434th Bombardment Squadron

The 434th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 12th Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Lawton, Washington. It was inactivated on 22 January 1946.

History
Established as a Northwest Air District Reconnaissance squadron at McChord Field in 1941. After the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, flew antisubmarine and defensive patrols over the Pacific northwest coast until February 1942; then reassigned to Louisiana flying antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico.

Squadron re-equipped with modern B-25 Mitchell medium bombers in California during April 1942; deployed to Egypt to support British Forces in the Western Desert Campaign; assigned to IX Bomber Command. Ground echelon transported by ship around Cape of Good Hope to India; then transported to Cairo; Air Echelon flew transcontinental route to Morrison Field; Florida where aircraft fitted with long range auxiliary fuel ranks and departed via South Atlantic route to South America; performing transatlantic crossing to Liberia; across central Africa to Khartoum then north to Cairo where joined with ground echelon.

Engaged in desert warfare in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia, August 1942-June 1943, supporting British Eighth Army as they advanced into Tunisia, then participated in Invasion of Sicily and Italy; remaining in Mediterranean Theater of Operations until February 1944.

Reassigned to reinforce Tenth Air Force in China Burma India Theater during March 1944; moving across middle east to India. Provided tactical bombardment support to British forces in Burma until Japanese Capitulation in August 1945. Squadron demobilized in India during the fall of 1945, aircraft sent to reclamation or reassigned to friendly foreign air forces; unit inactivated as a paper unit in late January 1946.

Lineage

 * Constituted 19th Reconnaissance Squadron (Light) on 20 November 1940
 * Activated on 15 January 1941
 * Redesignated: 94th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on 14 August 1941
 * Redesignated: 94th Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 30 December 1941
 * Redesignated: 434th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 April 1942
 * Inactivated on 22 January 1946.

Assignments

 * 12th Bombardment Group: attached 15 January 1941; assigned 14 August 1941-22 January 1946.
 * Associated with: 1st Photographic Group, 10 Jun 1941-22 Apr 1942 (training)

Stations

 * McChord Field, Washington, 15 January 1941
 * Esler Army Airfield, Louisiana, 27 February-3 July 1942
 * Operated from Stockton Army Airfield, California, 24 May-24 June 1942


 * Ismailia Airfield, Egypt, 14 August 1942
 * Landing Ground 88, Egypt, 29 September 1942
 * RAF Gambut, Libya, 5 December 1942
 * Magrun Landing Ground, Libya, 14 December 1942
 * RAF Gambut, Libya, 17 December 1942
 * RAF Castel Benito, Libya, 16 February 1943
 * El Assa Airfield, Libya, 8 March 1943
 * Medenine Airfield, Tunisia, 3 April 1943
 * Sfax Airfield, Tunisia, 17 April 1943
 * Hergla Airfield, Tunisia, 2 June 1943


 * Ponte Olivo Airfield, Sicily, 2 August 1943
 * Gerbini Airfield, Sicily, 22 August 1943
 * Foggia Airfield, Italy, 2 November 1943
 * Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 18 January-6 February 1944
 * Kurmitola Airfield, India, 21 March 1944
 * Madhaiganj Airfield, India, 13 June 1944
 * Comilla Airfield, India, 21 July 1944
 * Fenny Airfield, India, 27 November 1944
 * Operated from Magwe Airfield, Burma, 5–24 May 1945


 * Karachi Airport, India, 17 September 1945
 * Karachi Airport, India, 22 November-24 December 1945
 * Fort Lawton, Washington, 21–22 January 1946

Aircraft

 * B-18 Bolo, 1941–1942
 * B-23 Dragon, 1941–1942
 * B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1945
 * A-26 Invader, 1945