342d Bombardment Squadron

Organization and training

The squadron was activated at MacDill Field, Florida in February 1942, one of the original squadrons of the 97th Bombardment Group.^[1][2] The following month, it moved to Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida, where it trained with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and also flew antisubmarine patrols. After a brief training period the squadron left Sarasota on 16 May.^[1]

The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth, arriving in Scotland on 10 June and at RAF Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, the following day. The air echelon, along with the air echelon of the 414th Bombardment Squadron staged through Grenier Field, New Hampshire starting on 15 May. From 2 through 11 June the squadrons deployed elements to the Pacific Coast, recommencing their deployment to Great Britain via Goose Bay Airport, Labrador and Greenland to Prestwick Airport Scotland on 23 June. The squadron's B-17s began arriving at Grafton Underwood on 1 July, where they formed part of the first heavy bomber group assigned to Eighth Air Force.^[3]

Combat in Europe

Operations from Great Britain

The haste with which the squadron had trained and deployed resulted in deficiencies in its training. Most pilots had not flown at high altitudes on oxygen; some gunners had never operated a turret, much less fired at a moving target. Crews had flown together for only a few weeks in training. The squadron's first weeks in England were devoted to intensive training, with numerous specialists attending Royal Air Force (RAF) schools to prepare for combat.^[4] The squadron flew its first mission on 17 August 1942, attacking a marshalling yard at Rouen, which was also the first mission flown by AAF heavy bombers stationed in Great Britain. Two days later, the squadron supported Operation Jubilee, the raid on Dieppe, by attacking Abbeville/Drucat Airfield.^[5] It attacked naval installations, airfields and industrial and transportation targets in France and the Low Countries.^[2]

In September, the 97th Group and its squadrons were transferred to XII Bomber Command in the preparations for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. However, VIII Bomber Command retained operational control of these units until they left England.^[3] The first AAF bomber groups to deploy to England had patterned their basing on that of the RAF Bomber Command, which typically had a wing with two bomber squadrons on a station.^[6] The 414th and 342nd Squadrons were at Grafton Underwood, while the 340th and 341st, along with 97th Group headquarters were at RAF Polebrook. In September, the AAF decided to follow its own organization and use larger bases that would accommodate an entire group, and the 414th and 342nd Squadrons joined the rest of the group at Polebrook.^[1][2][6]

Superfortress operations

The squadron was reactivated at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas in August 1946, where it took over the personnel and Boeing B-29 Superfortresses of the 829th Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously inactivated.^[1][7] The squadron deployed to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska in November 1947 and flew training missions over the Arctic Ocean until March 1948, when it returned to Kansas.^[8] Two months later, the squadron moved to Biggs Air Force Base, Texas.^[1]

In 1950, the 342d upgraded to the improved Boeing B-50 Superfortress.^[1] It deployed along with all operational elements of the 97th Bombardment Wing to RAF Sculthorpe from July to October 1950^[9] and to RAF Lakenheath from March to June 1952.^[1] From 1952 to 1954, squadrons of the 97th Wing kept deployed elements on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.^[8]

Strategic Air Command (SAC)’s mobilization for the Korean War highlighted that SAC wing commanders focused too much on running the base organization and not spending enough time on overseeing actual combat preparations. To allow wing commanders the ability to focus on combat operations, the air base group commander became responsible for managing the base housekeeping functions. Under the plan implemented in February 1951 and finalized in June 1952, the wing commander focused primarily on the combat units and the maintenance necessary to support combat aircraft by having the combat and maintenance squadrons report directly to the wing and eliminating the intermediate group structures.^[10] With this reorganization, the squadron now reported directly to the 97th Bombardment Wing.^[1]

Stratojet operations

In 1955, the squadron converted to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bomber. It deployed to RAF Upper Heyford from May to July 1956 in what was to be the last deployment of the full 97th Wing.^[8]

The squadron participated in Operation Reflex, which placed Stratojets and Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters at overseas bases closer to the Soviet Union for 90 day periods, although individuals rotated back to home bases during unit Reflex deployments ^[11] The percentage of SAC planes on alert gradually grew over the next three years to reach its goal of 1/3 of SAC’s force on alert by 1960.^[12] From 1958, B-47s began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. General Thomas S. Power set a final goal of maintaining one half of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.^[13]

The squadron phased down for inactivation in December 1958 and became nonoperational in January 1959. In July 1959 it moved to Blytheville Air Force Base, but remained nonoperational.^[1][8]

Stratofortress operations

At Blytheville, the 342d began to equip with Boeing B-52G Stratofortress strategic bombers in late 1959.^[8] However, large concentrations of bombers, like the 45 B-52s of the 97th Wing at Blytheville, made attractive targets for an enemy strike. SAC decided to disperse its B-52 force to smaller wings with 15 bombers at other bases. This not only complicated Soviet targeting planning, but with more runways, it would take less time to launch the bomber force.^[14] Implementing this program, the squadron moved to Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where it became part of the 4137th Strategic Wing.^[1]

By 1962, half of the squadron's aircraft were on alert.^[15] SAC planners were looking into additional methods to protect their forces in addition to the ground alert program. In January 1961, SAC disclosed it was maintaining an airborne force for "airborne alert training" in Operation Chrome Dome.^[16] In January 1962, the squadron was one of the first five in SAC to carry GAM-72 Quail decoy missiles aboard its airborne alert aircraft^[17]

Soon after detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba in October 1962, SAC brought all its degraded and adjusted alert sorties up to full capability.^[18] On 20 October the squadron was directed to put two additional planes on alert. On 22 October, 1/8 of the squadron's B-52s were placed on airborne alert.^[19] On 24 October SAC went to DEFCON 2, placing all squadron aircraft on alert. ^[20] As tensions eased, on 21 November SAC went to DEFCON 3 and returned to its normal airborne alert posture.^[21] On 27 November the squadron returned to its normal ground alert posture.^[22]

Later in 1962, in order to perpetuate the lineage of currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its Major Command controlled (MAJCON) strategic wings controlling combat squadrons, which could not carry a permanent history or lineage, and to activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units to replace them, time which could carry a lineage and history. As a result, the 4137th was replaced by the 465th Bombardment Wing.^[23] In this reorganization, the squadron inactivated and transferred its mission, personnel, and equipment to the 781st Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously organized, on 1 February 1963.^[1][24]