726th Bombardment Squadron

The 726th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the 451st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Maine, where it was inactivated on 26 September 1945. The squadron was activated during World War II as one of the original squadrons of the 451st Bombardment Group. After training in the United States, it served in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned three Distinguished Unit Citations for its combat actions. After VE Day the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated.

726th Bombardment Squadron
Active1943-1945
Country United States
BranchUnited States Army Air Forces
Roleheavy bomber
EngagementsMediterranean Theater of Operations
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
726 Bombardment Sq emblem (approved 8 July 1944)[1]

History

Organization and training in the United States

The squadron was first activated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona as one of the four original squadrons of the 451st Bombardment Group.[1][2] Although original plans were for the squadron to be an Operational Training Unit at Davis-Monthan, instead a cadre of the 451st Group moved to Dyersburg Army Air Base, Tennessee, where the 726th and other elements of the group were filled out by personnel drawn from the 346th Bombardment Group. The squadron commander, Capt Charles C. Haltom, and a model crew joined other members of the group for advanced tactical training with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida. This cadre joined the remainder of the squadron at Wendover Field, Utah for training with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.[3] The squadron continued its training at Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska, starting in September.[1] On 18 November, the air echelon of the squadron departed Fairmont for staging at Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska to ferry their aircraft via the Southern Ferrying Route to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. The ground echelon left on 26 November for the Port of Embarkation at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia for transportation by ship.[4]

Combat operations

The squadron arrived at Gioia del Colle Airfield, Italy at the beginning of January, although the air echelon remained at Telergma Airfield, Algeria until 20 January to conduct additional training.[5] The squadron functioned primarily as a strategic bombing unit, attacking targets like oil refineries, marshalling yards, aircraft factories and airfields in Italy, Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Greece and Albania. It earned a Distinguished Unit Citation during Big Week, Eighth Air Force's campaign against German aircraft manufacturing plants, for an attack on a Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Regensburg, Germany on 25 February 1944. It added oak leaf clusters to this award for an attack on oil refineries and marshalling yards at Ploesti, Romania on 5 April 1944 and on Markersdorf-Haindorf Airfield near Vienna, Austria on 23 August 1944. On each of these missions the squadron was opposed by large numbers of enemy interceptor aircraft and heavy flak, but fought its way through to inflict serious damage on the targets and destroy many enemy aircraft.[2]

When returning from the Regensburg attack, runway conditions at Gioia del Colle were so poor that the aircraft of the 451st Group were unable to land there, but spread out among a number of bases in Italy. These poor conditions continued and on 8 March the squadron moved to San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy. The 451st Group's 724th Bombardment Squadron was also relocated there[1][6]

On 6 April, the 726th moved to Castelluccio Airfield, where it joined the remainder of the group. From its new base, the squadron also flew air support and interdiction missions. It helped prepare the way for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The following month its bombers transported supplies to forces operating in Italy, It also supported Operation Grapeshot the final advance of Allied armies in northern Italy.[2] The squadron flew its last mission on 26 April 1945 against marshalling yards at Sachsenburg, Austria.[7]

The squadron left Italy in June 1945. The air echelon ferried their planes back to the United States, while most of the ground echelon sailed on the USS General M. C. Meigs to Newport News, Virginia.[8] The squadron assembled later in the month at Dow Field, Maine, where it was inactivated on 26 September 1945.[1] Personnel that were not discharged from the service on return to the United States were transferred to Air Transport Command units at Dow.[8]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 726th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 April 1943
Activated on 1 May 1943
Redesignated 726th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 10 May 1943
Inactivated on 26 September 1945[1]

Assignments
  • 451st Bombardment Group, 1 May 1943 - 26 September 1945[1]

Stations

Aircraft
  • Consolidated B-24 Liberator 1943–1945[1]

Awards and campaigns
Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Distinguished Unit Citation25 February 1944Regensburg, Germany[1]
Distinguished Unit Citation5 April 1944Ploesti, Romania[1]
Distinguished Unit Citation23 August 1944Austria[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe2 January 1944–5 June 1944[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater2 January 1944–11 May 1945[1]
Naples-Foggia2 January 1944–21 January 1944[1]
Anzio22 January 1944–24 May 1944[1]
Rome-Arno22 January 1944–9 September 1944[1]
Normandy6 June 1944–24 July 1944[1]
Northern France25 July 1944–14 September 1944[1]
Southern France15 August 1944–14 September 1944[1]
North Apennines10 September 1944–4 April 1945[1]
Rhineland15 September 1944–21 March 1945[1]
Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944–25 January 1945[1]
Central Europe22 March 1944–21 May 1945[1]
Po Valley3 April 1945–8 May 1945[1]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 722
  2. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 325-326
  3. History of the 451st Group, pp. 1-2
  4. History of the 451st Group, pp. 7-9
  5. History of the 451st Group, p. 10
  6. History of the 451st Group, p. 11
  7. History of the 451st Group, p. 33
  8. History of the 451st Group, p. 35

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.
  • Unknown. "History of the 451st Bombardment Group (H)" (PDF). 451st Bombardment Group Association. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
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