345th Bomb Squadron

Squadron
media-14212.jpeg UPL 14212 B-24D - 41-11886 - Lil Joe - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on the Ploesti oil refinery mission. 6 crew bailed out. 2 survived descent. Lil Joe, exploded and crashed in a field. Pilot Lt. Hussey and his radioman were pulled from their wrecked B-24, badly burned and became POW's. 4 POW - 5 KIA. 1 August, 1943. MACR 222.

Black Sunday - Michael Hill

Object Number - UPL 14212 - B-24D - 41-11886 - Lil Joe - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on the Ploesti oil refinery mission. 6 crew bailed out. 2 survived...

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Lastly the group reformed with the ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.



Assigned to the newly formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. Also staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily; Italy and the Southern Balkans, including attacking the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Ploiești, Romania.



Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy; continuing strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France; Southern Germany; Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.



The squadron returned to the United States in May 1945; being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area and conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese Home Islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated at the end of July, its equipment and personnel being merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-060657
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33028505 / O-791381
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19114586
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34352519
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39305311 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Chug-A-Lug
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Shanghi Lil
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron Ninth Air Force
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Lil De-icer
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Lil Joe
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Black Jack
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

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345th Bomb Squadron: Gallery (20 items)