Active 1942-1945 Type Bombardment | Country United States | |
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Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 535th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, when it was stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota.
Contents
It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.
History
Established in late 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment unit, it was assigned to II Bomber Command for training. The squadron trained primarily in Texas and Colorado. It received deployment orders for the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in May 1943.
Deployed to England in April 1943, it was assigned to VIII Bomber Command. The squadron engaged in very long range bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. It participated in Big Week attacks on German aircraft factories 20–25 February 1944 and often supported ground troops by attacking targets of interdiction when not engaged in strategic bombardment. It continued these attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945.
The squadron returned to the United States in June 1945, most combat veterans being demobilized upon return. A small cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field in July, being programmed for B-29 Superfortress conversion and deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO). The unit was inactivated after the Japanese capitulation in August 1945, assigned personnel were either reassigned to other units or demobilized.
Reactivated as a reserve B-29 unit in Nebraska during 1947, it trained until 1949 when budget reductions led to the units' inactivation.