16th Bombardment Squadron
| 16th Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 16th Bombardment Squadron | |
| Active | 1944-1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Type | Bombardment |
The 16th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 16th Bombardment Group stationed at Northwest Field, Guam.
History
Established as a B-29 Superfortress bomb group in Texas. Trained initially with B-17 Flying Fortresses due to lack of B-29s for operational training. Reassigned to Nebraska in August 1944, received Bell B-29B Superfortresses for fast low-level bomb runs. Reassigned to Marianas and engaged in strategic bombardment missions over Japan.
The squadron entered combat on 16 June 1945 with a bombing raid against an airfield on Moen. Flew first mission against the Japanese home islands on 26 June 1945 and afterward operated principally against the enemy's petroleum industry. Squadron usually flew unescorted, attacking at night. Participated in final B-29 mission of the war, attacking the Nippon Oil Refinery at Tsuchizaki on 15 August 1945.
After the war the group dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners gf war in Japan, Manchuria, and Korea, and participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan. Squadron demobilized in Guam during the fall of 1945, aircraft returned to the United States and sent to storage depots. Inactivated as a paper unit in April 1946.
Lineage
- Constituted 16th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 28 Mar 1944
- Activated on 1 Apr 1944
- Inactivated on 15 Apr 1946
Assignments
- 16th Bombardment Group, 1 Apr 1944-15 Apr 1946
Stations
- Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas, 1 Apr 1944
- Fairmont Army Airfield, Nebraska, 15 Aug 1944-7 Mar 1945
- Northwest Field, Guam, 14 Apr 1945-15 Apr 1946.
Aircraft
- B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
- B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1946
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0892010975