| 402d Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 402d Bombardment Squadron |
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| Active | 1941-1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Bombardment |
The 402d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 502d Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Northwest Field, Guam, and was inactivated on 15 April 1946.
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Established in November 1940 as a long-range Reconnaissance squadron organized at Fort Douglas, Utah, equipped with a mixture of early-model B-17C/D Flying Fortress and B-25 Mitchells; assigned to the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District at Geiger Field, Washington where the squadron flew training missions and also reconnaissance missions along the Northwest Pacific Coast. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, became first an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, later converting to a B-24 Liberator Replacement Training Unit (RTU).
Inactivated in April 1944 with the phaseout of heavy bomber training, reactivated and redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomb squadron and reassigned to Kansas for training on the B-29. Initially assigned to the 402d Bombardment Squadron, however personnel and aircraft shortages led to the squadron's inactivation, with its assets redistributed to other squadrons in the 402d Bomb Group.
Reactivated about a month later and assigned to the 502d Bombardment Group with new personnel and equipment and prepared for overseas deployment. In early 1945 the squadron deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) and was assigned to the XXI Bomber Command on Guam. Conducted very long range strategic bombardment raids over Japan beginning in April 1945, bombing military and industrial targets in Japan and participated in incendiary raids on urban areas until the Japanese Capitulation in August. Also supported the Allied invasion of Okinawa by attacking airfields that served as bases for kamikaze pilots.
Returned to the United States in early 1946 for inactivation.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.