Country United States | Role Bombardment | |
Active 1943-1944; 1944-1946; 2007; 2009 Branch United States Air Force Engagements American Theater of World War II
Pacific Theater of Operations | ||
The 872d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 382d Bombardment Group stationed at Camp Anza, California. It was inactivated on 4 January 1946.
Contents
History
The squadron was established in late 1943 as the 872d Bombardment Squadron at El Paso Army Air Base, Texas, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment squadron that was one of the original operational squadrons of the 497th Bombardment Group. The squadron's initial cadre was drawn from the 491st Bombardment Group.
In December the squadron moved on paper to Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico. At Clovis, the squadron began to man its air echelon by January 1944. The 872d drew heavily on aircrews of the 480th Antisubmarine Group who were returning to the United States from duty in England and Africa to fill out its crews. Aircrew training at Clovis was limited to ground training, although some flying in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft assigned to the 73d Bombardment Wing was accomplished. Key personnel trained with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida.
In April 1944, the air and ground echelons united at Pratt AAF, although its personnel were detached to other units of the group. In May the United States Army Air Forces reorganized its very heavy bombardment units. Shortly after arrival at Pratt, the 872d Bombardment Squadron and the support units of the 497th group were inactivated and their personnel absorbed into the remaining squadrons of the group.
The squadron was reactivated four months later as an element of the 382d Bombardment Group at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas. Its ground echelon deployed to Tinian by ship in early August 1945 while the air echelon remained at the last training base in Kansas after the Japanese surrender. The ground echelon remained in the Marianas supporting other units' aircraft and demobilization. The air echelon demobilized with its new B-29 aircraft remaining in Kansas, where they were assigned to postwar units. The entire unit inactivated by December 1945.
In 2007 the squadron was converted to provisional status as the 872d Air Expeditionary Squadron and assigned to United States Air Forces Europe to activate or inactivate as needed. It was activated in 2007 at Bulboaca, Moldava and in 2009 at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland.