page_title: 6th Air Refueling Squadron
section_title: Bombing Runs in the Pacific
hierarchical_section_title: 6th Air Refueling Squadron / History / World War II / Bombing Runs in the Pacific
caption_attribution_description: English: 29th Bombardment Group B-29s Formation 1945
context_page_description: The 6th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting mobility, and air refueling missions.
  The 6th Air Refueling Squadron was awarded the SMSGT Albert L. Evans Trophy for Outstanding Air Refueling Section of the Year in 2017. This distinction has been awarded to the 6th Air Refueling Squadron a record number of 6 times since 1989 -twice that of the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, the next most awarded unit.
context_section_description: The AAF was organizing new Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment units, and the squadron was activated the same day at Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas.  It briefly returned to flying B-17s until  B-29s became available for training.  It continued training with the Superfortress until December 1944.  Training included long range overwater flights to Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico.
  It deployed to North Field, Guam, where it became a component of the 314th Bombardment Wing of  XXI Bomber Command.  Its first combat mission was an attack of Tokyo on 25 February 1945.  Until March 1945, it engaged primarily in daytime high altitude attacks on strategic targets, such as refineries and factories.  The campaign against Japan switched that month and the squadron began to conduct low altitude night raids, using incendiaries against area targets.  The squadron received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for a 31 March attack against an airfield at Omura, Japan.  The squadron earned a second DUC in June for an attack on an industrial area of Shizuoka Prefecture, which included an aircraft factory operated by Mitsubishi and the Chigusa Arsenal.
  During Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa, the squadron was diverted from the strategic campaign against Japanese industry and attacked airfields from which kamikaze attacks were being launched against the landing force.  Following VJ Day, the squadron dropped food and supplies to Allied prisoners of war and participated in several show of force missions over Japan.  It also conducted reconnaissance flights over Japanese cities.  The squadron remained on Guam until it was inactivated in March 1946.
caption: 29th Bombardment Group B-29 Formation 1945
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