443d Bombardment Squadron

The 443d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing, stationed at March Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 15 September 1960.

History
Established in mid-1942 as a B-26 Marauder medium bomber group. Trained under Third Air Force in Florida, deployed to England under the VIII Air Support Command, 3d Bombardment Wing.

Operated against targets on the continent during early fall of 1942; deployed to North Africa as part of Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch landings in Algeria in November. Flew tactical bombing missions against Axis forces in North Africa until the end of the Tunisian Campaign in May 1943. Participated in the Sicilian and Italian Campaigns; liberation of Corsica and Sardinia and the Invasion of Southern France. Supported Allied ground forces in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, spring 1945 and becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe Army of Occupation in Germany, fall 1945. Personnel demobilized in Germany and the squadron inactivated as a paper unit in December 1945.

Reactivated in the reserves in 1947. Never manned or equipped. Reactivated in 1952 as a B-47 Stratojet squadron,. Initially equipped with prototypes of the Boeing RB-47B Stratojet (YRB-47) to perform long-range photo-reconnaissance with a flight of B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned. In November 1953 began to receive production B-47E medium bomber aircraft; prototype reconnaissance aircraft already received exchanged for medium bomber versions. Participated in SAC REFLEX deployments to Europe and North Africa throughout the 1950s. Inactivated in 1960 as part of the phaseout of the B-47, aircraft sent to storage at Davis-Monthan.

Lineage

 * Constituted 443d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 19 June 1942
 * Activated on 1 July 1942
 * Inactivated on 6 December 1945


 * Redesignated 443d Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 26 May 1947
 * Activated in the reserve on 9 July 1947
 * Inactivated on 27 June 1949


 * Redesignated 443d Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and activated, on 1 December 1952
 * Discontinued on 15 September 1960

Assignments

 * 320th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1942-4 December 1945
 * 320th Bombardment Group, 9 July 1947-27 June 1949
 * 320th Bombardment Wing, 1 December 1952
 * Department of the Air Force, 1–15 September 1960 (Non-Operational)

Stations

 * MacDill Field, Florida, 1 July 1942
 * Drane Field, Florida, 8–28 August 1942
 * RAF Hethel (AAF-114), England, 12 September 1942
 * RAF Tibenham (AAF-124), England, 1 October 1942
 * Oran Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, 9 January 1943
 * Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria, 28 January 1943
 * Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria, 14 April 1943
 * Massicault Airfield, Tunisia, 29 June 1943
 * El Bathan Airfield, Tunisia, July 28, 1943


 * Decimomannu Airfield, Sardinia, 9 November 1943
 * Alto Airfield, Corsica, 20 September 1944
 * Dijon-Longvic Airfield (Y-9), France, 11 November 1944
 * Dôle-Tavaux Airfield (Y-7), France, 2 April 1945
 * AAF Station Fürth, Germany, 20 June 1945
 * Clastres Airfield, France, c. October-27 November 1945
 * Camp Shanks, New York, 4–6 December 1945
 * Mitchel Field, New York, 9 July 1947-27 June 1949
 * March Air Force Base, California, 1 December 1952-15 September 1960

Aircraft

 * B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1952–1953
 * YRB-47B Stratojet, 1953
 * B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1960