| 441st Bombardment Squadron (Currently 441st Air Expeditionary Squadron)  | |
|---|---|
 SquadronBoeing B-52 dropping bombs in Vietnam[a] | |
| Active | 1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1952–1960; 1963–1989; c. 2015 – c. 2018 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Expeditionary support |
| Part of | Air Combat Command |
| Motto | Finis Origine Pendet (Latin for 'The End Depends on the Beginning')[1] |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations European Theater of Operations[1] |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award French Croix de Guerre with Palm[1] |
| Insignia | |
| 441st Air Expeditionary Squadron emblem[b][1] |  |
| 441st Bombardment Squadron emblem[c] |  |
| 441st Bombardment Squadron emblem[d][2] |  |
| 441st Bombardment Squadron emblem[e][3] | .png) |
| 441st Bombardment Squadron emblem[f][3] | .png) |
The441st Air Expeditionary Squadron is a provisionalUnited States Air Force unit. It was converted to provisional status in May 2011. Its last assignment as a regular unit was to the320th Bombardment Wing atMather Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1989. It has been active since, operating a small air base in Syria.
Thesquadron was first activated duringWorld War II as the441st Bombardment Squadron. It served in combat in theMediterranean Theater of Operations, where it earned theDistinguished Unit Citation (DUC) and theFrench Croix de Guerre with Palm for combat operations in Italy. In 1944, it moved north into theEuropean Theater of Operations, where it earned a second DUC. AfterV-E Day, the squadron remained in Germany to participate in the disarmament of theLuftwaffe, then returned to the United States for inactivation.
Although briefly active in thereserve from 1947-1949, the squadron was primarily aStrategic Air Command bomber unit, first withBoeing B-47 Stratojets, then withBoeing B-52 Stratofortresses, serving onnuclear alert with both types of bombers. Although it did not serve as a unit, the squadron was one of the first to deploy aircraft and aircrew forOperation Arc Light missions in Vietnam. It again deployed most of its planes and crews in 1972 to participate inOperation Linebacker II. The squadron was inactivated in 1989, in connection with the reduction of strategic forces and the recommended closure of Mather.
The squadron was first established atMacDill Field, Florida on 1 July 1942 as the441st Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the320th Bombardment Group, aMartin B-26 Marauder medium bomber group.[1][4][5] The squadron trained rapidly in Florida, completing Phase I (individual) Operational Training at MacDill and Phase II (aircrew) Operational Training atDrane Field until beginning to move its aircraft to England in August without starting Phase III (unit) training.l[6]
The air echelon departed forBaer Field, Indiana on 19 August with initial plans calling for the squadron's air echelon to move to Europe via theNorth Atlantic Ferrying Route. At Baer Field, it received B-26s direct from the factory. However, these planes were soon withdrawn and transferred to the319th Bombardment Group, the first B-26group to fly its bombers across the Atlantic.[6][g] The air echelon continued training at Baer Field with the few Marauders it had remaining. After delays continuing to November, it moved toMorrison Field, Florida to begin ferrying its planes using theSouth Atlantic Ferrying Route.[1][6]
The ground echelon of the squadron, meanwhile, departed the United States on theRMS Queen Mary on 5 September, arriving atRAF Hethel on 12 September, and moving toRAF Tibenham at the beginning of October.[1][7] In England, it received additional training from units ofEighth Air Force.[6] It departed for North Africa on 21 November 1942.[1][7] The air echelon never conducted operations from England, with their Marauders arriving in North Africa between December 1942 and January 1943.[4]
The squadron and its aircraft arrived at its first true overseas station,Oran Es Sénia Airport, Algeria, in early January 1943.[1] The squadron had mine dropping equipment installed on its bomb racks for attacks against enemysubmarines. The squadron was withdrawn from antisubmarine combat in February for rest and theantisubmarine mission was transferred to theRoyal Air Force.[8] However, it did not fly its first bombing missions until April 1943, by which time it had moved toMontesquieu Airfield, Algeria from its training base atTafaraoui Airfield, Algeria. Until July 1943, operating from bases in Algeria and Tunisia, it flew missions against enemy shipping on the approaches toTunis It flew missions against Tunisia and participated inOperation Corkscrew, the projected invasion ofPantelleria. The following month it providedair support forOperation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.[4]
The squadron bombedmarshalling yards. bridges airfields, road junctions, viaducts, harbors, fuel and supply dumps, defense positions and other targets in Italy. It supportedOperation Avalanche, the landings nearSalerno, on the Italian mainland, and knocked out targets to aid the seizure ofNaples and to cross theVolturno River. It flew missions againstAnzio andMonte Cassino and flewinterdiction missions in central Italy in preparation for theAllied approach toRome.[1][4]
In November 1943, the squadron moved toDecimomannu Airfield on Sardinia[1] to be better positioned to attack targets in central and northern Italy. Its efforts supporting preparations for and execution of the Allied offensive in central Italy in April through June 1944, including the French breathrough of theGustav Line,[9] earned the squadron aFrench Croix de Guerre with Palm. On 12 May 1944, in the face of an intenseantiaircraft artillery barrage, it bombed enemy troop concentrations nearFondi supportingUnited States Fifth Army's advance on Rome, for which it was awarded aDistinguished Unit Citation (DUC).[1] From June to November 1944, it flew interdiction missions in thePo Valley.[4]
