24th Bombardment Squadron

The 24th Bombardment Squadron was a squadron that was equipped with BTL-S8 K-wing assault starfighters, serving with the New Republic's Fifth Fleet during the Black Fleet Crisis. During this conflict, they were assigned aboard the cruiser Indomitable.
==History==
As originally organized, the unit consisted of three flights: Black Flight, Red Flight and Green Flight. Each flight of bombers had six BTL-S8 K-wing assault starfighters, each crewed by a pilot and gunner, bringing the squadron's nominal combat strength to eighteen starfighters and thirty-six flight personnel.
In this formation, the squadron participated in the successful training mission at Bessimir and the Battle of Doornik-319, where most pilots were deterred from completing their attack runs by a barrage of comm messages from hostages aboard the opposing Yevethan vessels. The squadron took heavy causalties, most of which appear to have been inflicted by Yevethan fighter attacks during their retreat, with Red Flight losing at least three of their six K-wings. The escorting E-wing escort starfighters from the 16th Fighter Squadron also suffered heavily.
Subsequently, the organization of the squadron was revised: a fourth flight, designated Blue Flight, was added to the roster, but each flight was downsized to three starfighters, so that the total strength was reduced to twelve K-wings. In this revised formation, supported by a very heavy escort of two dozen X-wing and E-wing starfighters, the squadron fought in the Battle of ILC-905.
The battle was regarded as a success for the K-wing squadron, with Black Flight destroying the thrustship Rizaron and Red Flight eliminating the Black Nine shipyard, along with six Star Destroyers nearing completion and three more under construction.
However, the squadron once again took punishing losses, with at least six K-wings, and more than half their fighter escorts, being destroyed during the engagement.
==Behind the scenes==
At the start of the novel Before the Storm, the 24th Bombardment Squadron appear to be associated with a trio of ships described as assault cruisers, but also cooperate closely with the Star Destroyer Resolve. Later in the same book, they appear to be based aboard the carrier Imperious. In the subsequent books Shield of Lies and Tyrant's Test, they are associated with the cruiser Indomitable.
In the opening scene of Before the Storm, the squadron splits into three-plane units referred to in the narrative as "groups" or "flights", but only three named sub-units are mentioned, Red Flight, Green Flight, and Black Flight. Shield of Lies establishes that these are six-plane formations, although the depleted squadron is subsequently reorganised into four smaller flights in Tyrant's Test.
The identity of the squadron commander is never explicitly identified. The position appears to be vacant in Before the Storm, with some discussion about which officer might gain the position.
The total number of K-wings destroyed during the Koornacht campaign is not stated explicitly in the novels of the Black Fleet trilogy, but losses were evidently severe. At Doornik-319 in Shield of Lies, where the narrative focus is on Red Flight, the destruction of three of their six fighters is explicitly described, and the text could be read as indicating that Red One was the only plane to survive out of that unit's six K-wings, and their escorting flight of E-wings appears to be annihilated. At ILC-905 in Tyrant's Test, Blue Two, Black Three and all three K-wings from Green Flight are explicitly said to be destroyed by flak, while Blue Three is shot down by a Yevethan fighter. Red One is assumed to have been lost in the act of destroying the shipyard. Among the escorting fighters, the explicit casualties are three accompanying Blue Flight, seven associated with Green Flight, one with Black Flight and two with Red Flight.
==Appearances==
*Before the Storm 
*Before the Storm abridged audiobook
*Shield of Lies
*Shield of Lies abridged audiobook
*Tyrant's Test
*Tyrant's Test abridged audiobook
==Sources==
*The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
==Notes and references==
Category:New Republic starfighter squadrons