World War I edit

The 72d Aero Squadron was organized at Kelly Field, Texas on 15 August 1917. The squadron moved to Camp Morrison, Virginia, an aeronautical supply depot and concentration camp for units moving overseas in February 1918. Upon arrival, it was redesignated the 484th Aero Squadron (Construction). The squadron departed for France in early March, arriving at Vinets-sur-Aube, France, home of the 5th Air Depot, on the 26th.^[1] Beginning in April, the squadron constructed airfields and related facilities in the Zone of Advance of the Western Front.^[1] Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the squadron moved to Colombey-les-Belles Aerodrome, where the 1st Air Depot had been designated as the demobilization point for units serving in the Zone of Advance.^[2] The squadron moved to the port of Brest in December, and shipped back to the United States in January 1919. It was demobilized at East Potomac Park in Washington DC in February.^[1][3]

Organized Reserve edit

The 484th Bombardment Squadron was constituted in March 1924, allotted to the Organized Reserve and assigned to the Seventh Corps Area.^{[1][note 1]} The squadron was organized by December 1929 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, within the Eighth Corps Area. The squadron's personnel conducted summer training at Hensley Field, Texas. In June 1936, the squadron was moved to Camden, New Jersey and allotted to Third Corps Area. In December, the squadron was consolidated with the World War I 484th Aero Squadron, but all personnel were withdrawn from the consolidated unit and it was inactivated in May 1937.^[3] The squadron was disbanded along with other Organized Reserve units at the end of May 1942.^[1]

World War II edit

The 484th Bombardment Squadron was activated in March 1944 at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas as one of the four original squadrons of the 505th Bombardment Group.^[4][5] However, it moved the following day to Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, where it began training to become a Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadron. Because its complement of B-29s was not available, it initially trained with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. In April 1944, the Army Air Forces directed the reorganization its Superfortress groups. One squadron in each group was eliminated, but the three remaining squadrons increased from seven to ten bombers each.^[6] This became effective for the 505th Group in May.^[7] The squadron completed its training and began deploying to the Pacific in November 1944.^[1][4]

The squadron arrived at its combat station, North Field (Tinian) just before Christmas 1944. The squadron flew its first combat mission in February 1945, striking targets in Iwo Jima and Truk. The squadron began flying missions in the strategic bombing campaign against Japan, participating in high altitude daylight raids against the Japanese Home Islands. It earned its first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a strike against the Nakajima Aircraft Company factory at Oka on 10 February 1945.^[1][4] However, the results of high altitude B-29 raids on Japan were disappointing. After a raid on 19 January, no mission had been able to bomb visually, and radar bombing results were unsatisfactory. Low altitude night area attacks with incendiaries promised better results, for XXI Bomber Command. The switch in tactics began with the launch of a raid against Tokyo on 9 March 1945.^[8] The squadron flew area firebombing attacks, flying at night and low altitude until the end of the war in August 1945.^[4]

During April and May 1945, the squadron was diverted from the strategic campaign against Japan to support Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. It struck air bases from which kamikaze attacks were being launched. Many of these bases were located on Kyushu, only 300 miles from Okinawa. The attacks directly impacted kamikaze launches, but also forced the Japanese military to retain fighter aircraft to defend the Japanese Special Attack Units that otherwise might have been used to challenge air superiority over Okinawa.^{[4][9][note 2]}

The squadron also conducted mining missions against Japanese shipping. It earned a second DUC for mining operations in the Shimonoseki Strait and harbors of the Seto Inland Sea during June and July 1945. After V-J Day, the squadron's B 29s dropped relief supplies to Allied prisoners of war held in camps in Japan and Manchuria; flew show of force missions and bomb damage assessment missions over Japan.^[4]

The squadron moved from Tinian to Clark Field in the Philippines in March 1946. It was inactivated at Clark on 15 June 1946.^[4]

484th Aero Squadron

• Organized as the 72d Aero Squadron on 15 August 1917

Redesignated 484th Aero Squadron (Construction) on 1 February 1918

Demobilized on 8 February 1919

Reconstituted and consolidated with the 484th Bombardment Squadron as the 484th Bombardment Squadron on 2 December 1936^[1][3]

484th Bombardment Squadron

• Constituted and allotted to the Organized Reserve on 31 March 1924

Activated by December 1929

Consolidated with the 484th Aero Squadron on 2 December 1936

Inactivated on 12 May 1937

Disbanded on 31 May 1942

Reconstituted and consolidated with the 484th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy as the 484th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 21 April 1944^[1][3]

484th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy

• Constituted on 28 February 1944

Activated on 11 March 1944

Consolidated with the 484th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 21 April 1944

Inactivated on 30 Jun 1946^[1]

Assignments edit

• Unknown, 15 August 1947 – March 1918^{[note 3]}
• Advance Section, Service of Supply, c. 26 March 1918
• United States First Army, 23 August 1918
• United States Second Army, 28 October – November 1918
• Unknown, c. 24 November 1918 – 8 February 1919^{[note 4]}
• Seventh Corps Area, 31 March 1924 (347th Bombardment Group, 31 March 1924 – 2 August 1929 in inactive status)^[10]
• Eighth Corps Area, by December 1929
• Third Corps Area, 5 June 1936 – 12 May 1937
• 505th Bombardment Group, 11 March 1944 – 30 Jun 1946^[1][3]

Stations edit

Aircraft edit

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1946^[1]

Awards and Campaigns edit

Notes edit

Explanatory notes

Citations

Bibliography edit

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Clay, Steven E. (2011). US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 (PDF). Vol. 3 The Services: Air Service, Engineers, and Special Troops 1919-1941. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-98419-014-0. LCCN 2010022326. OCLC 637712205. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1953). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. V, The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

Cate, James L (1953). "The Twentieth Air Force and Matterhorn, Chapter 4, XX Bomber Command against Japan". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. V, The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

Cate, James L.; Olson, James C. (1953). "Strategic Bombardment from Pacific Bases, Chapter 19, Urban Area Attacks". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. V, The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

• Gorrell, Edgar S. (1974). History of the American Expeditionary Forces Air Service, 1917-1919. Series I: Paris Headquarters and Supply Section. Vol. 23 History of 1st Air Depot at Colombey-les-Belles. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. OCLC 215070705.
• Maurer, Maurer (1978). The US Air Service in World War I (PDF). Vol. 1 The Final Report and a Tactical History. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force. ISBN 978-1477602-74-4. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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.