445th Air Expeditionary Squadron

The 445th Air Expeditionary Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned as a regular Air Force unit to the 321st Bombardment Wing at Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 25 October 1961.

445th Bombardment Squadron
B-47 Stratojet at McCoy AFB
Active	1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1953–1961
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Bombardment
Part of	Strategic Air Command
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations European Theater of Operations[1]
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation[1]
Insignia
445th Bombardment Squadron emblem[2]

B-25C 41-13207 "OH-7", 445th Bombardment Squadron, 321st Bombardment Group at Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, March 1943. Photo shows its six crew members at the bomber prior to the start of a combat mission.

History

World War II

Activated in mid-1942 as a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron, trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations being assigned to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria in early 1943. In North Africa, the squadron engaged primarily in support and interdictory operations, bombing marshalling yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors, and other objectives in North Africa.

The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain islands during June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. Inactivated in Italy after the German Capitulation in September 1945.

Reserve

Reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947 and equipped with Douglas B-26 Invader medium bombers, then inactivated in 1949 due to budget cuts.

Strategic Air Command

Was reactivated in 1953 as a Strategic Air Command Boeing B-47 Stratojet squadron . Trained in air refueling and strategic bombardment operations with the B-47. in 1961, the squadron began transferring its B-47s to other SAC wings and became non-operational as part of the phaseout of the B-47.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 445th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942

Activated on 26 June 1942

Redesignated 445th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 19 June 1942

Inactivated on 12 September 1945

• Redesignated 445th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 26 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 June 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 445th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 25 November 1953

Activated on 15 December 1953

Discontinued and inactivated on 25 October 1961[1]

Assignments

• 321st Bombardment Group, 26 June 1942 – 12 September 1945
• 321st Bombardment Group, 29 June 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 321st Bombardment Wing, 15 December 1953 – 25 October 1961[1]

Stations

Barksdale Field, Louisiana, 26 June 1942 Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, c. 1 August 1942 Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina, September 1942 DeRidder Army Air Base, Louisiana, c. 1 December 1942 – 21 January 1943 Ain M'lila Airfield, Algeria, 12 March 1943 Souk-el-Arba Airfield, Tunisia, c. 1 June 1943 Soliman Airfield, Tunisia, 8 August 1943 Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, October 1943

Amendola Airfield, Italy, c. 20 November 1943 Vincenzo Airfield, Italy, 14 January 1944 Gaudo Airfield, Italy, February 1944 Corsica, France, 23 April 1944 Falconara Airfield, Italy, 1 April 1945 Pomigliano Airfield, Italy, c. September-12 September 1945 Toledo Municipal Airport, Ohio, 29 June 1947 – 27 June 1949 Pinecastle Air Force Base (later McCoy Air Force Base), Florida, 15 December 1953 – 25 October 1961[1]

Aircraft

• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1942-1945
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953-1961[1]

References

Notes

1. Robertson, Patsy (22 August 2011). "Factsheet 445 Air Expeditionary Squadrpn (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
2. Watkins, pp. 86-87

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Watkins, Robert A. (2009). Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the U.S. Army Air Force In World War II. Volume IV, European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. Atglen,PA: Shiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-3401-6.