15th Bombardment Squadron

The 15th Bombardment Squadron has a notable history as both an active and reserve unit within the United States Air Force. It was activated as the 15th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy, on 1 April 1944 at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, as a part of the 16th Bombardment Group.

Equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, the squadron moved to Fairmont Army Air Field, Nebraska in August 1944 for training. The squadron later received Bell B-29B Superfortresses, a variant designed for fast, low-level bomb runs.

Deploying to the Pacific Theater of Operations, the squadron was stationed at Northwest Field, Guam, under XXI Bomber Command's 315th Bombardment Wing. The squadron undertook very long-range strategic bombardment missions against the Japanese Home Islands. The focus of these missions was on oil industry targets, particularly refineries and coal liquification facilities. The squadron's active combat service took place from 26 June to 14 August 1945, during which no B-29s from the unit were lost over Japan. The squadron was inactivated on Guam on 15 April 1946.

Reactivated as a reserve unit at Hill Field, Utah on 1 August 1947, the 15th Bombardment Squadron trained under the supervision of Air Defense Command's 402d AAF Base Unit. Though nominally designated as a B-29 unit, it is unclear if the squadron was fully staffed or had operational aircraft. In 1948, management of reserve and Air National Guard units was transferred to Continental Air Command (ConAC) from ADC.

The 15th Bombardment Squadron's time as a reserve unit was brief, as President Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget necessitated cutbacks in the number of units within the Air Force. This led to the inactivation of the squadron, as reserve flying operations at Hill Field were terminated.

The 15th Bombardment Squadron's history is marked by its effective contribution to strategic bombardment missions during World War II and its brief tenure as a reserve unit. Though its time as a reserve squadron was short-lived, its legacy as an active combat unit highlights the adaptability and mission-focused approach that characterized many bombardment units during a crucial period of global conflict.