The squadron was first activated during World War II. After training in the United States, it moved to England, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The squadron twice was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat actions. Following V-E Day, the squadron moved to Morocco, where it participated in the transportation of military personnel back to the United States until it was inactivated in June 1945.
The squadron was reactivated in 1958 as a Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber squadron, in response to Strategic Air Command's increased alert commitment. In 1960, it became non-operational, preparing for inactivation.
On 20 December 1943, a B-17 of the squadron was involved in an encounter with a Bf 109 that came to light in the late 1980s—the German fighter pilot, Franz Stigler, held his fire to allow the damaged B-17 and its injured crew to return to England.[5]
The squadron received a second DUC for its attack on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft factory at Oschersleben and the Junkers factory at Halberstadt on 11 January 1944. The programmed fighter escort encountered prohibitive weather, as did two of the three divisions making the attack. However, weather in the east was sufficiently clear that the Luftwaffe was able to assemble the largest interceptor force to oppose an attack for the preceding three months. However, the squadron flew into enemy territory without fighter escort to complete its mission.[2][3][6]
The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing campaign to perform close air support and interdiction missions. It supported Operation Crossbow by attacking V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket launch sites. It bombed airfields, radar stations and other installations to prepare for Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion in June 1944. On D-Day, it bombed defended positions just ahead of the Allied landings and struck airfields, rail choke points, and gun emplacements during the campaign that followed.[3]
During the Northern France Campaign, the squadron bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops during Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo on 24 and 25 July 1944. It attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 through January 1945 and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, from February to March 1945.[3] The squadron flew its last mission on 25 April 1945.[4]
After V-E Day the squadron was detailed for the Green Project, which called for moving 50,000 American troops back to the United States each month.[7] The squadron moved to Casablanca Airfield, French Morocco, but in June, Air Transport Command decided to use its own, more flexible organization[c] for the project and the squadron was inactivated on 25 July 1945.[2][3]
Strategic Air Command
From 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power's initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike.[8] To implement this new system B-47 wings reorganized from three to four squadrons.[8][9] The 527th was activated at Homestead Air Force Base as the fourth squadron of the 379th Bombardment Wing. The 379th Wing became nonoperational in October 1960 in preparation for conversion to the Boeing B-52H Stratofortress, and the squadron was inactivated on 9 January 1961.[2][9][10]
Lineage
Constituted as the 527th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 October 1942
Activated on 3 November 1942
Redesignated 527th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943
Inactivated on 25 July 1945
Redesignated 527th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 20 August 1958
^Approved 29 March 1943. Description: On a disc yellow, a pale black, surmounted by two white aerial bombs in saltire and a death's head yellow, trimmed black and white, all drop shadowed of black.
^Aircraft is Lockheed Vega built Boeing B-17G-15-VE Flying Fortress, serial 42-97462, FO-O. It force landed on the Continent of Europe on 8 September 1944 and was salvaged on 14 November 1944. Baugher, Joe (7 March 2023). "1942 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
^Air Transport Command had reorganized its overseas units under the AAF Base Unit System in 1944. See Goss, p. 75 for the reasons for this reorganization.
Freeman, Roger A. (1970). The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force). London, England, UK: Macdonald and Company. ISBN978-0-87938-638-2.
Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II(PDF). Vol. VI: Men & Planes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. LCCN48003657. OCLC704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Heck, Frank H (1955). "Air Transport, Chapter 8 Traffic Homeward Bound". In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II(PDF). Vol. VII: Services Around the World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. LCCN48003657. OCLC704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
Watkins, Robert (2008). Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force in World War II. Vol. I (VIII) Bomber Command. Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN978-0-7643-1987-7.
