428th Bombardment Squadron

428th Bombardment Squadron
428th Bombardment Squadron
	Emblem of the 428th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1942-1945; 1959-1962
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Bombardment

The 428th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the 310th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Shilling Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on 1 January 1962.

History

Activated as a B-25 Reconnaissance squadron in early 1942, redesignated medium bomber squadron in April. Trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed initially to England in September 1942 and flew some missions under VIII Bomber Command over German-occupied France attacking enemy troop formations, bridges and airfields. Was part of the Operation Torch invasion of North Africa in November 1942, being deployed to the new Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO), being assigned to Twelfth Air Force in French Morocco in November. In North Africa, the squadron engaged primarily in support and interdictory operations, bombing marshalling yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors, and other objectives in North Africa.

The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain islands during June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. Inactivated in Italy after the German Capitulation in September 1945.

The squadron was activated in 1959 as a result of Strategic Air Command phasing out the B-47, and additional squadrons were activated as part of the consolation of Stratojet wings, and the replacement of the B-47 by B-52 Stratofortresses. In March 1961, President John F. Kennedy directed that the phaseout of the B-47 be accelerated. and the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962 as part of the drawdown of the USAF B-47 force, with the aircraft were sent to AMARC storage at Davis-Monthan.