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The 11th Bomb Squadron is a unit of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
, 2d Operations Group, 2d Bomb Wing located at
Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, in northwest Louisiana. Much of the base is within the city limits of Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwest ...
, Louisiana. The 11th is equipped with the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress. The 11th is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, first being organized as the 11th Aero Squadron on 26 June 1917 at
Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-use airport, Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he ...
, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
as a Day Bombardment squadron. It took part in the St. Mihiel offensive and the Meuse-Argonne offensive.Gorrell During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the unit served in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
heavy of the
Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...
from 14 January to 1 March 1942, it operated against the Japanese advancing through the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies. The reorganized
North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...
medium bomber squadron resumed combat from bases in India under
Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
(May 1942 to 11 March 1942) and bases in China under the
Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
(11 March 1943 to Aug 1945) against targets in Burma, China and South China Sea. During the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
it was both a tactical Martin TM-61 Matador and BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile squadron as part of the
United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', Rogers,


Mission

"Provide frontline units with the highest quality B-52 aviators capable of maintaining the highest standards of conduct and performance required to assume the nation’s special trust and responsibility for the world’s most powerful weapons".


History


World War I

After training in the United States, the squadron sailed for Europe on the on 18 December 1917. The 11th saw combat as a day bombardment unit with First Army, 14 September 1918, which was a bloody baptism of fire. But an attempted raid the following day practically devastated the fledgling squadron. "Out of a formation of six planes which crossed the lines," remembered surviving veteran Paul S. Green, "only one succeeded in staggering back in a riddled condition." Henceforward, the 11th Squadron, earlier designated the "Jiggs Squadron" was unkindly referred to throughout the U.S. Air Service as the "Bewilderment Group." Jiggs was a cartoon character invented five years before by an 11th Squadron officer,
George McManus George McManus (January 23, 1884 – October 22, 1954) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of Irish immigrant Jiggs and his wife Maggie, the main characters of his syndicated comic strip, ''Bringing Up Father''. Biography B ...
, whose comic strip, ''
Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or '' ...
'', was the first of its kind to attract a worldwide readership. The Bewilderment Group's emblem featured the famous Jiggs with a bomb tucked under his arm. The 11th flew combat from then to 5 November 1918.


Intra-War period

With the end of World War I, the 11th Aero Squadron returned to New York Harbor. It arrived in about 30 April where it transferred to Camp Mills, Long Island the next day. There most of the men of the 11th Aero Squadron were demobilized and returned to civilian life. On 26 May 1919, the 11th transferred to
Ellington Field Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base is a joint installation shared by various active component and reserve component military units, as well as aircraft flight operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the aegi ...
, Texas, where it was manned and equipped with war surplus Dayton-Wright DH-4s. Its mission was to take part in the United States Army Border Air Patrol along the Mexican Border. Between August and November 1919, it operated from Marfa Field, and flew a border patrol along the Rio Grande between Lajitas, Texas to
El Paso El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
, Texas. It moved to
Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-use airport, Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he ...
, Texas on 8 November 1919 and again became part of the 1st Day Bombardment Group, although it remained on standby if needed along the Mexican Border. In 1921 the squadron was redesignated 11th Squadron (Bombardment), and in 1922 as the 11th Bombardment Squadron. Transferred on 30 June 1922 to Langley Field, Virginia, and conducted bombing tests on obsolete warships off Chesapeake Bay. The squadron was assigned to the Air Corps Training Center and transferred on 3 June 1927 to
March Field March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 m ...
, California, where it was inactivated on 31 July 1927 and its personnel transferred to the 54th School Squadron.Clay, p. 1378 The squadron was reactivated on 1 June 1928 at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
, California, and assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group. It moved on 29 October 1931 to March Field. The squadron conducted food relief airdrop missions to native Americans snowed-in on reservations in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah during 16–21 January 1932; and for marooned miners north of
Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas: West Las Vegas ("Old Town" ...
on 13 February 1933; it was awarded the
Mackay Trophy The Mackay Trophy is awarded yearly by the United States Air Force for the "most meritorious flight of the year" by an Air Force person, persons, or organization. The trophy is housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museu ...
for the 1932 relief flights. The squadron moved on 5 December 1934 to Hamilton Field, California. The 11th furnished the cadre to activate the 22d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 20 October 1939. These future "Flying Falcons" operated the
Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American twin-engined medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Airc ...
bomber and the Northrop A-17 attack aircraft. After gathering personnel and equipment at Hamilton Field and conducting training, the units then re-equipped with the
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
, moving on to
Fort Douglas Fort Douglas (initially called Camp Douglas) was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah. Its purpose was to protect the overland mail route and te ...
, Utah (later Salt Lake City Army Air Base) on 7 September 1940. Both squadrons performed rescue and patrol duties from Fort Douglas ''c.'' 21 Jun − 13 November 1941. In November 1941 the squadrons prepared for reassignment to the Philippines. The ground echelons sailed from San Francisco on 21 November with the air echelons expected to remain in the States until the ground echelon arrived in the Philippines. Before their arrival, however, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December and shortly thereafter began the campaign against the Philippines.


