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834th Bombardment Squadron

Field	Value
unit_name	834th Bombardment Squadron
image	486bg-b17.jpg
image_size	300
caption	486th Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortresses
dates	1943–1945
country
branch
role	Heavy bomber
nickname	Zodiac Squadron
battles	European Theater of Operations
identification_symbol	[[File: 834th Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png	165px]]
identification_symbol_label	834th Bombardment Squadron emblem
identification_symbol_2	2S
identification_symbol_2_label	Squadron fuselage code

The 834th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Army Air Forces unit. It trained as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit, and deployed with its planes to the European Theater of Operations, entering combat in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany on 7 May 1944. In July 1944, the squadron converted to Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, continuing combat with the 486th Bombardment Group until April 1945. Following V-E Day it returned to Drew Field, Florida, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.

History

The 834th Bombardment Squadron was activated at McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska on 20 September 1943 as one of the original squadrons of the 486th Bombardment Group. After organizing as a Consolidated B-24 Liberator unit, it moved to Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona in November and trained for combat. The squadron began deploying overseas in early March 1944. Its air echelon flew its Liberators along the southern ferry route.

The squadron arrived at its combat station, RAF Sudbury, the following month. The squadron became known as the "Zodiac Squadron" from the pictures of the zodiac figures painted on their noses. A commercial artist named Phil Brinkman, from Chicago, was responsible for the pin-up nose art of the B-24 Liberators. It flew its first combat mission on May 7.

The squadron was occasionally diverted from strategic targets to support ground forces. Preparing for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, it attacked bridges, V-weapons launch sites, and airfields. On D-Day it bombed gun positions. As Allied forces advanced across northern France in the summer of 1944, it attacked troop concentrations and road junctions. During Operation Market Garden, it struck gun positions near Arnhem to minimize losses among glider and paratroopers attempting to seize bridges across the Rhine River. In December 1944 and January 1945 it supported troops fighting the Battle of the Bulge. In the spring of 1945 it supported Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine. The squadron flew its last mission on 21 April 1945.

The squadron remained in England until August 1945, when it returned to the United States. Its aircraft began departing in early July, while its ground echelon sailed on the on 25 August, arriving in New York City six days later. The 834th reassembled at Drew Field, Florida in September, but was inactivated there on 7 November 1945.

Lineage

Constituted as the 834th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 September 1943 : Activated on 20 September 1943
Redesignated 834th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 1944 : Inactivated on 7 November 1945

Assignments

486th Bombardment Group, 20 September 1943 – 7 November 1945

Stations

McCook Army Air Field, Nebraska, 20 September 1943
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 9 November 1943 – 9 March 1944
RAF Sudbury (Station 158), England, 5 April 1944 – August 1945
Drew Field, Florida, 3 September – 7 November 1945

Aircraft

Consolidated B-24H Liberator, 1943–1944
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, 1944–1945

Campaigns

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Air Offensive, Europe	5 April 1944–5 June 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Air Combat, EAME Theater	5 April 1944–11 May 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Normandy	6 June 1944–24 July 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Northern France	25 July 1944–14 September 1944
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Rhineland	15 September 1944–21 March 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Ardennes-Alsace	16 December 1944–25 January 1945
[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG	200px]]	Central Europe	22 March 1944–21 May 1945

References

Notes

; Explanatory notes

; Citations

Bibliography

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References

Watkins, p. 110
Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 774-775
Maurer, ''Combat Units'', p. 357
Freeman, p. 260
Valant, pp. 13-15.
It conducted [[strategic bombing during World War II#US bombing in Europe
Station number in Anderson, p. 22.
Station information in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 774-775, except as noted.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

bombardment-squadrons-of-the-united-states-army-air-forces world-war-ii-strategic-bombing-units military-units-and-formations-established-in-1943

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