792d Bombardment Squadron

The squadron was first organized at Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas on 1 August 1943 as one of the four original squadrons of the 468th Bombardment Group. It was intended to be a Boeing B-29 Superfortress squadron, however due to the lack of B-29 availability, it was initially equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. The squadron completed its training and deployed from the United States to India in March 1944, flying across the South Atlantic and Africa to reach its combat station.[1][2]

The squadron arrived at Kharagpur Airfield, Bengal in mid-April. Its initial missions were transporting supplies and equipment to staging airfields in China, and it did not fly its first combat mission until 5 June, when it participated in a raid on railroad repair facilities near Bangkok, Thailand. Ten days later, it participated in the first attack on the Japanese Home Islands since the Doolittle Raid two years earlier.[2]

The unit staged through bases not only in China for attacks on Japan, but from other bases in India and Ceylon. It conducted mining operations off the coasts of French Indochina, near Saigon and China, near Shanghai. It attacked Japanese targets in Southeast Asia, including aircraft factories, naval installations, transportation facilities and iron works, and it flew sorties to targets as distant as Indonesia. In August 1944, the squadron struck a steel factory in Yawata, Japan, earning its first Distinguished Unit Citation.[1][2]

The squadron abandoned its forward bases in China in January 1945, but continued attacks from Indian airfields. It attacked a supply dump in Rangoon, Burma; rail targets near Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lampur, Malaya, and the drydock in Singapore. On 4 May, the squadron left its base in India for the island of Tinian, although elements of the 468th Group had begun moving as early as February.[1][2]

The squadron arrived at its new base at West Field (Tinian) in the Mariana Islands on 7 May 1945. The squadron was able to operate from its new base against Japan without the need to use forward bases. Most of its attacks were night time raids with incendiary bombs. Is attacks in late May with incendiaries against Tokyo and Yokohama earned the squadron its second DUC. It participated against some strategic targets from high altitude, and earned a third DUC for a daylight attack on an aircraft manufacturing plant at Takarazuka. The squadron also continued minelaying missions.[2]

Following V-J Day, squadron Superfortesses dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war. It also participated in show of force missions.[2]

The squadron departed Tinian in November 1945 and reassembled at Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas in December. With the beginning of the new year, the squadron moved to Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, where it began to train again with the Superfortress. When Strategic Air Command (SAC) was formed in March, the squadron became one of SAC's first units. However it did not remain long with SAC, but was inactivated at the end of the month.[1][2]

An F-4 at George AFB

The squadron's other predecessor, the 782d Tactical Fighter Squadron, was activated at George Air Force Base, California in April 1964 as an element of the 32d Tactical Fighter Wing. The unit began training with the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, when the Air Force decided to replace the 32d Wing with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing,[3] which moved on paper to George from Japan.[4] The squadron inactivated and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 433d Tactical Fighter Squadron.[5]

The two squadrons were consolidated as the 782d Tactical Air Support Training Squadron on 19 September 1985.[6]

• 468th Bombardment Group, 1 August 1943 – 31 March 1946[1]
• 32d Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 April–25 July 1964[3]

• Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 1 August 1943 – 12 March 1944
• Kharagpur Airfield, Bengal, India, c. 13 April 1944 – 4 May 1945
• West Airfield, Tinian, 7 May–15 November 1945
• Fort Worth Army Air Field, Texas, 1 December 1945
• Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, 9 January–31 March 1946[9]
• George Air Force Base, 1 April–25 July 1964[10]

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943[1]
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1943–1946[1]
• McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1964[3]

Explanatory notes

Citations

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

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• 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.
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.