World War II


Netherlands East Indies campaign

Following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. At the tim ...
, the air echelons of the 11th conducted
antisubmarine Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations a ...
patrols along the California coast from Muroc Army Air Field, California from 8 to 12 December 1941 before moving on out into the Pacific Theater. Assigned to detached duty to the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
at
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Australia on 22 December 1941, the squadron flew combat while operating from Hickam Field, Hawaii between 18 December 1941 and 5 January 1942. Japanese forces attacked the Netherlands East Indies at about the same time the air echelon of the 11th arrived, beginning a battle that ended in the withdrawal of United States forces in early March. During the unsuccessful defense of the Indies, the main body of the squadron flew from Hollandia, meanwhile a detachment operated under Navy control from the Fiji Islands and then from Australia. Major Austin A. Straubel (4 September 1904 – 3 February 1942) was commander of the 11th Bombardment Squadron and acting commander of the 7th Bombardment Group when he died from burns received in the crash of a B-18 Bolo near
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
,
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. In early March 1942, the 11th withdrew to Melbourne, Australia, remaining there for about a month. In April 1942 the squadron transferred all of its equipment and personnel to the 19th Bombardment Group.


China Air Task Force

The squadron returned to the United States in mid-1942, leaving B-17s in Australia and being re-equipped under the
Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a Numbered Air Force, numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U ...
as a
North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...
medium bombardment squadron. With the cadre units in place at Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, other personnel began to arrive from various parts of the U.S., by far the biggest contingent coming in from
Keesler Field Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, Mississippi, Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2nd ...
, Mississippi. While this build-up was going on an advance cadre of the ground element of the 11th were establishing the organization in the
China-Burma-India Theater China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was ...
(CBI). That cadre arrived at Karachi Airport, India (now Pakistan) on 20 May 1942, working their way to their staging base at Allahabad Airfield, India, by 27 May, and moving on to
Kunming Airport Kunming Changshui International Airport is an international airport serving Kunming, the capital of Southwestern China’s Yunnan province. The airport is located northeast of the city center in a graded mountainous area about above sea le ...
, China by 14 June. The unit was among the first few bomber units in the CBI. The aircraft were readied for flight operations by Air Technical Service Command at Karachi Air Depot and dispatched to Chakulia Airfield, India (now Bangladesh) in December. In the middle of April 1942, the air element of the 11th, consisting of trained B-25 combat crews, began to arrive at
Morrison Field Palm Beach International Airport – also known as PBI Airport and historically as Morrison Field & Palm Beach Air Force Base – is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States located just west of ...
, Florida, as part of Project 157. Each crew was assigned an aircraft. Some two weeks were spent outfitting the B-25s, testing all the apparatus, and getting the crews accustomed to working together. The night of 2 May 1942, the first crews left for overseas, flying along the
South Atlantic Ferry Route South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
initially bound for Natal, Brazil. The B-25s were not only completely fitted and ready for immediate combat, but were loaded with a great variety of extra ground equipment for maintaining aircraft and crews. Every one of the aircraft had at least 500 pounds over the maximum weight overload for safe flight and this route had never been flown over by combat crews before, as
Air Corps Ferrying Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies a ...
pilots had flown Mitchells along the route only with gasoline in the fuel tanks carrying little else. Once reaching Natal, the ferrying route to
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...
in the Gold Coast was taken, then across southern Africa to
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
, Sudan. The aircraft were then flown through
Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...
and followed the old British
