61st Bombardment Squadron

The 61st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 70th Bombardment Wing. It was last stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, and was inactivated on 25 June 1962.

History
Established in November 1940 as a B-17 Flying Fortress Heavy Bombardment squadron organized at Fort Douglas, Utah; assigned to the GHQ Air Force Northwest Air District at Geiger Field, Washington where the squadron flew training missions and also reconnaissance missions along the Northwest Pacific Coast. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, became first an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, later converting to a B-24 Liberator Replacement Training Unit (RTU).

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan
Re-designated on 1 April 1944 as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. It's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria

Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated as part of Army Service forces at the end of 1945.

Reactivated in 1947 in the reserve at Hamilton Field, California, but it is unclear whether or not the unit had any assigned aircraft of personnel. It was inactivated in 1949 due to budgetary reductions.

Strategic Air Command
Reactivated under Strategic Air Command in 1955 as an RB-47 Stratojet squadron flying strategic reconnaissance missions to meet SAC's global reconnaissance commitments from October 1955–1962, but on a reduced scale after February 1958 when events showed the vulnerability of the RB-47 and the development of the U-2 aircraft. Converted to standard B-47 medium bombers in late 1961 but inactivated in 1962 prior to becoming combat ready.

Consolidation
The 61st Bombardment Squadron was consolidated with the 961st Airborne Warning and Control Support Squadron 19 Sept, 1985. The 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron now operates E-3 AWACS aircraft out of Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Operations and decorations

 * Combat Operations: Conducted bombardment missions against Japan, c. 6 Apr-14 Aug 1945.
 * Campaigns: World War II: Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan.
 * Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citations:  Japan, 10 May 1945; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, 23–29 May 1945.

Lineage

 * Constituted 61st Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 Nov 1940
 * Activated on 15 Jan 1941
 * Inactivated on 1 Apr 1944


 * Redesignated 61st Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) and activated on 1 Apr 1944
 * Inactivated on 27 Dec 1945


 * Redesignated 61st Reconnaissance Squadron and reactivated on 26 Apr 1947
 * Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949


 * Redesignated 61st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron and reactivated on 24 Jan 1955
 * Redesignated 61st Bombardment Squadron on 25 Oct 1961
 * Inactivated on 25 June 1962

Assignments

 * 39th Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941-1 Apr 1944; 1 Apr 1944-27 Dec 1945
 * 70th Reconnaissance Group, 26 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * 70th Strategic Reconnaissance (later Bombardment) Wing, 24 Jan 1955-25 Jun 1962

Stations

 * Fort Douglas, Utah, 15 Jan 1941
 * Geiger Field, Washington, 2 Jul 1941
 * Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 5 Feb 1942-1 Apr 1944
 * Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Apr 1944
 * Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 27 May 1944


 * Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 17 Ju1 1944-8 Jan 1945
 * North Field, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, 18 Feb-16 Nov 1945
 * Camp Anza, California, 15-27 Dec 1945
 * Hill AFB, Utah, 26 Apr 1947-27 Jun 1949
 * Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 24 Jan 1955-25 Jun 1962

Aircraft

 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1941–1942
 * B-24 Liberator, 1942–1944
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1944–1945


 * RB-47 Stratojet, 1955–1961
 * B-47 Stratojet, 1961–1962