The 830th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive

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 ...

unit. Its last assignment was with the

509th Bombardment Wing The 509th Bomb Wing (509 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command, Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The 509 BW is the host unit at Whiteman, and operates th ...

Pease Air Force Base Pease, in Middle English, was a noun referring to the vegetable pea; see that article for its etymology. The word survives into modern English in pease pudding. Pease may also refer to: People * Pease family (Darlington), a prominent family in Da ...

, New Hampshire. It was active 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 ...

in the

Mediterranean Theater of Operations The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army for ...

as a

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

unit, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned 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 ...

. Following

V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...

, the squadron returned to the United States and began training with the

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...

Smoky Hill Army Air Field Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is located in Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, and has service by one passenger airline, SkyWest ...

, Kansas. When its parent

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

was inactivated in 1946, it moved to

Roswell Army Air Field Roswell may refer to: * Roswell incident * Roswell, New Mexico, known for the purported 1947 UFO incident (see other uses below) Places in the United States * Roswell, Colorado, a former settlement now part of Colorado Springs * Roswell, Georgia ...

, New Mexico, where it joined the United States' first

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

-capable unit, the

509th Composite Group The 509th Composite Group (509 CG) was a unit of the United States Army Air Forces created during World War II and tasked with the operational deployment of nuclear weapons. It conducted the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in ...

. The squadron remained part of the 509th until it was inactivated when the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

converted to the

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the ...

History

World War II

The squadron was activated at

Fairmont Army Air Field Fairmont State Airfield is three miles south of Fairmont, in Fillmore County, Nebraska. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a ''general aviation'' facility. It has no scheduled airline service. ...

, Nebraska as one of the four that made up the

485th Bombardment Group 485th may refer to: * 485th Aero Construction Squadron, part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico * 485th Air Expeditionary Wing, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command * 485t ...

. It trained with

s until March 1944, when it deployed to the

. The squadron's ground echelon arrived at its base at

Venosa Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Forces' Fifteenth Air Force as part of the st ...

, Italy in April, but when the air echelon arrived in theater, it remained in Tunisia for additional training.Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 356–357 The squadron entered combat in May 1944, and primarily flew during the long range strategic bombing missions against targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia, bombing

marshalling yard A classification yard (American English, as well as the Canadian National Railway), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, and Australian English, and the former Canadian Pacific Railway) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway y ...

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...

airfield An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

s, heavy industry, and other strategic objectives. The squadron was awarded a

for continuing an attack on an oil refinery near

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria on 26 June 1944 despite heavy fighter opposition. The 830th was occasionally diverted from the strategic campaign to carry out some support and

interdiction Interdiction is interception of an object prior to its arrival at the location where it is to be used in military, espionage, and law enforcement. Military In the military, interdiction is the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy f ...

operations. It struck bridges, harbors, and troop concentrations in August 1944 to aid with

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...

, the invasion of Southern France. It also hit communications lines and other targets during March and April 1945 to support the advance of the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...

in northern Italy in

Operation Grapeshot The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. The attack in the Lombard Plain by the 15th Allied Army Group started on 6 ...

. The unit departed Italy in May 1945. In late July, it reassembled at

Sioux City Army Air Base The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translation: ...

, Iowa and was redesignated as a very heavy unit the following month. In September, it moved to

, Kansas and began training with

es.

Strategic Air Command

When

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile compon ...

(SAC) was formed in March 1946, the squadron became one of its first operational squadrons. In May 1946, the 830th became part of the

and moved to

Walker Army Air Field Walker Army Airfield (also known as Victoria-Pratt Airfield or Walker-Hays Airfield) is an abandoned airfield located north of Interstate 70 in Ellis County, Kansas, Ellis County, 1 mile northwest of Walker, Kansas or 3 miles northeast of Victor ...

the following month. The 509th Group, soon redesignated the 509th Bombardment Group, "provided the nucleus for ACs atomic striking force".Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp 371–372 Group crews and aircraft participated in

Operation Crossroads Operation Crossroads was a pair of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. They were the first nuclear weapon tests since Trinity on July 16, 1945, and the first detonations of nuclear devices sinc ...

, atomic testing in the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...

during 1946. With the advent of the

Convair B-36 Peacemaker The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built, although it was exceeded in spa ...

, the B-29 was no longer considered a very heavy bomber, and the squadron was redesignated as a medium unit in July 1948. The squadron began upgrading to the

Boeing B-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is a retired American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin ...

, an advanced version of the B-29 in 1949. The B-50 gave the unit the capability to carry heavy loads of conventional weapons faster and farther as well as being designed for atomic bomb missions if necessary. SAC’s mobilization for the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

highlighted that SAC wing commanders focused too much on running the base organization and did not spend 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.Deaile, pp. 175–176 In February 1951, the 509th Group became nonoperational and the squadron was attached directly to the

, and was assigned directly to the wing in June 1952.Ravenstein, pp, 276–278 The squadron deployed as an element of the wing to SAC airfields in England three times, and once to

Andersen Air Force Base Andersen Air Force Base (Andersen AFB, AAFB) is a United States Air Force base located primarily within the village of Yigo in the United States territory of Guam. The host unit at Andersen AFB is the 36th Wing (36 WG), assigned to the Pacif ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

on long-term deployments in the 1950s. The squadron moved into the jet age when it received new, swept wing

Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

s in 1955. Three years later, the squadron moved to a new base at

, New Hampshire, where it continued to operate the Stratojet. The squadron became non-operational in November 1965, as the 509th Wing prepared for inactivation. This plan was changed and the wing converted to the

instead. However, under SAC's dispersal plan, B-52 wings had only a single bombardment squadron,''See'' Knaack, p. 252 and the 830th was inactivated on 25 June 1966.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 830th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 September 1943 : Activated on 20 September 1943 : Redesignated 830th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1944 : Redesignated 830th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945 : Redesignated 830th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 2 July 1948Lineage information, including assignments, stations and aircraft through May 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 773 : Inactivated on 25 June 1966''See'' Ravenstein, pp, 276–278 (end of assignment to 509th Wing), Mueller, p. 470 (end of stationing at Pease AFB.)

Assignments

* 485th Bombardment Group, 20 September 1943 * 509th Composite Group (later 509th Bombardment Group), 6 May 1946 (attached to 509th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947 – 1 August 1948, 1 August 1948 – 14 September 1948 and after 1 February 1951) * 509th Bombardment Wing, 16 June 1952 – 25 June 1966

Stations

* Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska, 20 September 1943 – 11 March 1944 * Venosa Airfield, Italy, c. 30 April 1944 – c. 9 May 1945 * Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa, 24 July 1945 * Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 8 September 1945 * Roswell Army Air Field (Later Walker Air Force Base), New Mexico, 23 June 1946 * Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, 1 July 1958 – 25 June 1966Mueller, p. 470

Aircraft

* Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945 * Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1952 * Boeing B-50 Superfortress, 1951–1955 * Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955–1966

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes ; Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * ; Further reading * {{USAAF 2d Air Force World War II Bombardment squadrons of the United States Air Force World War II strategic bombing units Military units and formations established in 1943 Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces Units and formations of Strategic Air Command