720th Bombardment Squadron

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron; trained under Second Air Force primarily in New Mexico. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in December, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in Southern Italy.

Engaged in very long range strategic bombardment missions against enemy strategic targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans until April 1945. Bombed aircraft factories, assembly plants, oil refineries, storage areas, marshalling yards, airdromes, and other objectives until the German Capitulation in May 1945.

Most of squadron was demobilized in Italy in May 1945; returning to United States with skeleton staff. Re-equipped and redesignated a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomb squadron, and received new personnel. Began training under Second Air Force for planned deployment to the Western Pacific Area (WPA), however Japanese Capitulation in August led to inactivation of squadron in October.

Reactivated under Alaskan Air Command in 1954 as an F-86D Sabre air defense interceptor squadron. Inactivated in 1955; reactivated under Tactical Air Command in 1957 as an F-100 Super Sabre day fighter squadron in Texas, being redesignated Tactical Fighter squadron in 1958. Only active briefly as budget cuts forced inactivation in 1958 with the closure of Foster AFB.

Reactivated under Strategic Air Command in 1963, replacing provisional B-52H Stratofortess squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota. Performed intercontinental training and deployments, also standing nuclear alert. Beginning in 1966, squadron deployed personnel to forward bases in the Western Pacific, where they engaged in combat missions over Indochina as part of Operation Arc Light.

Inactivated in 1968 when SAC pulled out of Travis AFB, California and the 5th Bombardment Wing moved to Minot. Personnel and equipment redesignated as 23d Bombardment Squadron due to seniority precedence of older wing.

Lineage

Constituted 720th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 Apr 1943

Activated on 1 May 1943 Redesignated 720th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945 Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945

Redesignated 720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 29 Oct 1953

Activated on 25 Dec 1953 Inactivated on 8 Aug 1955

Redesignated 720th Fighter-Day Squadron on 13 Nov 1957

Activated on 11 Dec 1957 Redesignated 720th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958 Inactivated on 18 Dec 1958

Redesignated 720th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), and activated, on 15 Nov 1962

Organized on 1 Feb 1963; assuming aircraft/personnel/equipment of the 525th Bombardment Squadron (Inactivated) Inactivated on 25 July 1968; aircraft/personnel/equipment redesignated 23d Bombardment Squadron

Assignments

450th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 – 15 Oct 1945

11th Air Division, 25 Dec 1953 – 8 Aug 1955

450th Fighter-Day (later Tactical Fighter) Wing, 11 Dec 1957 – 18 Dec 1958

Strategic Air Command, 15 Nov 1962

450th Bombardment Wing, 1 Feb 1963 – 25 July 1968

Stations

Gowen Field, Idaho, 1 May 1943

Clovis AAB, New Mexico, 21 May 1943

Alamogordo AAF, New Mexico, c. 8 Jul-26 Nov 1943

Manduria Airfield, Italy, 2 Jan 1944 – 13 May 1945

Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, c. 31 May 1945

Harvard Army Airfield, Nebraska, 24 Jul-15 Oct 1945

Ladd AFB, Alaska Territory, 25 Dec 1953

Eielson AFB, Alaska Territory, 17 May 1954 – 8 Aug 1955

Foster AFB, Texas, 11 Dec 1957 – 18 Dec 1958

Minot AFB, North Dakota, 1 Feb 1963

Aircraft

B-24 Liberator, 1943-1945

B-29 Superfortress, 1945

F-86 Sabre, 1954-1955

F-100 Super Sabre, 1958

B-52 Stratofortress, 1963-1968