734th Bombardment Squadron

The 734th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group, stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 12 September 1945.

History

Established in mid 1943 as a B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadron, assigned to II Bomber Command for training. Trained in Idaho for the first phase of training which included local area flights, bombing and aerial gunnery practice. Moved to California for second and third phases of training. The training there was more extensive. It included cross country missions, navigation problems, gunnery, bombing and pilot training problems. At this time considerable time was spent in ground school instruction on problems pertaining to heavy bombardment operations for overseas duty. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), being assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England in December 1943.

Engaged in long-range strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, attacking transportation, industrial, Oil Industry and other targets as directed. Also engaged in tactical bombardment of enemy forces in France in support of the Operation Overlord landings in Normandy, and the subsequent breakout at St-Lo in July 1944. Attacked enemy formations and armor during the Battle of the Bulge, January 1945. Continued bombardment of strategic targets until the German Capitulation in May.

Returned to the United States shortly after the Capitulation, prepared for B-29 Superfortress upgrade training, however never was organized or equipped. Most personnel demobilized during the summer of 1945, unit was inactivated in September after the Japanese Capitulation.

Lineage

• Constituted 734th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 Jun 1943

Inactivated on 12 Sep 1945.

Assignments

• 453d Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1943-12 Sep 1945

Stations

• Wendover Field, Utah, 1 Jun 1943
• Pocatello Army Airfield, Idaho, 29 Jul 1943
• March Field, California, c. 29 Sep-Dec 1943
• RAF Old Buckenham (AAF-114), England, 23 Dec 1943-9 May 1945
• New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, 25 May 1945
• Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 18 Jun-12 Sep 1945

Aircraft

• B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

References

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

• 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.