645th Bombardment Squadron

645th Bombardment Squadron
Emblem of the 645th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

"Helen" Douglas A-20K-15-DO Havoc 44-613 painted black, probably for night attack missions.

The 645th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 410th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, South Carolina, and was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

History

Established as a Third Air Force A-20 Havoc light bomber Operational Training Unit in mid-1943; Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO) in mid-1944; assigned to Ninth Air Force in England.

Entered combat in May 1944 and helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by assaulting coastal defenses, airfields, and V-weapon sites in France, and marshalling yards in France and Belgium. Supported the invasion in June by bombing gun positions and railway choke points. Assisted ground forces at Caen and St Lo in July and at Brest in August and September by attacking bridges, vehicles, fuel and ammunition dumps, and rail lines.

Moved to France in Sept, and through mid-December struck defended villages, railroad bridges and overpasses, marshalling yards, military camps, and communications centers to support the Allied assault on the Siegfried Line. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945, by pounding marshalling yards, railheads, bridges, and vehicles in the battle area. Continued to fly support and interdictory missions, aiding the drive across the Rhine and into Germany, February–April 1945, continuing attacks on enemy forces until the German Capitulation in May 1945.

Most of the squadron was demobilized during the summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States and was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, then Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, however was minimally manned and equipped. Inactivated in November 1945.

Lineage

• Constituted 645th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 16 Jun 1943

Activated on 1 Jul 1943

Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945

Assignments

• 410th Bombardment Group, 1 Jul 1943-7 Nov 1945

Stations

• Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma, 1 Jul 1943
• Muskogee Army Airfield, Oklahoma, 4 Oct 1943
• Laurel Army Airfield, Mississippi, 10 Jan 1944
• Lakeland Army Airfield, Florida, 8 Feb-13 Mar 1944
• RAF Birch (AAF-149), England, 4 Apr 1944
• RAF Gosfield (AAF-154), England, 16 Apr 1944
• Coulommiers Airfield (A-58), France, 27 Sep 1944
• Juvincourt Airfield (A-68), France, 9 Feb 1945
• Beaumont sur Oise Airfield (A-60), France, 22 May-25 Jun 1945
• Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, c. 24 Aug 1945
• Myrtle Beach Army Airfield, South Carolina, 5 Oct-7 Nov 1945

Aircraft

• A-20 Havoc, 1944-1945
• A-26 Invader, 1945

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.