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762nd Bombardment Squadron
762nd Bombardment Squadron
	460th Bombardment Group B-24 Liberators
Active	1943–1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Heavy bomber
Engagements	Mediterranean Theater of Operations
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation

The 762nd Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit, activated during World War II. After training in the United States throughout 1943, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. From early 1944, the squadron participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions. Following V-E Day, the squadron moved to Brazil, where it became part of Air Transport Command, returning troops to the United States. It was inactivated on 26 September 1945.

History

The 762nd Bombardment Squadron was first activated at Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico on 1 July 1943 as one of the four original squadrons assigned to the 460th Bombardment Group.^[1]^[2] A cadre of the unit's air echelon was sent to Orlando Army Air Base, Florida for specialized training with the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics. In August, the unit was filled out with ground personnel at Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, then moved to Chatham Army Air Field, Georgia to complete its training with Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers.^[3] Upon completing training, the squadron departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in January 1944.^[1]^[2]

The squadron completed its deployment to Spinazzola Airfield, Italy by the middle of February 1944, and entered the strategic bombing campaign against Germany the following month, with an attack on a marshalling yard and docks at Metković, Yugoslavia.^[4] It attacked oil refineries and storage facilities, railroads, industrial areas, including aircraft manufacturing plants in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Yugoslavia.^[2]

On 26 July 1944, the squadron was part of a 460th Group formation that led the 55th Bombardment Wing on an attack against an airfield and aircraft manufacturing plant at Zwolfaxing, Austria. It attacked the target despite heavy defensive flak and adverse weather, for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.^[2]

The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic bombing mission to perform air interdiction and close air support missions. In August 1944, it supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, by attacking submarine pens, marshalling yards and artillery batteries in the area of the amphibious landings. It struck lines of communications, railroads, ammunition dumps and other targets in connection with Operation Grapeshot, the Spring 1945 Allied offensive in Northern Italy.^[2] The squadron flew its last mission against a target in northern Italy on 26 April 1945.^[4]

After V-E Day, the 460th Group and its squadrons were transferred to the South Atlantic Division, Air Transport Command, moving to Parnamirim Field, near Natal, Brazil to participate in the Green Project. The project was tasked with transporting 50,000 military personnel a month from the European and Mediterranean Theaters back to the United States, with priority for those who were under orders to redeploy to the Pacific to fight against the Japanese.^[5] The squadron's combat veterans resented this assignment,^[6] but continued supporting the project until inactivating on 26 September 1945.^[1]

Lineage

Constituted as the 762d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 July 1943

Redesignated 762d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 3 September 1944

Inactivated on 26 September 1945^[1]

Assignments

460th Bombardment Group, 1 July 1943 – 26 September 1945^[1]

Stations

Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, 1 July 1943
Kearns Army Air Base, Utah, 31 August 1943
Chatham Army Air Field, Georgia, 29 October 1943 – 3 January 1944
Spinazzola Airfield, Italy, c. 11 February 1944 – 6 June 1945
Waller Field, Trinidad, 15 June 1945
Parnamirim Field, Brazil, 30 June – 26 September 1945^[1]

Aircraft

Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945^[1]

Awards and campaigns

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Distinguished Unit Citation	26 July 1944	Austria^[1]

Campaign	Dates	Notes
Air Offensive, Europe	c. 11 February 1944 – 5 June 1944	^[1]
Air Combat, EAME Theater	c. 11 February 1944 – 11 May 1945	^[1]
Rome-Arno	c. 11 February 1944 – 9 September 1944	^[1]
Central Europe	22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945	^[1]
Normandy	6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944	^[1]
Northern France	25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944	^[1]
Southern France	15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944	^[1]
North Apennines	10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945	^[1]
Rhineland	15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945	^[1]
Po Valley	3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945	^[1]
American Theater without inscription	15 June 1945 – 25 September 1945	^[1]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 742
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Maurer, Combat Units, p. 335
^ Glantzburg, Hughes. "460th Bombardment Group (H): History of the 460th Bombardment Group". 15af.com. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
^ ^a ^b Glantzburg, Hughes. "460th Bombardment Group (H): 460th Bombardment Group Targets 1944–1945" (PDF). 15af.com. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
^ Heck, pp. 216–217
^ Heck, p. 219

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Heck, Frank H (1955). "Traffic Homeward Bound" (PDF). In Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. VII. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
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.