345th Bombardment Squadron

Emblem of the World War II squadron

The 345th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing. It was inactivated at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska on 25 June 1966.

History

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Lastly the group reformed with the ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.

Assigned to the newly formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. Also staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily; Italy and the Southern Balkans, including attacking the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Ploesti, Romania.

Re-assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy; continuing strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France; Southern Germany; Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.

The squadron returned to the United States in May 1945; being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area and conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese Home Islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated at the end of July, its equipment and personnel being merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.

Reactivated in 1947 as a Strategic Air Command B-29 Superfortress medium bomb squadron. Performed strategic bombardment training missions during the postwar era. In 1950 the squadron deployed to Far East Air Forces at Yokota Air Base, Japan and flew strategic bombardment missions over North Korea after the breakout of the Korean War. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 7 August, striking marshalling yards at Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. Attacked enemy communication lines and supported United Nations ground forces. Targets included rail facilities, oil centers, bridges, roads, troop concentrations, airfields, and military installations. Engaged in combat operations until the 1953 armistice, however the squadron remained in Japan until July 1954 when reassigned administratively to Lincoln AFB, Nebraska and its B-29s sent to storage and reclamation.

At Lincoln, re-equipped with new B-47E Stratojets. Engaged in strategic bombardment training with the B-47 throughout the rest of the 1950s, into the early 1960s. Inactivated in 1966 with the phaseout of the B-47 and closure of Lincoln AFB.

Lineage

• Constituted 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942

Activated on 3 Feb 1942

• Redesignated 345th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945

Inactivated on 27 Mar 1946

• Activated on 1 Jul 1947

Redesignated 345th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 28 May 1948

Inactivated on 25 Jun 1966

Assignments

• 98th Bombardment Group, 3 Feb 1942
• 40th Bombardment Group, 10 Nov 1945-27 Mar 1946
• 98th Bombardment Group, 1 Jul 1947
• 98th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952
• 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing, 1 Feb 1964-25 June 1966

Stations

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1942–1945
• B-29 Superfortress, 1945; 1947–1954
• B-47 Stratojet, 1954–1966

References

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

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.