Imperial Airways Imperial Airways was an early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
route around the southern part of Arabia and Iran to Karachi. At Accra, several B-25s picked up formations of six to eight
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
s which had landed from an
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
. Many of these same P-40s and pilots later flew escort on missions in China. Three aircraft never reached India and some arrived several months after the others. By the end of May 1942 most of the other crews of Project 157 arrived in Karachi and were assigned to the 11th Bombardment Squadron. On 2 June 1942, six B-25s left Allahabad on a secret mission of 15 days' duration. Each aircraft carried one extra crewman to act as relief during the expected two weeks' activity. This was to be the first tactical mission of the 11th Bombardment Squadron as a B-25 squadron. That night saw them at Dinjan, India, in the Assam Valley and the western end of the ferry route across
the Hump The Hump was the name given by Allies of World War II, Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from British Raj, India to Republic of China (1912- ...
into Southern China. At 0600 hours the next morning the flights took off for Kunming, China, detouring by way of Lashio, Burma. By 10 June, eight B-25s had reached their base at Kunming. The 11th Bombardment Squadron was the first United States air combat unit in China. Until their arrival, only the
American Volunteer Group The American Volunteer Groups were Military volunteer, volunteer air units organized by the United States government to aid the Kuomintang, Nationalist government of China against Empire of Japan, Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The only ...
(AVG) was flying combat missions. Operating under the provisional China Air Task Force (CATF) at Kunming, the first combat mission in China was on 1 July 1942, against shipping in the Hankow area, with AVG fighters flying escort. No opposition of any kind was found. The next day, three B-25s made a return trip to Hankow, this time concentrating on the warehouse and docking facilities. On 15 September 1942 the 11th was transferred from the 7th Bombardment Group to the 341st Bombardment Group. The 341st Group usually functioned as if it were two groups, with its headquarters and three of its squadrons, the 22d, 490th and 491st Bombardment Squadrons operating under the
Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswel ...
in India and flying missions against the Japanese in Burma until January 1944; when the 341st was redeployed, the 490th was attached to the Tenth AF while the remainder of the Group joined the 11th in China. Throughout 1942–43, the 11th was attached to and received its operational orders from the CATF, which later became the
Fourteenth Air Force The Fourteenth Air Force (14 AF; Air Forces Strategic) was a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). It was headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The command was responsible for the organizatio ...
.Web Home of the 341st Bomb Group: Forward
/ref> From several airfields in China the group engaged primarily in attacking enemy concentrations and storage areas and in conducting sea sweeps and attacks against inland shipping. They also bombed and strafed such targets as trains, harbors and railroads in French Indochina (now Vietnam) and the Canton-Hong Kong area of China. The 341st Bomb Group received a
Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed e ...
for special success in applying 'Glip' bombing technique (modified from Skip / Glide) against enemy bridges in the Hanoi region of French Indochina.Group Records and Squadron History Reports, AFHRA,
Maxwell Air Force Base Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. ...
, Alabama
In July 1945, selected pilots, navigators and engineer-gunners were sent to Fenni, India for transition training in the
Douglas A-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and attack aircraft, ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during ...
. After completing training, they flew their A-26s to China and were involved in a move from Yangkai to Laohwangping Airfield when the Pacific War ended before they could fly any combat missions. Three missions to drop leaflets announcing the war's end were performed before the squadron was ordered to India. The 11th's A-26 crews remained to ferry their aircraft to Germany, where they would get caught up flying transports moving American personnel headed home to ports of embarkation. The rest of the squadron's personnel sailed back to the United States. The 11th Bombardment Squadron (M) was inactivated on 2 November 1945, the day after the squadron personnel disembarked at
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
.


