535th Bombardment Squadron

The 535th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, when it was stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota.

It was inactivated on 28 August 1945.

History
Established in late 1942 as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment unit, it was assigned to II Bomber Command for training. The squadron trained primarily in Texas and Colorado. It received deployment orders for the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in May 1943.

Deployed to England in April 1943, it was assigned to VIII Bomber Command. The squadron engaged in very long range bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transportation targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. It participated in Big Week attacks on German aircraft factories 20–25 February 1944 and often supported ground troops by attacking targets of interdiction when not engaged in strategic bombardment. It continued these attacks until the German capitulation in May 1945.

The squadron returned to the United States in June 1945, most combat veterans being demobilized upon return. A small cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field in July, being programmed for B-29 Superfortress conversion and deployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO). The unit was inactivated after the Japanese capitulation in August 1945, assigned personnel were either reassigned to other units or demobilized.

Reactivated as a reserve B-29 unit in Nebraska during 1947, it trained until 1949 when budget reductions led to the units' inactivation.

Lineage

 * Constituted the 535th Bombardment Squadron, (Heavy) on 28 Oct 1942
 * Activated on 3 Nov 1942
 * Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945


 * Redesignated the 535th Bombardment Squadron, (Very Heavy) on 25 Aug 1947
 * Activated in the reserve on 15 Sep 1947
 * Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949

Assignments

 * 381st Bombardment Group, 3 Nov 1942-28 Aug 1945; 15 Sep 1947-27 Jun 1949

Stations

 * Gowen Field, Idaho, 3 November 1942
 * Ephrata AAF, Washington, c. 1 December 1942
 * Pyote AAB, Texas, c. 3 January 1943
 * Pueblo AAB, Colorado, c. 5 April – c. 9 May 1943
 * RAF Ridgewell (USAAF Station 167), England, June 1943-June 1945
 * Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota, July – 28 August 1945
 * Offutt Field, Nebraska, 15 Sep 1947
 * Lincoln Municipal Airport, Nebraska, 12 Feb 1948-27 Jun 1949

Aircraft

 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1945
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1947-1949