Active 1943-1951 Type Bombardment | ||
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Branch United States Army Air Forces | ||
The 714th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 448th Bombardment Group, stationed at Long Beach Army Air Field, California. It was inactivated on 21 March 1951.
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History
Activated in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron, trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during November 1943, assigned to VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. Participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until German capitulation in May 1945. Personnel demobilized in England and returned to the United States; squadron reassigned to Second Air Force and re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses, being trained for deployment to Pacific Theater. Japanese capitulation canceled deployment and was assigned to Fort Worth AAF, Texas as Continental Air Forces, later Strategic Air Command squadron. Budget and personnel shortages led to inactivation in August 1946.
Activated in the postwar reserve as a B-29 squadron. Trained for proficiency as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. (On paper only the unit never received the expected B-29's so it never trained with SAC.) As the 714th Bombardment Squadron (L) it was a part of the 448th Bomb Wing (L) and trained with the Douglas A-26 Invader later re-designated as the B-26 at Long Beach Training Center until most 448th Bomb Wing operational personnel were reassigned to various squadrons in the 452nd Bomb Wing upon its activation August 10, 1950 for the Korean War. Those personnel remaining were reassigned later to various units and the squadron was inactivated as a paper unit.