819th Bombardment Squadron

Ramp at East Field, Saipan, fall 1944. Consolidated B-24J-105-CO Liberator 42-109809 "Evasive Action" 819th Bomb Squadron, C-47 Skytrains and, in the distance, a B-29 Superfortress

The 819th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 30th Bombardment Group, based at Kahuku Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory. It was inactivated on 30 November 1945.

History

Organized in early 1941 as 39th Bombardment Squadron, a First Air Force medium bombardment squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchells.

After the United States entered World War II the group was ordered to search for German U-Boats and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast. Redesignated 3d Antisubmarine Squadron and requipped with B-18 Bolos, deployed first to Savannah AAB, Georgia to patrol southeast coast, then to airfields in the northeast to patrol shipping lanes in the New York City and Boston area as part of 25th Antisubmarine Wing.

With inactivation of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command in fall, 1943, redesignated as 819th Bombardment Squadron the squadron deployed first to California and trained as B-24 Liberator heavy bombardment squadron, being assigned to the, 30th Bombardment Group as a replacement unit for the 21st Bombardment Squadron that had been sent to Alaska. Then deployed to Hawaii as part of Seventh Air Force. Remained in Hawaii after the 30th Bomb Group deployed to the Central Pacific for defense of the islands, flying antisubmarine patrols and processed new crews and airplanes for the 30th Bomb Group that were later dispatched to combat areas.

Deployed to Saipan in August 1944, and conducted intensive bombing strikes against airfields and shipping at Bonin and Volcano Islands, Iwo Jima, ChiChi Jima, and Yap. Its final bombing mission was at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, the same day three Marine divisions invaded the island.

In March 1945, the 819th returned to Hawaii on the popular but mistaken rumor that it was to be reequipped with B-32 Dominators. Instead, many of the crews and planes were reassigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and subsequently served with it. The remaining elements waited out the war conducting training sorties and routine patrols. Inactivated on 30 November 1945.

Lineage

• Constituted 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

Aircraft

• B-18 Bolo, 1941–1942
• B-25 Mitchell, 1941–1943
• A-29 Hudson, 1942
• B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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. 
• 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. 

USAAF Seventh Air Force in World War II
Previously: Hawaiian Air Force (1940-1942)
Airfields	Hawaii Bellows Hickam Wheeler Okinawa Ie Shima Yontan Pacific USAAF in the Central Pacific USAAF in the Southwest Pacific
Units	Commands VII Bomber VII Fighter Wings 7th Fighter Groups Bombardment 5th Bombardment 11th Bombardment 30th Bombardment 41st Bombardment 307th Bombardment 494th Bombardment Fighter 15th Fighter 18th Fighter 21st Fighter 318th Fighter 508th Fighter Troop Carrier 419th Troop Carrier Squadrons Reconnaissance 28th Reconnaissance 41st Reconnaissance 43d Reconnaissance Transport 9th Troop Carrier 311th Troop Carrier 316th Troop Carrier Night Fighter 6th Night Fighter 548th Night Fighter 549th Night Fighter
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

USAAF Antisubmarine Command
Command	I Bomber Command (First Air Force, 1941–42)
Wings	25th Antisubmarine 26th Antisubmarine
Groups	1st Search Attack 2d Bombardment 13th Bombardment 45th Bombardment 304th Bombardment 377th Bombardment 378th Bombardment 479th Antisubmarine 480th Antisubmarine
Squadrons	Antisubmarine 1st 2d 3d 4th 6th 7th 8th 9th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 22d 23d 25th Other 2d Search Attack 3d Search Attack 4th Search Attack
Airfields	United States Dover (Delaware) Drew (Florida) Jacksonville (Florida) Key West (Florida) Lantana (Florida) Miami (Florida) Orlando (Florida) Savannah (Georgia) Grenier (New Hampshire) Atlantic City (New Jersey) Fort Dix (New Jersey) Mitchel (New York) Bluethenthal (North Carolina) Cherry Point (North Carolina) Charleston (South Carolina) Hyannis (Massachusetts) Otis (Massachusetts) Westover (Massachusetts) Langley (Virginia) Newfoundland Gander Torbay Caribbean and South America Batista (Cuba) Guantanamo (Cuba) Zanderij (Suriname) Vernam (Jamaica) Carlsen (Trinidad) Europe Dunkeswell (England) Podington (England) St. Eval (England) North Africa Port Lyautey (Morocco)

USAAF First Air Force in World War II
Airfields	First Air Force Group Training Stations First Air Force Replacement Training Stations First Air Force Tactical Airfields Freeman Army Airfield Godman Army Airfield Selfridge Field
Units	Commands I Bomber Command I Fighter Command I Ground Air Support Command Wings 25th Antisubmarine 50th Troop Carrier 52d Troop Carrier 53d Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier Boston Fighter New York Fighter Norfolk Fighter Philadelphia Fighter Groups Bombardment 2d Bombardment 13th Bombardment 22d Bombardment 34th Bombardment 43d Bombardment 45th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302d Bombardment 400th Bombardment 402d Bombardment 455th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 471st Bombardment Combat Cargo 1st Combat Cargo 2d Combat Cargo 4th Combat Cargo Fighter 8th Fighter 31st Fighter 33d Fighter 52d Fighter 56th Fighter 57th Fighter 58th Fighter 59th Fighter 79th Fighter 80th Fighter 83d Fighter 87th Fighter 324th Fighter 325th Fighter 326th Fighter 327th Fighter 332d Fighter 348th Fighter 352d Fighter 353d Fighter 355th Fighter 356th Fighter 358th Fighter 359th Fighter 361st Fighter 362d Fighter 365th Fighter 366th Fighter 368th Fighter 370th Fighter 371st Fighter 373d Fighter 402d Fighter 413th Fighter 476th Fighter Reconnaissance 26th Reconnaissance 73d Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 10th Troop Carrier 60th Troop Carrier 61st Troop Carrier 62d Troop Carrier 63d Troop Carrier 89th Troop Carrier 313th Troop Carrier 314th Troop Carrier 315th Troop Carrier 316th Troop Carrier 317th Troop Carrier 349th Troop Carrier 375th Troop Carrier 403d Troop Carrier 433d Troop Carrier 434th Troop Carrier 435th Troop Carrier 436th Troop Carrier 437th Troop Carrier 438th Troop Carrier 439th Troop Carrier 440th Troop Carrier 441st Troop Carrier 442d Troop Carrier Other 1st Search Attack 477th Composite Incidents Freeman Field Mutiny
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth