820th Bombardment Squadron

History

Formed in late 1942 and equipped with Lockheed Ventura antisubmarine patrol aircraft. Assigned to Third Air Force and performed antisubmarine patrols over the Southeast Atlantic coast until July 1943.

Realigned as a B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron after the Navy took over the antisubmarine mission. Trained under Third Air Force, then deployed to California before being deployed to Seventh Air Force. Completed final training in Hawaii and moved to Tarawa in the Central Pacific in December 1943. Entered combat and attacked enemy installations, airfields, and shipping in the Marshall Islands in preparation for the invasion by US forces, and after February 1944 staged through captured fields on Eniwetok to attack shipping in the Caroline Islands.

In April 1944 moved to Makin where its missions were directed primarily against shipping and bypassed islands in the Marshalls and Carolines. Returned to Hawaii in October 1944 for training with rockets and new B-25's. Moved to Okinawa, May–June 1945. Bombed airfields, railways, and harbor facilities on Kyushu until August 1945. Also flew some missions against airfields in China.

Moved to Manila in December 1945. Inactivated in the Philippines on January 27, 1946.

Lineage

Constituted 521st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 13 October 1942

Activated on 18 October 1942 Redesignated: 16th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942 Redesignated: 820th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 September 1943 Inactivated on 4 January 1946.

Assignments

378th Bombardment Group, 18 October 1942

25th Antisubmarine Wing, 14 December 1942

41st Bombardment Group, 11 October 1943 – 4 January 1946.

Stations

Charleston AAF, South Carolina, 18 October 1942

Hammer Field, California, 22 September-5 October 1943

Hickam Field, Territory of Hawaii, October 20, 1943

Hawkins Field, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, 24 December 1943

Makin Airfield, Makin, Gilbert Islands, April 21, 1944

Wheeler Field, Territory of Hawaii, 14 October 1944

Yontan Airfield, Okinawa, June 7, 1945

Fort Lawton, Washington, 1–4 January 1946

Aircraft

Douglas O-46, 1942

Lockheed Ventura, 1942–1943

B-25 Mitchell, 1943-1945.