397th Bombardment Squadron

The 397th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the VI Bomber Command, based at Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.

History

Heraldry

On a blue diamond piped with red with its long axis horizontal a white sword pointing to the dexter [sic] behind a white shield displaying a black portcullis. (Approved 5 May 1924.)

Lineage

• Organized as 7th Aero Squadron on 29 March 1917^[1]

Redesignated: 7th Squadron on 14 March 1921

Redesignated: 7th Observation Squadron on 25 January 1925

Redesignated: 7th Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1937

Redesignated: 7th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium Range) on 6 December 1939

Redesignated: 7th Reconnaissance Squadron (Heavy) on 20 November 1940^[1]

Redesignated: 397th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 11 May 1942^[1]

Inactivated on 1 November 1946.

Assignments

• Panama Canal Department, 29 March 1917
• 3d Observation (later 6th Observation, later 6th Composite, later 6th Bombardment) Group, assigned on 30 September 1919, attached on 1 February 1940, and assigned on 5 May 1942^[2]

Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 10 Jun 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)

• VI Bomber Command, 1 November 1943-1 November 1946.^[3]

Stations

• Ancon, Panama Canal Zone, 29 March 1917
• Corozal, Panama Canal Zone, 16 April 1917
• Empire, Panama Canal Zone, May 1917
• Fort Sherman, Panama Canal Zone, c. 29 August 1917
• Cristobal, Panama Canal Zone, March 1918
• Coco Walk (later France Field), Panama Canal Zone, May 1918
• Howard Field, Panama Canal Zone, 26 November 1941
• David Field, Panama, 11 December 1941
• Talara Afld, Peru, 18 August 1942
• Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama, c. 4 May 1943
• Seymour Island Airfield, Galapagos Islands, c. 7 April 1944
• Rio Hato Army Air Base, Panama, c. 6 February 1945-1 November 1946.

Aircraft

• JN-4, R-3 (R-9), and R-4, during period 1917-1919
• DH-4, included JN-4, HS2L, 0A-1, and 0-2, during period 1919-1931
• 0-19, 1930–1937
• OA-4, 1930–1936
• B-10, 1936–1939
• B-18, 1938–1942
• B-17, 1941–1942
• LB-30 (B-29A), 1942–1944
• A-17A, 1943
• RB-17, 1943
• B-24, 1943-1946.

Operational history

Antisubmarine patrols under direction of Coast Defenses of Cristobal, 1 June-15 November 1918. Goodwill mission to Colombia, 14–18 December 1936, and participated in similar flights to El Salvador and Nicaragua, 13–19 May 1935, to Guatemala, 8–11 February 1938, and to El Salvador, 19–22 April 1938; mercy mission to Chile following devastating earthquake, 28 January-13 February 1939. Antisubmarine patrols in Pacific and Caribbean, after 7 December 1941. Trained replacement crews, 1944-1945.

See also

• List of American Aero Squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Conaway, William. "VI Bomber Command In Defense Of The Panama Canal 1941 - 45". Planes and Pilots Of World War Two. http://www.planesandpilotsofww2.totalh.com/panama/panama.html. 

External links