Cold War

The 11th Pilotless Bomber Squadron was activated in 1954 as a Martin B-61 Matador tactical missile squadron under
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
. It was subsequently redesignated the 11th Tactical Missile Squadron on 8 June 1955, and on 1 July 1956 the 11th deployed to Europe attached to the 7382nd Guided Missile Group (Tactical) at Hahn Air Base, West Germany, assigned to
United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
. It was reassigned to the 587th Tactical Missile Group, which replaced the 7382d at Hahn. On 18 June 1958, the 11th was inactivated and replaced with the 822d Tactical Missile Squadron, with the activation of the 38th Tactical Missile Wing and the inactivation of the 701st Tactical Missile Wing. The 11th was reactivated in 1982 as a BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile squadron at
RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or more simply RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the England, English county of Berkshire. The airfi ...
, England. Just before activation, it was consolidated with the 11th Bombardment Squadron. The squadron was inactivated in 1991 with the elimination of GLCMs from Europe as a result of the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union (and its successor state, the Russia, Russian Federation). President of the United States, US President Ronald Rea ...
.


Return to bombardment operations

The 11th was redesignated as a
heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...
squadron and equipped with Boeing B-52Hs at Barksdale AFB in 1994 as part of
Air Combat Command The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the prim ...
; it was reassigned to Global Strike Command in 2010. Since 1994, it has trained B-52 combat crews, maintained readiness to deploy in support of national objectives, and maintained ability to sustain heavy firepower in global situations.


Lineage

; 11th Bombardment Squadron * Organized as the 11th Aero Squadron (Day Bombardment) on 26 June 1917 : Redesignated 11th Squadron (Bombardment) on 14 March 1921 : Redesignated 11th Bombardment Squadron on 25 January 1923 : Inactivated on 31 July 1927 * Activated on 1 June 1928 : Redesignated 11th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 6 December 1939 : Redesignated 11th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 15 September 1942 : Redesignated 11th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944 : Inactivated on 2 November 1945 * Consolidated with the 11th Tactical Missile Squadron as the 11th Tactical Missile Squadron on 11 January 1982 ; 11th Bomb Squadron * Constituted as the 11th Pilotless Bomber Squadron, Light on 17 June 1954 : Activated on 1 September 1954 : Redesignated 11th Tactical Missile Squadron on 8 June 1955 : Inactivated on 18 June 1958 * Consolidated with the 11th Bombardment Squadron on 11 January 1982 : Activated on 1 October 1982 : Inactivated on 31 May 1991 * Redesignated 11th Bomb Squadron on 24 June 1994 : Activated on 1 July 1994


Assignments

* Unknown, 26 June 1917–September 1918 * 1st Day Bombardment Group, 10 September–November 1918 * Unknown, November 1918–25 May 1919 * Southern Department, 26 May 1919 * 1st Day Bombardment Group (later 2d Bombardment) Group), 18 September 1919 * Air Corps Training Center, 18–31 July 1927 * 7th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1928 (attached to 17th Bombardment Group, 26 April–2 May 1942) * 341st Bombardment Group, 15 September 1942 – 2 November 1945 *
Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...
, 1 September 1954 *
United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
, 1 July 1956 (attached to 7382d Guided Missile Group after 1 July 1956) * 587th Tactical Missile Group, 15 September 1956 – 18 June 1958 * 501st Tactical Missile Wing, 1 October 1982 – 31 May 1991 * 2d Operations Group, 1 July 1994 – present


