819th Bombardment Squadron

History

Organization and antisubmarine warfare

The squadron was first activated at Langley Field, Virginia in January 1941 as the 39th Bombardment Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the 13th Bombardment Group. The squadron was equipped with a mix of Douglas B-18 Bolos and North American B-25 Mitchells. In June, the 39th and its parent group moved to Orlando Army Air Base, Florida.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron was ordered to search for German U-boats off the southeast coast. For a brief period in December 1941, it maintained a detachment at Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia. As antisubmarine warfare assets were realigned to meet the growing threat in the North Atlantic, the 13th Group moved to Westover Field, Massachusetts. To provide better coverage, the group's squadrons were dispersed, and the 39th moved to Dover Army Air Field, Delaware.

In October 1942, the AAF organized its antisubmarine forces into the single Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, which established the 25th Antisubmarine Wing the following month to control its forces operating over the Atlantic. Its bombardment group headquarters, including the 13th, were inactivated and the squadron, now designated the 3d Antisubmarine Squadron, was assigned directly to the 25th Wing.

Combat in the Pacific

With its antisubmarine mission ended, the squadron once again became a bomber unit, moving to join the 30th Bombardment Group at March Field, California as the 819th Bombardment Squadron. At March, it converted to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and replaced the 30th Group's 21st Bombardment Squadron, which had deployed to Alaska to participate in the Aleutian Campaign in 1942. At full strength with the addition of the 819th, the 30th Group deployed to Hawaii as part of VII Bomber Command in October 1942.

The 30th Group moved forward to the Ellice Islands the following month,

in March 1945, the squadron returned to Wheeler Field, Hawaii, where it flew training and patrol missions until inactivating in November 1945.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 39th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 November 1940 : Activated on 15 January 1941 : Redesignated: 3d Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) on 29 November 1942 : Redesignated: 819th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 22 September 1943 : Inactivated on 30 November 1945

Assignments

• 13th Bombardment Group, 15 January 1941
• 25th Antisubmarine Wing, 30 November 1942
• 30th Bombardment Group, 11 October 1943 – 30 November 1945

Stations

• Langley Field, Virginia, 15 January 1941
• Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 6 June 1941 : Detachment operated from Savannah Army Air Base, Georgia, 8–14 December 1941
• Westover Field, Massachusetts, 20 January 1942
• Dover Army Air Field, Delaware, 19 July 1942
• Fort Dix Army Air Field, New Jersey, 28 February 1943
• March Field, California, 22 September-4 October 1943
• Barking Sands Army Air Field, Hawaii, 22 October 1943
• Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 12 November 1943 – 9 July 1944
• Kobler Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, 25 July 1944
• Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 17 March 1945
• Kahuku Army Air Field, Hawaii, 26 September-30 November 1945

Aircraft

• Douglas B-18 Bolo, 1941–1942
• North American B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1943
• Lockheed A-29 Hudson, 1942
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

References

1. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 768
2. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 56-57
3. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 437
4. Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 388–389
5. Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 110
6. Bonin]] and [[Volcano Islands]] and attacked bypassed islands in the [[Caroline Islands. Caroline]] and [[Mariana Islands. Mariana]] Islands until [[Iwo Jima]] was occupied. Its final bombing mission was at Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945,{{citation needed. (August 2020 the same day three Marine divisions invaded the island.Wright, p. 23)