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734th Bombardment Squadron
Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 453d Bombardment Group on a mission over Magdeburg
Active	1943-1945
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Heavy bomber
Engagements	European Theater of World War II
Insignia
World War II fuselage code	E8

The 734th Bombardment Squadron is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was assigned to the 453d Bombardment Group and last stationed at Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, where it was inactivated on 12 September 1945. The squadron was first activated in May 1943. After training in the United States with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, participating in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Following V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States for conversion as a very heavy bomber unit, but inactivated instead.

History

Training in the United States

The 734th Bombardment Squadron was activated at Wendover Field, Utah as one of the four squadrons of the 453d Bombardment Group. It moved to Pocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, where it was brought up to strength and trained with Consolidated B-24 Liberators, completing its training at March Field, California in December and departing for the European Theater of Operations, with the ground echelon departing on 2 December.

Combat in the European Theater

The ground echelon arrived at the squadron's combat station, RAF Old Buckenham on 23 December 1943, where the squadron was fully established with the arrival of the air echelon by January 1944. The squadron flew its first mission against an airfield at Tours on 4 February 1944. The squadron participated primarily in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Toward the end of February, the squadron participated in Big Week, the concentrated attack on the German aircraft manufacturing industry. Other targets in Germany included a rail viaduct at Altenbeken, a fuel storage facility at Dulmen, oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen, an ordnance depot at Glinde, an aircraft assembly plant at Gotha, a rail center at Hamm, a chemical factory at Leverkusen, a commercial canal at Minden, an airfield at Neumunster and marshalling yards at Paderborn.

In addition to its strategic missions, the squadron also engaged in air support and interdiction missions. It bombed V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket launch sites, airfields and coastal defense guns to prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. On D-Day, it struck coastal fortifications between Le Havre and Cherbourg Harbour and enemy positions inland from the landing area. It made attacks on enemy troops to support Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo in July 1944. It bombed German lines of communication during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945.

On two occasions, the squadron carried out airlift missions. In September 1944, it flew rations, gasoline and blankets to advancing troops in France. During Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine near Wesel, it dropped medical supplies, food and ammunition to troops at the bridgehead. The squadron flew its last mission on 12 April 1945, and was withdrawn from combat to prepare for possible redeployment to the Pacific.

The squadron's personnel departed Old Buckenham for the port of embarkation on 9 May 1945, apparently leaving their aircraft behind. The squadron assembled at New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware in late May, but soon moved to Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey. Initial plans were to convert the unit to a very heavy bomber squadron for combat in the Pacific, but the Japanese surrender changed those plans and the unit was inactivated on 12 September.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 734th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 14 May 1943

Activated on 1 June 1943

Redesignated 734th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy in 1944

Inactivated on 12 September 1945

Assignments

• 453d Bombardment Group, 1 June 1943 – 12 September 1945

Stations

• Wendover Field, Utah, 1 June 1943
• Pocatello Army Air Field, Idaho, 29 July 1943
• March Field, California, c. 29 September–2 December 1943
• RAF Old Buckenham (AAF-114), England, 23 December 1943 - 9 May 1945
• New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware, 25 May 1945
• Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 18 June 1945 - 12 September 1945

Aircraft

• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, 1943–1945

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Air Offensive, Europe	29 December 1943 – 5 June 1944
	Normandy	6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944
	Northern France	25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944
	Rhineland	`5 September 1944 – 21 March 1945
	Ardennes-Alsace	16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945
	Central Europe	22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945

See also

• B-24 Liberator units of the United States Army Air Forces

References

Notes

1. Watkins, pp. 98-99
2. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 727
3. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 328-329
4. ^ Freeman, p. 253
5. Station number in Anderson
6. Station information in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 727, except as noted.

Bibliography

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

• Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
• 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. ISBN 978-0-87938-638-2.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) . 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) . 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.
• 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. ISBN 978-0-7643-1987-7.