Stations

*
Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-use airport, Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he ...
, Texas, 26 June 1917 * Scott Field, Illinois, 12 August 1917 * Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, New York, 6 December 1917 *
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Scotland, 31 December 1917 *
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
, England, 1 January 1918 :: Flight A, D detached to: RFC Stamford, England :: Flight B detached to: RFC Harling Road, England :: Flight C detached to: RFC Feltwell, England * RFC Stamford, England, 1 May 1918 * Winchester, England, 7 August 1918 *
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
, France, 13 August 1918 * St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, France, 14 August 1918 * Romorantin Aerodrome, France, 20 August 1918 * Delouze Aerodrome, France, 26 August 1918 *
Amanty Aerodrome : ''see also: Organization of the Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force'' When the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917, the Air Service of the United States Army existed only as a branch of the Signal Corps, and was kno ...
, France, 6 September 1918 * Maulan Aerodrome, France, 24 September 1918 * Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome, France, 17 January 1919 * Guitres, France, 1 February 1919 * St Denis de Pile, France, 19 February 1919 * Sablons, France, 9 March 1919 *
Libourne Libourne (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Geog ...
, France, 13 April 1919 *
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, France, 16–21 Apr 1919 *
Camp Mills Camp Albert L. Mills (Camp Mills) was a military installation on Long Island, New York (state), New York. It was located about ten miles from the eastern boundary of New York City on the Hempstead Plains within what is now the village of Garden Ci ...
, New York, 1 May 1919 *
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to: People and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
, New York, 2 May 1919 * Hazelhurst Field, New York, 5 May 1919 * Ellington Field, Texas, 26 May 1919 *
Fort Bliss Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Established in 1848, the fort was renamed in 1854 to honor William Wallace Smith Bliss, Bvt.Lieut.Colonel William W.S. Bliss (1815–1853 ...
, Texas, 23 June 1919 (Flight operated from Marfa Field, Texas, c. Aug-c. 5 November 1919) * Kelly Field, Texas, 8 November 1919 * Langley Field, Virginia, 30 June 1922 * March Field, California, 3 Jun-31 Jul 1927 * Rockwell Field, California, 1 June 1928 * March Field, California, 29 October 1931 (operated from Winslow Airport, Arizona, 17–21 Jan 1932) * Hamilton Field, California, 5 December 1934 *
Fort Douglas Fort Douglas (initially called Camp Douglas) was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah. Its purpose was to protect the overland mail route and te ...
, Utah, 7 September 1940 * Salt Lake City Airport, Utah, c. 18 Jan-13 Nov 1941 *
Archerfield Airport Archerfield Airport is a leased federal airport located in Archerfield, Queensland, Archerfield, to the south of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. For some time, it was the primary airport in Brisbane, but it is now the secondary airport. During ...
, Brisbane, Australia, 22 December 1941 : Operated from: Muroc Army Airfield, California, 8-c. 12 December 1941 : Operated from: Singosari Airfield, Java, 13–19 Jan 1942 * Jogjakarta Airfield, Java, 19 Jan-c. 1 March 1942 *
Essendon Airport Essendon Fields Airport , colloquially known by its former name Essendon Airport, is a public airport serving scheduled commercial, corporate-jet, charter and general aviation flights. It is located next to the intersection of the Tullamarin ...
, Melbourne, Australia, c. 4 Mar-6 Apr 1942 * Columbia Army Air Base, South Carolina, c. 26 Apr-2 May 1942 * Karachi Airport, India, c. 20 May 1942 * Allahabad Airport, India, 27 May 1942 * Kunming Airport, China, 4 June 1942 : Detachments operated from: Kweilin, Hengyang, and Nanning, 30 Jun – 20 Jul, 2–6 Aug, and 24 Oct-28 Nov 1942 : Detachment operated from: Dinjan, India, 28 Jun-c. 24 October 1942 : Detachment operated from: Karachi, India, c. May 1942-21 Jun 1943 * Kweilin Airfield, China, 21 June 1943 : Detachments operated from: Hengyang, Suichwan, Nanning, and Lingling, Jun 1943 – Jun 1944 * Yang Tong Airfield, China, 28 June 1944 : Detachments operated from: Kweilin and Liuchow, 28 Jun-1 Nov 1944 * Yangkai Airfield, China, 2 Nov 1944– c. Sep 1945 : Detachment operated from: Laowhangpin, 28 Feb-c. Mar 1945 : Detachment operated from: Chihkiang, 28 Mar-1 Apr 1945 * Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, 1–2 Nov 1945 * Orlando Air Force Base, Florida, 1 Sep 1954 – 21 Jun 1956 *
Sembach Air Base Sembach Kaserne () is a United States Army post in Donnersbergkreis, Germany, near Kaiserslautern. It is approximately east of Ramstein Air Base. From 1995 to 2012 the installation was a United States Air Force installation known as Sembach Air ...
, West Germany, 1 Jul 1956 – 18 Jun 1958 *
RAF Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or more simply RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the England, English county of Berkshire. The airfi ...
, England, 1 Oct 1982 – 31 May 1991 *
Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, in northwest Louisiana. Much of the base is within the city limits of Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwest ...
, Louisiana, 1 Jul 1994–Present


