Country United States | Type Bombardment | |
 | ||
Active 1942-1945; 1947-1949; 1953-1974 Branch United States Air Force Engagements World War II - EAME Theater
Vietnam War Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation (2x)
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (2x) | ||
The 346th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 99th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts on 31 March 1974.
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During World War II, the 346th Bombardment Squadron was a B-17 Flying Fortress squadron, assigned to the 99th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force. It earned Two Distinguished Unit Citations.
History
Established in early 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Second Air Force first in the Pacific Northwest, but the poor flying weather in the northwest forced a relocation to the Midwest for the second and third phases of training.
After completion of training, the 99th departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in Algeria, where the ground echelon went by ship from New York City to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flying to Morrison Field, Florida, then along the South Atlantic Route to Navarin Airfield, Algeria, where the ground and air echelons of the group were reunited in late February 1943. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the squadron engaged in combat operations in support of American ground forces in Algeria and Tunisia during the 1943 North African campaign.
Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily and southern Italy in the summer and fall of 1943. Was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force in October 1943 and until the German capitulation in May 1945; engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. Squadron was demobilized in Italy in late 1945; inactivated in November.
Activated in the reserves in 1947, however unit never equipped or manned. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restraints. Reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command B-36 Peacemaker intercontinental strategic bombardment squadron. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired. Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortresses and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed to Pacific during Vietnam War, engaging in Arc Light combat missions over North Vietnam; also deployed to Thailand flying out of U-Tapao RTNAF for combat missions over Cambodia and Laos. Inactivated in 1974 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and closure of Westover AFB.