# 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 It flew Boeing B-47 Stratojets at Sedalia (later Whiteman) until September 1963, as the B-47 began to be withdrawn from Strategic Air Command operations.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

In July 1951, Strategic Air Command (SAC) reopened Sedalia Air Force Base, Missouri, which had served as an air transport base during World War II. On 1 August, it activated the 4224th Air Base Squadron to expand the field to accommodate strategic bombers, and on 1 October 1952, the 340th Bombardment Wing, including the 488th Squadron, was activated to replace the 4224th. However, the wing initially concentrated is activities on bringing Sedalia to operational status and the squadron was only nominally manned, and did not become operational until 1954, when it began to receive Boeing B-47 Stratojets.
From 13 September to 3 November 1955, the squadron deployed to the United Kingdom along with the other operational elements of the 340th Wing, which was attached to SAC's 7th Air Division there. Starting in 1957, deployments of entire wings was replaced by Operation Reflex, which placed Stratojets and Boeing KC-97s on alert at bases closer to the Soviet Union for 90 day periods, although individuals rotated back to home bases during unit Reflex deployments After 1958, SAC's Stratojet units began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. General Thomas S. Power’s initial goal was to maintain one third of SAC's planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. The SAC alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962.
Soon after detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba, SAC brought all degraded and adjusted alert sorties up to full capability. It dispersed its B-47s on 22 October 1962. Most dispersal bases were civilian airfields with Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard units. B-47s were configured for execution of the Emergency War Order as soon as possible after dispersal. On 15 November 1/6 of the dispersed B-47s were recalled to their home bases. On 21 November SAC went to DEFCON 3. Dispersed B-47s and supporting tankers were recalled on 24 November. On 27 November SAC returned to normal alert posture.
In the summer of 1963, the squadron began phasing down its operations at what was now Whiteman Air Force Base in preparation for Whiteman becoming a base for LGM-30 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles and the transfer of the base to the 351st Strategic Missile Wing. The squadron was inactivated on 1 September 1963

## 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 B-47 Stratojet, 1955–1963