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The 52d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 68th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana.
| 52d Bombardment Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1947-1963 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Bombardment |
- for the World War II 52d Bombardment Squadron, see: 52d Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron
It was inactivated on 15 April 1963.
History
editEstablished in 1947 as a weather recon squadron; it was equipped with second-line observation aircraft and flew weather flights along the California coastline. It was inactivated in 1949 due to budget restrictions, but reactivated under Strategic Air Command (SAC) as an RB-29 Superfortress very long range reconnaissance squadron which flew missions primarily over the Arctic mapping flight routes if needed for B-36 Peacemaker bombers to fly over the North Pole to attack targets in the Soviet Union.
Re-designated in June 1952 as a B-47 Stratojet medium bomber squadron, its aircraft were not received until April 1953 when the squadron received the first production block of B-47Es. It conducted routine deployments and training during the 1950s and early 1960s. It was inactivated in 1963 with the phaseout of the B-47.
Lineage
edit- Established as the 52d Reconnaissance Squadron, Weather Scouting and activated on 12 Jul 1947
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated as the 52d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic and activated on 10 Oct 1951
- Redesignated as the 52d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 16 Jun 1952
- Inactivated on 15 April 1963
Assignments
edit- 68th Reconnaissance Group, 12 Jul 1947 – 27 Jun 1949
- 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 10 Oct 1951
- 68th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952 – 15 Apr 1963
Stations
edit- Hamilton Field (later, AFB), California, 9 April 1947 – 27 June 1949
- Lake Charles (later, Chennault) AFB, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 – 15 April 1963
Aircraft
edit- Consolidated A-11, 1947-1949
- RB-29 Superfortress, 1951-1953
- B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1963
References
edit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency