# 488th Bombardment Squadron

The 488th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 340th Bombardment Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, where it was inactivated on 1 September 1963. The squadron was first activated during World War II. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it flew North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, primarily on air support and air interdiction missions, earning two Distinguished Unit Citations for its actions. After V-E Day, the squadron returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in November 1945.
The group was again active in the reserve from 1947 to 1949, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with operational aircraft during this period. It was again activated in October 1952, as the Air Force reopened Sedalia Air Force Base, Missouri. It flew Boeing B-47 Stratojets at Sedalia (later Whiteman) until September 1963, as the B-47 began to be withdrawn from Strategic Air Command operations. It was inactivated with the withdrawal of its Stratojets.

## History
### World War II

Established as a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron in mid-1942, trained by Third Air Force in the southeastern United States. Deployed to IX Bomber Command in Egypt initially in March 1943 via Air Transport Command South Atlantic Route through Caribbean, Brazil, Liberia, Central Africa and Sudan, then reassigned to Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and to XII Bomber Command in Tunisia. Supported Allied ground forces in Tunisian Campaign; participated in Invasions of Sicily and Italy during 1943, supporting Allied ground forces with tactical bombing of enemy targets. Participated in liberation of Corsica during the spring of 1944, then returned to Italy engaging in attacks on enemy ground forces and targets in the Po Valley during the spring of 1945.
This was the squadron Joseph Heller flew in as a bombardier, his experiences leading him to write the famous anti-war novel, Catch-22.
Personnel demobilized in Italy during summer of 1945; squadron returned to the United States, being prepared for deployment to Pacific Theater for use as a tactical bomb squadron in programmed Invasion of Japan. Japanese capitulation led to squadron's inactivation in November 1945.

### Reserve operations

The 488th Bombardment Squadron was reactivated as a reserve unit under Air Defense Command (ADC) at Tulsa Municipal Airport, Oklahoma on 31 October 1947. It is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped with operational aircraft. In 1948 Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing air reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC. President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force, and the 488th was inactivated in August 1949 and not replaced as reserve flying operations at the Tulsa airport ceased.

### Strategic Air Command

Reactivated in October 1952 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) Boeing B-47 Stratojet squadron. Initially equipped with prototypes of the Boeing RB-47B Stratojet (YRB-47) to perform long-range photo-reconnaissance with a flight of Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned. In November 1953 began to receive production B-47E medium bomber aircraft; prototype reconnaissance aircraft already received exchanged for medium bomber versions. Participated in SAC Reflex deployments to Europe and North Africa throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1963 with the phaseout of the B-47 the aircraft sent to storage at Davis–Monthan and inactivated.

## Lineage

* Constituted as the 488th Bombardment Squadron (Medium)' on 10 August 1942
    Activated on 20 August 1942
    Redesignated 488th Bombardment Squadron, Medium c. 20 August 1943
    Inactivated on 7 November 1945
* Redesignated 488th Bombardment Squadron, Light on 8 October 1947
    Activated in the reserve on 31 October 1947
    Inactivated on 19 August 1949
* Redesignated 488th Bombardment Squadron, Medium' on 3 October 1952
    Activated on 20 October 1952
    Inactivated on 1 September 1963

### Assignments

* 340th Bombardment Group, 20 August 1942 – 7 November 1945
* 340th Bombardment Group, 31 October 1947 – 19 August 1949
* 340th Bombardment Wing, 20 October 1952 – 1 September 1963

### Aircraft

* North American B-25 Mitchell, 1942–1945
* Boeing YRB-47 Stratojet, 1954–1955
* Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1955–1963