redesignated: 89th Reconnaissance Squadron on 24 October 1936

Redesignated: 89th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Range) on 22 December 1939

Activated on 1 February 1940

Redesignated: 89th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940

Redesignated: 432d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942

Inactivated on 26 November 1945

Assignments

• Unknown, 19 August–November 1917
• 1st Air Depot, November 1917
• 2d Corps Aeronautical School, February 1918-January 1919
• Unknown January-19 May 1919
• 17th Bombardment Group: attached, 1 February 1940; assigned, 25 February 1942-26 November 1945

Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 10 Jun 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)

Stations

• Kelly Field, Texas, 19 August 1917
• Garden City, New York, c. 6–27 October 1917
• Colombey-les-Belles, France, 16 November 1917
• Chatillon-sur-Seine, France, 17 February 1918
• St Nazaire, France, c. 14 January 1919-unkn
• Garden City, New York, c. 25 March-19 May 1919
• March Field, California, 1 February 1940
• McChord Field, Washington, 26 June 1940
• Pendleton Army Airfield, Oregon, 29 June 1941;
• McChord Field, Washington, c. 30 December 1941
• Pendleton Army Airfield, Oregon, c. 24 January 1942
• Lexington County Airport, South Carolina, 15 February 1942

• Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 22 June-18 November 1942
• Telergma Airport, Algeria, c. 22 December 1942
• Sedrata Airfield, Algeria, c. 13 May 1943
• Djedeida Airfield, Tunisia, c. 25 June 1943
• Villacidro Airfield, Sardinia, 5 November 1943
• Poretta Airport, Corsica, c. 21 September 1944
• Dijon Air Base, France, 22 November 1944
• AAF Station Linz, Austria, c. 18 June 1945;
• Zell am See, Austria, 4 July 1945 (Ground echelon)
• Clastres Airfield, France, c. 3 October-c. 17 November 1945 (Ground echelon)
• Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, 25–26 November 1945

Aircraft

• Dorand AR and other types for training observers, 1918
• Breguet 14 when preparing for combat, 1918
• B-18 Bolo, 1940
• B-23 Dragon, 1940–1941
• B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1942
• B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945

See also

• List of American Aero Squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. http://www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/combat_sq_of_the_af_wwii.pdf.