785th Bombardment Squadron

History

Established in mid-1943 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomb group; trained under Second Air Force in Idaho. Completed training in early 1944; deploying to European Theater of Operations (ETO) assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment operations over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, March 1944-May 1945 attacking enemy military and industrial targets as part of the United States' air offensive against Nazi Germany. Most personnel demobilized in Europe after the German capitulation in May 1945; a small cadre returned to the United States, being programmed for conversion to being a B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomb squadron and deployment to the Central Pacific to engage in strategic bombardment over Japan.

Training ended after Japanese capitulation in August 1945, unit inactivated in October; its training aircraft being assigned to other squadrons or sent to storage.

Lineage

Constituted 785th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 August 1943 Redesignated 785th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 5 August 1945 Inactivated on 17 October 1945

Assignments

466th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 17 October 1945

Stations

Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 August 1943 - 31 August 1943, 24 November 1943 - February 1944

Kearns Center, Utah 31 August 1943 - 24 November 1943

Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, 5–13 February 1944 - 7 March 1944

RAF Attlebridge (AAF-120), England 7 March 1944 - 6 July 1945

Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 15 July 1945 - 25 July 1945

Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado, 25 July 1945 - 15 August 1945

Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 15 August-17 October 1945

Aircraft

B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

B-29 Superfortress, 1945