World War II The squadron was first activated at
MacDill Field, Florida in December 1942 as the
554th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the
386th Bombardment Group. After training at MacDill and
Lake Charles Army Air Field, Louisiana with the
Martin B-26 Marauder, it departed for the
European Theater of Operations in early May 1943. The ground echelon sailed on the on 27 May, while the air echelon ferried their Marauders to Europe via both the North Atlantic and South Atlantic ferry routes. Upon arrival in England, the squadron was stationed at
RAF Snetterton Heath. However,
Eighth Air Force had decided to transfer its B-26 units from
VIII Bomber Command to
VIII Air Support Command and move them to stations closer to the European continent, so a week after its arrival, the squadron moved to
RAF Boxted. This move also put the squadron's base in an area where it was planned to locate a future tactical air force. The squadron's entry into combat was delayed by the fact that its training in the United States had concentrated on low level attacks, while Eighth Air Force had determined to use the Marauders in medium level attacks to avoid light
flak. This required additional training. Although some diversionary missions were flown, the squadron did not fly its first combat mission, an attack on
Woensdrecht Airfield, until 30 July. During its first month of combat the squadron concentrated on attacks on enemy
air bases, although it also attacked
gun positions and
marshalling yards. In an effort to improve accuracy, the squadron participated in the 386th Group's first use of "drop on leader" tactics and revised formations in the European Theater on 2 September. The following month, the squadron flew its last mission with Eighth Air Force on 8 October when it attacked an airfield near
Lille. Shortly after its transfer to
Ninth Air Force, the squadron began participating in an extensive campaign against
V-1 flying bomb and
V-2 rocket sites in
Operation Crossbow. During
Big Week, the squadron attacked airfields in Belgium and the Netherlands to weaken enemy
air defenses against the
heavy bombers striking the German aircraft industry in
Operation Pointblank. In preparation for
Operation Overlord, the invasion of the continent, it attacked airfields, marshalling yards and gun positions. In late May, just before the landings, it concentrated on bombing bridges across the
Seine to interfere with possible enemy reinforcement of the landing areas. On
D-Day it hit
coastal defenses, and during the fighting in Normandy, struck fuel and supply depots,
lines of communication and enemy positions. After
V-E Day the squadron remained in Belgium until July, when it returned to the United States, inactivating at
Westover Field, Massachusetts on 7 November 1945. The squadron initially equipped with the
North American F-86 Sabre. Although the 386th Group began to receive
North American F-100 Super Sabres in 1957, apparently, the squadron did not receive any of the new fighters before the Air Force decided to use Bunker Hill as a
Strategic Air Command (SAC)
medium bomber base. The squadron began to phase down its activities in May 1957 and was inactivated in July 1957 along with its parent 386th Group in preparation for the transfer of the base from TAC to SAC. ==Lineage==