359th Bombardment Squadron


The 359th Bombardment Squadron was a United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 303d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It was inactivated on 15 June 1964.

History

The 359th Bombardment Squadron was established in February 1942 as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadron at Pendleton Field, Oregon and assigned to the 303d Bombardment Group. It moved to Gowen Field, Idaho, where it trained under Second Air Force. The squadron deployed to Southern California to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Pacific. The 359th completed training in southwest by August 1942. The ground echelon departed Biggs Field, Texas in August 1942, arriving at Fort Dix on 24 August. It sailed aboard the and arrived in Great Britain on 10 September. The air echelon flew through Kellogg Field, Michigan and Dow Field, Maine before ferrying its planes across the Atlantic.

Combat in the European Theater

Due to the haste to move heavy bombers to Europe, the squadron was insufficiently trained for combat and it continued to train in England until it entered combat on 17 November 1942 in a strike against Saint-Nazaire, but returned without striking, having been unable to locate its target. It attacked Saint-Nazaire the following day, although its intended target was La Pallice. Its initial raids were on airfields, railroads and submarine pens in France. As a unit of one of only four Flying Fortress groups in VIII Bomber Command during late 1942 and early 1943, the squadron participated in the development of the tactics that would be used throughout the air campaign against Germany.
In 1943, the squadron began flying missions to Germany, participating in the first attack by American heavy bombers on a target in Germany, a raid on the submarine yards at Wilhelmshaven on 27 January 1943. From that time, it concentrated primarily on strategic bombardment of German industry, marshalling yards, and other strategic targets, including the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, shipyards at Bremen and an aircraft engine factory at Hamburg.
Flying through intense flak on a mission against Bremen-Vegesack on 18 March 1943, in which bombing was to be done by squadrons, 1st Lieutenant Jack W. Mathis, was bombardier on the lead aircraft of the 359th. Less than a minute before bomb release, he was knocked nine feet back from his bombsight. Although Lt Mathis was mortally wounded, he returned to his position to release his bombs and ensure the squadron struck its target, dying as he toggled the bomb release. For this action, Lt Mathis was awarded the Medal of Honor
The 359th received a Distinguished Unit Citation when adverse weather on 11 January 1944 prevented its fighter cover from joining the group, exposing it to continuous attacks by Luftwaffe fighters. Despite this opposition, the unit successfully struck an aircraft assembly plant at Oschersleben.
Although a strategic bombing unit, the squadron was diverted on occasion to close air support and interdiction for ground forces. It attacked gun emplacements and bridges in the Pas-de-Calais during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, in June 1944; bombed enemy troops during Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo, and during the Battle of the Bulge. It bombed military installations near Wesel during Operation Lumberjack, the Allied assault across the Rhine. Its last combat mission was an attack on 25 April 1945 against an armament factory at Pilsen.
Following VE Day in May 1945 the 303d Group was reassigned to the North African Division, Air Transport Command and moved to Casablanca Airfield, French Morocco to use its B-17 bombers as transports, ferrying personnel from France to Morocco. However, the two B-17 groups moved to Casablanca proved surplus to Air Transport Command's needs and the squadron was inactivated in late July 1945 and its planes ferried back to the United States.

Strategic Air Command

Activated in the postwar Strategic Air Command in 1947 at Andrews Field, Maryland, but not equipped and inactivated in September 1948. Activated again at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in September 1951 and equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers.
Reactivated in 1951 as a Boeing B-47 Stratojet medium bomber squadron; aircraft not received until April 1953 when squadron received first production block of B-47Es. Conducted routine deployments and training during the 1950s and early 1960s. Inactivated in 1964 with the phaseout of the B-47.

Lineage

Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Antisubmarine3 February 1942 – June 142
Air Offensive, Europe12 September 1942 – 5 June 1944
Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944
Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944
Rhineland15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945
Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945
Air Combat, EAME Theater12 September 1942 – 11 May 1945

Citations