After the Allies carried outOperation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, in August 1944, the squadron flew air support missions there, moving toDijon-Longvic Airfield, France in November. It bombed bridges, railroads, gun positions, barracks, supply and munitions dumps and other targets in France and Germany untilV-E Day. Near the end of the war, on 15 March 1945, the squadron bombedpillboxes, weapons pits, trenches and roads within theSiegfried Line to enable the breakthrough of theUnited States Seventh Army, for which it was awarded a second DUC.[4]
Following the end of the war, the squadron moved toPfreimd, where it took part in Operation Eclipse, the air disarmament campaign, acting as teams to disband theLuftwaffe, and packing its most advanced equipment for shipment back to the US,[10] until the fall, when it moved to France to prepare for return to the US. It departed Europe in November 1945 and was inactivated on its arrival at the Port of Embarkation in December.[1][4]
The 441st was reactivated as areserve unit underAir Defense Command (ADC) atMitchel Field, New York in July 1947 as alight bomber unit. At Mitchel, its training was supervised by the 113th AAF Base Unit (later the 2230th Air Force Reserve Training Center). It does not appear the squadron was fully staffed or equipped with any operational aircraft.[11] In 1948Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve andAir National Guard units from ADC.[12] The 441st was inactivated when Continental Air Command reorganized its reserve units under thewing base organization system in June 1949.[2] The squadron's personnel continuing paid reserve status and its equipment were transferred to elements of the84th Fighter Wing.[13]
During theKorean War, the106th Bombardment Wing, aNew York Air National Guard unit, wasmobilized and assigned toStrategic Air Command (SAC) and trained as aBoeing B-29 Superfortress wing. On 1 December 1952, the 106th Wing was returned to state control and replaced by the320th Bombardment Wing.[14] In connection with this change, the 441st was reactivated,[1] and took over the personnel and Superfortresses of the102d Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously relieved from active duty. Under SAC's new organization, the squadron reported directly to the new wing, and the 320th Group remained inactive.[1][4][j]
In early 1953, the squadron began to replace its B-29s withBoeing B-47B Stratojets. For a while the service test model of the reconnaissance version of this new jet bomber, the YRB-47, was on the squadron's strength.[1] In December, the squadron began training thecadre of B-47 aircrews for the96th Bombardment Wing, which had been activated atAltus Air Force Base with only minimum manning as that station was being reopened. This training continued for a little more than a year.[14][15]
In June 1954, the squadron, along with the entire 320th Wing, deployed as a unit toRAF Brize Norton remaining there until September. It repeated this performance atAndersen Air Force Base, Guam between September 1956 and January 1957. Later in 1957, overseasalert operations changed in character when overseas alert began to be supported by multiple wings, with individuals rotating home during an extended overseasOperation Reflex alert, rather than deploying an entire wing overseas as a unit. Reflex placed Stratojets andBoeing KC-97 Stratofreighters at bases closer to the Soviet Union.[16]
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.[17] From 1958, SAC's B-47 Stratojet squadrons began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. This was designed to meet GeneralThomas S. Power's initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.[18][19]
However, SAC was relying on the longer rangeBoeing B-52 Stratofortress, deciding to reduce the number of B-47 wings at March Air Force Base from two to one. With this reduction, the 441st was inactivated on 15 September 1960.[1]
SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its B-52 wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases.[20] This made it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock our the entireheavy bomber fleet with a surprise first strike.[21] As part of this program, SAC moved the72nd Bombardment Squadron toMather Air Force Base, California, anAir Training Command station,[22] and organized the 4134th Strategic Wing as its headquarters.[23]
However, the 4134th Wing was aMajor Command controlled (MAJCON) wing. MAJCON units could not carry a permanent history or lineage.[24] In 1963, SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue its MAJCON strategic wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history. On 1 February 1963, the441st Bombardment Squadron was reactivated and assumed the B-52Fs, personnel and equipment of the 72nd Bombardment Squadron as the 320th Bombardment Wing replaced the discontinued 4134th Wing.[1][14]
A combat ready unit on activation, the squadron trained for global strategic bombing operations.[14] SAC's alert commitment had increased to maintaining one half of the squadron's bombers on nuclear alert.[19] Additionally, the squadron was periodically tasked underOperation Chrome Dome to maintain two armed aircraft airborne for "airborne alert training."[25]
The squadron's commitment to SAC's nuclear deterrent mission changed in February 1965. Having received training on "iron bombs" since 1964, and having their B-52Fs modified to carry additional bombs on external racks, the squadron was launched toAnderson Air Force Base, Guam in February 1965, where it was joined by B-52Fs the736th Bombardment Squadron fromColumbus Air Force Base, Mississippi and the9th Bombardment Squadron fromCarswell Air Force Base, Texas. However, the first mission of what would becomeOperation Arc Light did not take place until 18 June, when squadron bombers and bombers from the 9th Squadron attackedViet Cong bases near the Cambodian border with the Republic of Viet Nam.[26] Due to a timing error, one cell of B-52s orbited to lose time, causing two cells to run together. A squadron plane and one from the 9th squadron crashed as a result, with all aboard lost.[27] The squadron remained on Guam until July 1965.[14]
