The squadron was activated in Strategic Air Command (SAC)in 1946, assuming the personnel and equipment of another squadron, which was inactivated. It served under SAC until inactivating, and earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of 1 January 1961 to 31 December 1962.
The ground and air echelons were reunited at RAF Chelveston on 19 August 1942. The squadron flew its first mission on 5 September 1942. From England it attacked targets primarily in France, including submarine pens, airfields, railroad targets, and bridges. On 14 September, the 301st Group and its squadrons were reassigned to XII Bomber Command in preparation for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, but they continued to operate under the control of VIII Bomber Command. Between 20 and 23 November 1942, the air echelon moved forward to bases in southeastern England, from which it flew directly to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria. The ground echelon sailed for Algeria from Liverpool on 8 December 1942.[3][4]
Until August 1943, the squadron operated from airfields in Algeria, bombing docks, shipping facilities, airfields and marshalling yards in Tunisia, Sicily, and Sardinia. It also attacked enemy ships operating between Sicily and Tunisia. On 6 April 1943, the squadron withstood heavy flak from shore defenses and enemy vessels, when it attacked a merchant convoy near Bizerte, Tunisia that was carrying supplies essential for the Axis defense of Tunisia. For this mission it was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC). In May and June, it participated in Operation Corkscrew, the bombing and invasion of Pantelleria, prior to the invasion of Sicily.[3]
Starting in July 1943, the squadron began flying numerous missions to targets in Italy, moving forward to Oudna Airfield, Tunisia in early August. In November 1943, strategic and tactical air forces in the Mediterranean were divided and the squadron became part of Fifteenth Air Force. It moved to Italy in December 1943 and in February 1944 it was established at Lucera Airfield, Italy, from which it would conduct combat operations for the remainder of the war. From its Italian base, it concentrated on the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking oil centers, lines of communications, and industrial areas in Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. On 23 February 1944, it participated in an attack on the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Regensburg, succeeding despite "viscous" attacks by enemy interceptors. For this mission, it was awarded a second DUC.[3]
The 352d also flew air support missions near Anzio and Monte Cassino, provided cover for Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France and the advance of the Red Army in the Balkans and the Allied advances in the Po Valley.[3] It engaged in shuttle bombing missions to airfields in the Soviet Union during the summer of 1944.[6]
Return to the United States
Following V-E Day, the squadron remained in Italy until July 1945. In August, it was designated as a "very heavy" unit in preparation for conversion to the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and deployment to Pacific Theater. Before the squadron arrived at its planned training base, Pyote Army Air Field, Texas, Japan had surrendered and there was no need for additional bomber units. The squadron was inactivated in October 1945, shortly before Pyote ended training operations and became an aircraft storage depot.[1][7]
It returned to the United States in June 1952 and transitioned to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet with the removal of the B-29 as a combat aircraft from the inventory. The squadron moved to Lockbourne Air Force Base in 1958. It added Electronic Countermeasures as an ancillary mission in 1961.
The unit was inactivated and closed in 1964 with the fleet-wide retirement of the B-47 aircraft.
Lineage
Constituted as the 352d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 3 February 1942
Redesignated 352d Bombardment Squadron, Heavy c. 20 August 1943
Redesignated 352d Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 5 August 1945
Inactivated on 15 October 1945
Activated on 4 August 1946
Redesignated 352d Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 May 1948[8]
^Approved 12 June 1957. Description: On a shield of the sky (Air Force blue in chief fading to light blue in base spattered in chief with white stars, a futuristic aircraft of the last [color mentioned], nose to chief, leaving a lightning-like trail of flame to base, Air Force yellow, orange and red; all within an Air Force golden yellow border; atop the shield a helmeted knight's head of the last [color mentioned], in profile facing the dexter, outlined and shaded brown, his neck flesh tone, flying from the top of the helmet, a green forked pennant.
^The 97th Bombardment Group had arrived earlier, but was equipped with B-17Es. Freeman, p. 13.
^The aircraft in the background is Boeing B-17F-1-BO Flying Fortress, serial 41-24352. This plane suffered severe battle damage on a mission to steel works at Lille, France (Although located in the Lille metropolitan area, the target was actually in Belgium, on the left bank of the Deûle River.) on 9 October 1942. The crew prepared to bail out but the bomber made it back to Chelveston with one engine on fire, two propellers feathered and a couple of hundred holes in it. Following this mission, it was named Holey Joe.
^Taken as the aircraft left the ball bearing works at Turin, Italy badly damaged in the wake of their attack on 24 July 1944.
^Aircraft is Boeing B-29A-40-BN Superfortress, serial 44-61640. It was later converted to WB-29 weather reconnaissance configuration and was lost on 26 February 1952. Baugher, Joe (9 October 2023). "1944 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
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. ISBN978-0-87938-638-2.
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