716th Bombardment Squadron

The 716th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 449th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan on 30 September 1977.

History
Established as at B-24 Liberator heavy bomber replacement training unit. Converted in September 1943 for operational training; assigned to Second Air Force for training. Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in December 1943, squadron taking the South Atlantic Transport Route though the Caribbean and South America; transiting the Atlantic Ocean via Brazil and Dakar, French West Africa, being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in January 1944 at Grottaglie Airfield in Southern Italy.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military, industrial and transport targets, including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy; France; Southern Germany; Austria and the Balkans. Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945. Most of the squadron was demobilized in Europe; small cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Airfield, South Dakota in late May, being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomber squadron. Equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses and new personnel, began training for deployment to Central Pacific Area (CPA) to engaged in strategic bombardment missions over Japan. Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for re-deployment, after training was reassigned to Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska as part of Continental Air Command (Later Strategic Air Command). Inactivated on 4 August 1946 due to funding and equipment shortages, assigned personnel and equipment reassigned to other SAC squadrons.

Reactivated in 1962 when the 4239th Strategic Wing was redesignated as the 449th Bombardment Wing, absorbing the personnel and B-52H Stratofortesses of the 93d Bomb Squadron. Performed strategic bombardment training over a global scale until inactivated in September 1977 with the closure of Kinchloe AFB.

Lineage

 * Constituted 716th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
 * Activated on 1 May 1943
 * Redesignated 716th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 23 May 1945
 * Inactivated on 4 August 1946


 * Redesignated 716th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), and activated, on 15 November 1962
 * Organized on 1 February 1963, absorbing the personnel and equipment of the 93d Bombardment Squadron
 * Inactivated on 30 September 1977

Assignments

 * 449th Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943-4 August 1946
 * Strategic Air Command, 15 November 1962
 * 449th Bombardment Wing, 1 February 1963-30 September 1977

Stations

 * Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 1 May 1943
 * Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 5 July 1943
 * Bruning Army Airfield, Nebraska, 12 September-26 November 1943
 * Grottaglie Airfield, Italy, c. 6 January 1944-15 May 1945
 * Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota, 29 May 1945
 * Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 24 July 1945
 * Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska, 8 September 1945-4 August 1946
 * Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 1 February 1963-30 September 1977

Aircraft

 * B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945
 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1945
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1946
 * B-52H Stratofortress, 1963–1977