GeneralWilliam C. Westmoreland, commander ofU.S. forces in South Vietnam, was convinced the B-52 could play an effective role, and he called for more bombing missions. From June through the end of 1965 squadron and other deployed B-52Fs completed over 100 missions to South Vietnam. These B-52s were used primarily in saturation bombing of Viet Cong base areas, but later they were also used in direct tactical support of the Marine Corps’Operation Harvest Moon and the1st Cavalry Division's fight in theIa Drang Valley.[26]
The squadron returned to Andersen in December 1965. By this time, most B-52 missions were carried out underCombat Skyspot, in which bombing was directed by ground radar stations, rather than being conducted using the B-52 bombardment/navigation system. In February 1966, SAC bomber operations were brought together under theBombardment Wing, Provisional, 4133d The squadron's second tour in Southeast Asia ended in March 1966. By this time the B-52Fs, which had been carrying out the majority of the B-52 deployments to Guam, were replaced by B-52Ds, which had been modified to carry almost twice as many conventional bombs in Project Big Belly.[28] By late June 1966, after one year of participation in the war, the B-52s were dropping approximately 8,000 tons of bombs each month. Missions were flown in all types of weather, night and day. In 1966, over 5,000 B-52 sorties were flown to support operations against the enemy.[26]
With the assumption of the Arc Light mission by B-52D units, the squadron resumed alert and strategic training duties, while maintaining a conventional bombing capability.[14] In 1968, it equipped with newer B-52G model aircraft.[citation needed]. The following year, it began rotating aircrews and aircraft to support operations in Southeast Asia, and in June 1972, once again deployed nearly all its personnel and equipment to support other units there.[1][14] These deployed elements participated inOperation Linebacker II.
Following theParis Peace Accords, the squadron reformed at Mather in October 1973. After it returned, it maintained conventional bombing capabilities until September 1989, when it was inactivated[1] as B-52Gs were being withdrawn from service and Mather was recommended for closure by theCarlucci Commission.
In 2011 the squadron was converted to provisional status as the441st Air Expeditionary Squadron and assigned toAir Combat Command to activate as needed.[1]
Squadron expeditionary operations appear to be classified, although the Department of Defense released a video of the squadron at anOperation Inherent Resolve "undisclosed location" with a dirtrunway supportingLockheed C-130 Hercules andBoeing C-17 Globemaster III operations.[29] TheUnited States Central Command released a photograph of an airman assigned to the squadron handing out clothing near theKobani Landing Zone (LZ), although it did not say he was stationed at Kobani.[30] The Kobani LZ was constructed near the village ofSarrin, with a 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) runway.[31]
In 2018, it was reported by non-military sources that the squadron was operating in Sarrin, in the western portion ofRaqqa Governorate, Syria to supportOperation Inherent Resolve.[32][33]
US forces withdrew from northern Syria in 2019. Russian troops reportedly occupied the evacuated bases. About 500 U.S. troops remained to guard energy facilities in eastern Syria.
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Distinguished Unit Citation | 12 May 1944 | Italy, 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Distinguished Unit Citation | 15 March 1945 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
 | Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 15 June 2018–19 April 2019 | 441st Air Expeditionary Squadron[40] |
| Air Force Meritorious Unit Award | 1 May 2019–5 May 2020 | 441st Air Expeditionary Squadron[40] |
 | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 18 June-31 July 1965 and 1 December 1965-1 March 1966 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 2 March-1 April 1966 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1974-30 June 1976 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | 1 July 1981-30 June 1983 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
 | French Croix de Guerre with Palm | April, May, and June 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tunisia | 9 January 1943–13 May 1943 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Antisubmarine, EAME Theater | 9 January 1943–April 1943 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Air Combat, EAME Theater | 9 January 1943–11 May 1945 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Sicily | 14 May 1943–17 August 1943 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Naples-Foggia | 18 August 1943–21 January 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Anzio | 22 January 1944–24 May 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Rome-Arno | 22 January 1944–9 September 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Southern France | 15 August 1944–14 September 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| North Apennines | 10 September 1944–11 November 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Northern France | 25 July 1944–14 September 1944 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Rhineland | 11 November 1944–21 March 1945 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944–21 May 1945 | 441st Bombardment Squadron[1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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