435th Bombardment Squadron

435th Bombardment Squadron
	Emblem of the 435th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1942–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Role	Bombardment

Boeing B-17E Fortress 41-2656, "Chief of Seattle" was assigned to the 435th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group on 29 May 1942. Lost over Buna, Papua New Guinea, 14 August 1942 on a reconnaissance mission, crew MIA

The 435th Bombardment Squadron, also known as the "Kangaroo" Squadron,^[1] is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eighth Air Force 333d Bombardment Group, based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on May 28, 1946.

History

Formed in Australia in early 1942 by a combination of Fifth Air Force personnel and B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft that escaped from the Philippines and replacement aircraft that reached Australia from Hawaii and via the South Atlantic air ferry route from Florida, and arriving in Western Australia. As the 40th Reconnaissance Squadron, the squadron evacuated General Douglas MacArthur and President Manuel Quezon from Del Monte Field in the Philippine Islands in March 1942.

Redesignated as 435th Bombardment Squadron and engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in New Guinea; Coral Sea and Solomon Islands from Northern Queensland. Withdrawn from combat in November 1942 when the B-17C/E models in Australia were replaced by long-range B-24 Liberators, and the unit was returned to the United States and became an operational training unit with II Bomber Command for replacement B-17 personnel.

In April 1945, re-equipped with B-29 Superfortresses and assigned to Eighth Air Force on Okinawa during August 1945. Never engaged in combat due to Japanese Capitulation in August 1945. Remained on Okinawa until inactivated in May 1946.

Lineage

40th Reconnaissance Squadron formed on March 14, 1942, by authority of War Department but apparently without formal constitution and activation.

Redesignated 435th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on April 22, 1942

Inactivated on April 1, 1944.

Redesignated 435th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) Activated on April 1, 1944

Inactivated on May 10, 1944

Activated on July 7, 1944.

Inactivated on May 28, 1946.

Assignments

19th Bombardment Group, March 14, 1942 – April 1, 1944

Attached to Allied Air Forces, c. July 17 – c. September 24, 1942

19th Bombardment Group, April 1 – May 10, 1944
333d Bombardment Group, July 7, 1944 – May 28, 1946.

Stations

RAAF Base Townsville, Australia, March 14 – c. November 15, 1942
Pocatello AAF, Idaho, C. December 30, 1943
Pyote AAB, Texas, January 5, 1943 – April 1, 1944
Great Bend AAF, Kansas, April 1 – May 10, 1944
Dalhart AAF, Texas, July 7, 1944
Great Bend AAF, Kansas, December 10, 1944 – June 19, 1945
Kadena AB, Okinawa, August 5, 1945 – May 28, 1946.

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1944
B-29 Superfortress 1944–1946

References

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

↑ http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/usaaf/435th.htm

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

External links

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[1] ttp://home.st.net.au/~dunn/usaaf/435th.htm