| 832nd Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
 486th Bombardment GroupB-17 Flying Fortresses | |
| Active | 1943-1945 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | heavy bomber |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations |
| Insignia | |
| 832nd Bombardment Squadron emblem[1] |  |
| Squadron fuselage code | 3R[1] |
The832nd Bombardment Squadron is an inactiveUnited States Army Air Forces unit. It trained as aConsolidated B-24 Liberator unit, and deployed with its planes to theEuropean Theater of Operations, entering combat in thestrategic bombing campaign against Germany on 7 May 1944. In July 1944, thesquadron converted toBoeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, continuing combat with the486th Bombardment Group until April 1945. FollowingV-E Day it returned toDrew Field, Florida, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
The 832nd Bombardment Squadron was activated atMcCook Army Air Field, Nebraska on 20 September 1943 as one of the originalsquadrons of the486th Bombardment Group. After organizing as aConsolidated B-24 Liberator unit, it moved toDavis-Monthan Field, Arizona in November and trained for combat. The squadron began deploying overseas in early March 1944.[2][3] Its air echelon flew its Liberators along the southern ferry route.[4]
The squadron arrived at its combat station,RAF Sudbury the following month. It flew its first combat mission on May 7.[4] It conductedstrategic bombing missions against industrial facilities, includingoil refineries and petroleum storage facilities at Dollbergen,Hamburg andMerseburg and factories atMannheim andWeimar. It also struck at transportation targets, such asmarshalling yards nearKöln,Mainz andStuttgart;airfields atKassel andMünster; and harbor installations atBremen andKiel.[3] On 19 July 1944, along with the other B-24 units of the92d Bombardment Wing, the squadron was taken off operations and began conversion to theBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress. This would mark the beginning of the change of the3d Bombardment Division to an All-B-17 unit. The group completed its conversion and resumed operations by 1 August, while its Liberators were sent to depots in England for eventual transfer as replacements to2d Bombardment Division groups.[4][5]
The squadron was occasionally diverted from strategic targets to support ground forces. Preparing forOperation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, it attacked bridges,V-weapons launch sites, and airfields. OnD-Day it bombed gun positions. AsAllied forces advanced across northern France in the summer of 1944, it attacked troop concentrations and road junctions. DuringOperation Market Garden, it struck gun positions nearArnhem to minimize losses amongglider andparatroopers attempting to seize bridges across theRhine River. In December 1944 and January 1945 it supported troops fighting theBattle of the Bulge. In the spring of 1945 it supportedOperation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine.[3] The squadron flew its last mission on 21 April 1945.[4]
The squadron remained in England until August 1945, when it returned to the United States. Its aircraft began departing in early July, while its ground echelon sailed on theRMS Queen Elizabeth on 25 August, arriving inNew York City six days later.[4] The 832nd reassembled atDrew Field, Florida in September, but was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.[2]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Offensive, Europe | 5 April 1944–5 June 1944 | [2] |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 5 April 1944–11 May 1945 | [2] |
| Normandy | 6 June 1944–24 July 1944 | [2] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944–14 September 1944 | [2] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944–21 March 1945 | [2] |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944–25 January 1945 | [2] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944–21 May 1945 | [2] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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