v t e USAAF Eighth Air Force in World War II
Stations United Kingdom Alconbury Aldermaston Andrews Field Atcham Attlebridge Bassingbourn Bodney Bottisham Bovingdon Boxted Bungay Burtonwood Depot Bury St. Edmunds Bushey Hall Chalgrove Cheddington Chelveston Chipping Ongar Daws Hill Debach Debden Deenethorpe Deopham Green Duxford Earls Colne East Wretham Eye Fersfield Fowlmere Framlingham Glatton Goxhill Grafton Underwood Great Ashfield Great Dunmow Halesworth Hardwick Harrington Hethel Honington Horham Horsham St. Faith Ibsley Keevil Kimbolton Kings Cliffe Kirton In Lindsey Knettishall Lavenham Leiston Little Walden Martlesham Heath Membury Mendlesham Metfield Molesworth Mount Farm North Pickenham Nuthampstead Old Buckenham Podington Polebrook Rackheath Ramsbury Rattlesden Raydon Ridgewell Seething Shipdham Snetterton Heath Steeple Morden Sudbury Thorpe Abbots Thurleigh Tibenham Wattisham Watton Wendling Westhampnett Wormingford Okinawa Bolo Ie Shima Kadena Futenma Yontan
Units Commands VIII Air Support VIII Bomber VIII Air Divisions 1st 2nd 3rdf Wings Bombardment 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 12th 316th Fighter 6th 65th 66th 67th 301st Groups Bombardment 34th 44th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 100th 301st 303rd 305th 306th 310th 319th 320th 322nd 323rd 333rd 346th 351st 379th 381st 382nd 383rd 384th 385th 386th 387th 388th 389th 390th 392nd 398th 401st 445th 446th 447th 448th 452nd 453rd 457th 458th 466th 467th 482nd 486th 487th 489th 490th 491st 492nd 493rd 801st (Provisional) Fighter 1st 4th 14th 20th 31st 48th 55th 56th 78th 318th 339th 350th 352nd 353rd 354th 355th 356th 357th 358th 361st 362nd 364th 413th 479th 495th 496th 507th Troop Carrier 60th 62nd 315th Reconnaissance 3rd 7th 25th 67th
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

v t e USAAF Second Air Force in World War II
Airfields	Airfields
Units	Commands II Air Support Command II Bomber Command II Fighter Command IV Air Support Command XX Bomber Command XXI Bomber Command XXII Bomber Command Wings 5th Bombardment 15th Bombardment Training 16th Bombardment Operational Training 17th Bombardment Training 18th Replacement 21st Bombardment 46th Bombardment Operational Training 58th Bombardment 73rd Bombardment 315th Bombardment 316th Bombardment Groups Bombardment 2nd Bombardment 6th Bombardment 7th Bombardment 9th Bombardment 12th Bombardment 16th Bombardment 17th Bombardment 19th Bombardment 25th Bombardment 29th Bombardment 34th Bombardment 39th Bombardment 40th Bombardment 42nd Bombardment 46th Bombardment 47th Bombardment 48th Bombardment 85th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 86th Bombardment 88th Bombardment 94th Bombardment 95th Bombardment 96th Bombardment 99th Bombardment 100th Bombardment 301st Bombardment 302nd Bombardment 303rd Bombardment 304th Bombardment 305th Bombardment 306th Bombardment 307th Bombardment 308th Bombardment 312th Bombardment 330th Bombardment 331st Bombardment 333rd Bombardment 346th Bombardment 351st Bombardment 376th Bombardment 379th Bombardment 381st Bombardment 382nd Bombardment 383rd Bombardment 384th Bombardment 385th Bombardment 388th Bombardment 390th Bombardment 393rd Bombardment 395th Bombardment 396th Bombardment 398th Bombardment 399th Bombardment 400th Bombardment 401st Bombardment 407th Bombardment 415th Bombardment 418th Bombardment 444th Bombardment 445th Bombardment 446th Bombardment 447th Bombardment 448th Bombardment 449th Bombardment 450th Bombardment 451st Bombardment 452nd Bombardment 453rd Bombardment 454th Bombardment 455th Bombardment 456th Bombardment 457th Bombardment 458th Bombardment 459th Bombardment 460th Bombardment 461st Bombardment 462nd Bombardment 464th Bombardment 467th Bombardment 468th Bombardment 469th Bombardment 470th Bombardment 471st Bombardment 472nd Bombardment 484th Bombardment 485th Bombardment 486th Bombardment 487th Bombardment 488th Bombardment 489th Bombardment 490th Bombardment 491st Bombardment 493rd Bombardment 494th Bombardment 497th Bombardment 498th Bombardment 499th Bombardment 500th Bombardment 501st Bombardment 502nd Bombardment 504th Bombardment 505th Bombardment 509th Composite Fighter 20th Fighter 54th Fighter 84th Fighter 85th Fighter 507th Fighter 508th Fighter Reconnaissance 2nd Reconnaissance 3rd Reconnaissance 4th Reconnaissance 5th Reconnaissance 6th Reconnaissance 7th Reconnaissance 8th Reconnaissance 71st Reconnaissance 77th Reconnaissance Troop Carrier 443nd Troop Carrier
United States Army Air Forces First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth Eleventh Twelfth Thirteenth Fourteenth Fifteenth Twentieth

• Bombardment squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces
• Military units and formations established in 1943
• World War II strategic bombing units