795th Bombardment Squadron

795th Bombardment Squadron
Active	1943-1944
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Type	Bombardment

The 795th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 468th Bombardment Group stationed at Kharagpur Airfield, India. It was inactivated on 12 October 1944.

History

Established in early 1943 as one of the first B-29 Superfortress squadron; however no B-29s were yet available for operational use. Trained with B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses throughout 1943. Received early model B-29s and prototype YB-29s beginning in August 1943, however aircraft were still undergoing development and were frequently modified by Boeing technicians in the field while the squadron was undergoing training in Kansas.

Deployed to India in early 1944; several aircraft breaking down en route via South Atlantic Transport route from Florida to Brazil then to Liberia; across central Africa and Arabia, arriving in Karachi, India in March 1944. Arrived at converted B-24 airfield in eastern India in mid-April 1944. Aircraft still undergoing modifications while transporting munitions and fuel to forward airfield in central China; staging first attacks on Japanese Home Islands since the 1942 Doolittle Raid. Lack of logistical support limited number of attacks on Japan from Chinese staging airfields; squadron also attacked strategic enemy targets in Thailand; Indochina and Malay Peninsula.

Squadron inactivated by special order of XX Bomber Command with personnel and equipment merged into other group squadrons in October 1944

Operations and Decorations

• Combat Operations: Combat in CBI, 5 Jun-26 Sep 1944.
• Campaigns: India-Burma; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive.
• Decorations: Distinguished Unit Citation Yawata, Japan, 20 Aug 1944.

Lineage

• Constituted 792nd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 May 1943

Activated on 1 Aug 1943

Redesignated 792nd Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) on 20 Nov 1943

Inactivated on 12 Oct 1944.

Assignments

• 468th Bombardment Group, 1 Aug 1943-12 Oct 1944.

Stations

• Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Kansas, 1 Aug 1943-12 Mar 1944
• Kharagpur Airfield, India, c. 13 Apr 1944-12 Oct 1944.

Aircraft

• B-29 Superfortress, 1943-1944

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.