643d Bombardment Squadron

643d Bombardment Squadron

Douglas A-26 Invader of the 409th Bombardment Group
Active 1943-1945
Country  United States
Branch United States Army Air Forces
Role Light Bombardment
Part of 409th Bombardment Group
Insignia
643d Bombardment Squadron Emblem (approved 18 January 1944)[1]

The 643d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. After training with Douglas A-20 Havocs in the United States the squadron deployed to the European Theater of World War II, where it engaged in combat until the Surrender of Germany. It was last assigned to the 409th Bombardment Group at Westover Field, Massachusetts, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

History

The 643d Bombardment Squadron was activated in June 1943 at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma[1] as one of the four original squadrons of the 409th Bombardment Group.[2] The squadron trained under Third Air Force in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana with A-20 Havoc light bombardment aircraft.[2]

The squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in March 1944, where it became part of IX Bomber Command of Ninth Air Force.[2]

The 643d initially flew sweeps over Occupied France from its base in England, attacking coastal defenses, V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites, airfields, and other targets in France in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. After D-Day, the squadron supported ground forces during the Battle of Normandy by hitting gun batteries, rail lines, bridges, communications, and other objectives. During July 1944, it aided the Allied offensive at Caen and the breakthrough at Saint-Lô with attacks on enemy troops, flak positions, fortified villages, and supply dumps.[2]

The squadron moved to Advanced Landing Grounds in France in September 1944, providing Third Army with close air support in its advance toward Germany through November.[2]

In December, the squadron converted to Douglas A-26 Invaders. It then participated in the Battle of the Bulge by attacking lines of communications and logistics. The squadron continued combat operations until May, flying its last combat mission against an ammunition dump in Czechoslovakia on 3 May.[2]

The unit returned to the United States and initially was assigned to Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina where it prepared to deploy to the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) for operations against the Japanese Home Islands. The deployment to the Pacific Theater was cancelled with the Surrender of Japan in August. The 643d was inactivated at Westover Field, Massachusetts in early November.[1]

Lineage

Redesignated 643d Bombardment Squadron, Light in 1944
Inactivated on 7 November 1945[1]

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft

Campaigns

Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe7 March 1944 – 5 June 1944[1]
Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944[1]
Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944[1]
Rhineland`5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945[1]
Ardennes-Alsace16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945[1]
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater7 March 1944 – 11 May 1945[1]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 691–692
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 294–295
  3. ↑ Station number in Anderson
  4. 1 2 Station number in Johnson

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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