Aircraft and missiles

*
Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" is a series of biplanes built by the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft ...
, 1917 * Standard J-1, 1917 * Dayton-Wright DH-4, 1918–1919; 1919–1927 * Martin MB-2 (1919–1927) * Huff-Daland LB-1 (1926–1927) * Keystone LB-7 (1929–1931) * Douglas O-2 (1928–1931) * Curtiss B-2 Condor (1931–1934) *
Keystone B-3 The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps by Keystone Aircraft in the late 1920s. Design and development The B-3 was originally ordered as the LB-10A (a single-tail modification of the Keystone LB- ...
(1931–1934) *
Keystone B-4 The Keystone B-4 was a biplane bomber aircraft, bomber, built by the Keystone Aircraft company for the United States Army Air Corps. Design and development Originally ordered by the United States Army Air Corps as the LB-13 light bomber. When t ...
(1931–1934) *
Keystone B-6 The Keystone B-6 was a biplane bomber developed by the Keystone Aircraft company for the United States Army Air Corps. Design and development In 1931, the United States Army Air Corps received five working models (Y1B-6s) of the B-6 bomber. The ...
(1931–1934) * Thomas-Morse O-19 (1931–1934) * Douglas O-38 (1931–1934) * Martin B-12 (1934–1936) *
Martin B-10 The Martin B-10 is a bomber aircraft designed by the Glenn L. Martin Company. It was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to be regularly used by the United States Army Air Corps, having entered service in June 1934.Jackson 2003, p. 246. It wa ...
(1936–1937) *
Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas B-18 Bolo is an American twin-engined medium bomber which served with the United States Army Air Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force (as the Digby) during the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was developed by the Douglas Airc ...
(1937–1940) *
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
(1939–1942) * Consolidated LB-30 Liberator (1942) *
North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...
(1942–1945) *
Douglas A-26 Invader The Douglas A-26 Invader (designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined light bomber and attack aircraft, ground attack aircraft. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, the Invader also saw service during ...
(1945) * Martin B-61 (later TM-61) Matador (1954–1958) * BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile (1982–1991) * Boeing B-52H Stratofortress (1994–present)


See also

* List of American aero squadrons * List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force * List of United States Air Force missile squadrons * United States Army Air Forces in Australia


References


Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * *


External links

* {{US Air Force navbox Military units and formations in Louisiana 011 Mackay Trophy winners