430th Bombardment Squadron The 430th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with the 502d Bombardment Group , based at Northwest Field , Guam . It was inactivated on 15 April 1946 . History . Established as the 44th Aero Squadron in June 1917 , just after the United States ' entry into World War I . The squadron ' s duties are unknown , eventually being assigned to Wright Field , Ohio apparently as a ground support unit . The squadron was demobilized in April 1919 . Reactivated in the Panama Canal Zone in April 1931 as the 44th Observation Squadron . It was the sole reconnaissance unit in the Canal Zone at the time , flying light reconnaissance aircraft over both approaches of the canal . The 44th was the first Air Corps unit to occupy Albrook Field after it opened in 1932 - 33 . It was redesignated as a Reconnaissance Squadron on 1 September 1937 , had the suffix designation ( Medium Range ) added on 6 December 1939 and , on 20 November 1940 this was changed to ( Heavy ) . The status of the unit changed from " assigned " to " Attached " to the 16th Pursuit Group from 1 February 1940 . Later , on 20 November 1940 , the unit was attached to the 9th Bombardment Group . The Squadron had been amongst the first Canal Zone - based units to re - equip with the Douglas B - 18 Bolo , which joined the unit as early as December 1938 , although several veteran Thomas - Morse O - 19C biplanes were still rendering good service as well . In June 1941 , the Squadron began to receive Boeing B - 17B Flying Fortress ( 38 - 266 ) from units in the United States upgrading to the C or D models . The Squadron moved from Albrook to Howard Field on 8 July , ending its nine - year stint at Albrook . There , with five B - 18 ' s , one B - 18A and the B - 17B , the Squadron commenced ultra - long range reconnaissance training in earnest . The assignment to Howard Field was short lived and the squadron was moved Atkinson Field , British Guiana on 27 October 1941 , the move didn ' t actually transpire until 4 November , the attachment to the 9th Bomb Group ( H ) continuing . Unfortunately , conditions at Atkinson were not adequate to support the B - 17B , and it was left behind in Panama , being transferred to the 7th Reconnaissance Squadron prior to the units departure . From British Guiana , the squadron operated as an element of the infant Trinidad Base Command at Atkinson Field . In late 1941 , with the coming of war , the unit immediately commenced far - ranging patrols with its remaining three B - 18 ' s and , now , two B - 18A ' s . The attachment to the 9th Bomb Group became a formal assignment on 25 February 1942 , and , by mid - February , following an accident to one of its B - 18 ' s and severe maintenance problems with the other aircraft ( one other B - 18 and two B - 18A ' s ) , the Squadron could count only one B - 18A as airworthy and ready for action . The unit commander also reported that he had " no fully combat trained crews , " and , considering that this was the only USAAC unit at Atkinson at the time , things had deteriorated dangerously . Apparently there was a recognition of this dire situation within the Squadron for , on 22 April 1942 , the unit was reorganized entirely as the 430th Bombardment Squadron and returned to the United States , being assigned as a B - 17 Flying Fortress training unit at the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics in Florida . At the end of March 1944 , with the closing of heavy bomber training , the squadron was redesignated a Very Heavy bomber squadron and assigned to Second Air Force for B - 29 Superfortress conversion training at Dalhart Army Airfield , Texas . Initially equipped with B - 17 Flying Fortress es for training , due to shortage of B - 29 Superfortress es . Moved to Harvard Army Airfield , Nebraska , in August 1944 and equipped with B - 29B limited production aircraft . After completion of training deployed to Central Pacific Area ( CPA ) , assigned to XXI Bomber Command , Northwest Field ( Guam ) for operational missions . B - 29Bs were standard production aircraft stripped of most defensive guns to increase speed and bomb load , The tail gun was aimed and fired automatically by the new AN / APG - 15B radar fire control system that detected the approaching enemy plane and made all the necessary calculations . Mission of the squadron was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands . Dntered combat on 16 June 1945 with a bombing raid against an airfield on Moen . Flew first mission against the Japanese home islands on 26 June 1945 and afterwards operated principally against the enemy ' s petroleum industry . Flew primarily low - level , fast attacks at night using a mixture of high - explosive and incendary bombs to attack targets . Flew last combat mission on 15 August 1945 , later flew in " Show of Force " mission on 2 September 1945 over Tokyo Bay during formal Japanese Surrender . Inactivated on Guam 15 April 1946 , personnel returned to the United States and aircraft sent to storage in Southwest United States .