708th Bombardment Squadron

The 708th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) unit. It was last assigned to the 447th Bombardment Group at Castle Air Force Base, California on16 July 1951.

The squadron was established as a heavy bombardment squadron and participated in combat in the European Theater of World War II. It was reactivated in the reserves in 1947 and served until it was called to active duty in 1951 as a result of the Korean War and its personnel used as fillers for regular USAF units.

History
The squadron was activated in mid-1943 as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron and trained under Second Air Force. The squadron deployed to England in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during November 1943, where it became part of VIII Bomber Command as a strategic bombardment squadron. The 708th participated in the air offensive over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Its personnel were demobilized in England and returned to the United States. The squadron was reassigned to Third Air Force for possible re-equipping with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses and deployment to Pacific Theater. The Japanese capitulation led to its inactivation in November 1945.

The squadron was activated in the postwar Air Force Reserve as a B-29 squadron. Apparenly not equipped while stationed at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. The squadron moved to Castle AFB, California where it trained for proficiency as a corollary unit using aircraft of the 93d Bombardment Wing as part of Strategic Air Command reserve forces. The squadron was called to active duty as a result of Korean War in 1951, squadron's aircraft and personnel were reassigned to regular USAF units and it was inactivated as a paper unit.

Lineage

 * Constituted 708th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
 * Activated on 1 May 1943
 * Redesignated 708th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 20 August 1943
 * Inactivated on 7 November 1945


 * Redesignated 708th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 24 October 1947
 * Activated in the reserve on 10 November 1947
 * Redesignated 708th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 27 June 1949
 * Ordered to active service on 1 May 1951
 * Inactivated on 16 June 1951

Assignments

 * 447th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 - 7 November 1945
 * 447th Bombardment Group, 10 November 1947 - 16 June 1951

Stations

 * Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, 1 May 1943
 * Rapid City Army Air Field, South Dakota, 13 June 1943
 * Harvard Army Air Field, Nebraska, 1 August 1943 - 11 November 1943
 * RAF Rattlesden (AAF-126), England, 1 December 1943 - c. 1 August 1945
 * Drew Field, Florida, 14 August 1945 - 7 November 1945
 * Bergstrom Field (later Bergstrom Air Force Base), Texas, 10 November 1947
 * Castle AFB, California, 27 June 1949 - 16 June 1951

Aircraft

 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943–1945