52nd Bombardment Squadron

For the World War II 52d Bombardment Squadron, see 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron.

The 52d Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 68th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 15 April 1963.

52d Bombardment Squadron
Active	1947–1949; 1951–1963
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Strategic bombardment
Insignia
52nd Bombardment Squadron emblem[a]

History

Established in 1947 as a weather recon squadron; it was equipped with second-line observation aircraft and flew weather flights along the California coastline. It was inactivated in 1949 due to budget restrictions, but reactivated under Strategic Air Command (SAC) as an Boeing RB-29 Superfortress very long range reconnaissance squadron which flew missions primarily over the Arctic mapping flight routes if needed for Convair B-36 Peacemaker bombers to fly over the North Pole to attack targets in the Soviet Union.

Redesignated in 1952 as a Boeing B-47 Stratojet medium bomber squadron, its aircraft were not received until April 1953 when the squadron received the first production block of B-47Es. It conducted routine deployments and training during the 1950s and early 1960s. It was inactivated in 1963 with the phaseout of the B-47.

Lineage

• Constituted as the 52nd Reconnaissance Squadron, Weather Scouting c. 10 March 1947

Activated 12 July 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 52nd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Photographic c. 4 October 1951

Activated on 10 October 1951

Redesignated 52nd Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 16 June 1952

Inactivated on 15 April 1963

Assignments

• 68th Reconnaissance Group, 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949^[1]
• 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Group, 10 Oct 1951 (attached to 68th Bombardment Wing)^[2]
• 68th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952 – 15 Apr 1963 (not operational after 20 March 1963)^[2]

Stations

• Hamilton Field (later Hamilton Air Force Base), California, c. 12 July 1947 – 27 June 1949
• Lake Charles Air Force Base (later Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 – 15 April 1963

Aircraft

• Boeing RB-29 Superfortress, 1951–1953
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1963

References