Antisubmarine campaign The
squadron was first activated at
Atlantic City Airport, New Jersey as the
517th Bombardment Squadron on 18 October 1942, when the
377th Bombardment Group replaced the
59th Observation Group at
Fort Dix Army Air Field and assumed its mission, personnel and equipment. It was initially equipped with the
Stinson Vigilants,
Douglas O-46s and
North American O-47s of the
104th Observation Squadron, which it replaced at Atlantic City. but converted to
Douglas B-18 Bolos and
North American B-25 Mitchells the following year. The squadrons of the 377th Group were at various bases along the coast between Delaware and New Hampshire. In October 1942, the
Army Air Forces organized its antisubmarine forces into the single
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, which established the
25th Antisubmarine Wing the following month to control its forces operating over the Atlantic. Its bombardment group headquarters, including the 377th, were inactivated and the squadron, now designated the
12th Antisubmarine Squadron, was assigned directly to the 25th Wing.
Conversion to heavy bomber and training flown by the squadron In September 1943, the squadron moved to
Blythe Army Air Base, California, where its personnel were used as the
cadre for the
492d Bombardment Group, which was being formed at
Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico. It was redesignated the
859th Bombardment Squadron and then, on 1 October, assigned to the 492d Group. By January 1944, most of the ground echelon of the squadron had been used to form other bomber units.
2d Bombardment Division, which controlled
VIII Bomber Command's Liberator units in England, began to form new ground echelons from personnel of bomber units already in England, while the air echelon of the 859th continued training at Alamogordo. When the 492d Group returned to strategic operation, on 20 June
Luftwaffe fighters, primarily
Messerschmitt Bf 110s, using
air to air rockets shot down fourteen of the 492d Group's B-24s. Heavy losses, this time to fighters from
Jagdgeschwader 3, were again suffered on 29 June.
Special operations The squadron transferred to
RAF Harrington on 1 August 1944, Although nominally a move without personnel or equipment, some low mission crews and aircraft from the entire 492d Bomb Group moved to Harrington and were assigned to the 859th Squadron on arrival. The squadron operated chiefly over southern France with B-24s and a few
Douglas C-47 Skytrains, engaging in
Operation Carpetbagger missions, dropping agents and supplies behind enemy lines. As the
Allies advanced across northern France, and with
Operation Dragoon placing Allied forces in southern France, full scale Carpetbagger operations wound down by 16 September. This support for the
French Resistance earned the squadron the
French Croix de Guerre with Palm. With the drawdown of the Carpetbagger mission, the squadron concentrated on hauling gasoline to advancing
mechanized forces in France and Belgium. During its assignment to special operations form England, the squadron flew 179 sorties and delivered 121 "Joes", as the agents were called. It also flew a small number of "Nickling" missions (dropping propaganda leaflets). Even as the need for
guerilla support in France was decreasing, it was increasing in the Mediterranean. On 17 December 1944, the 859th departed England, arriving at its new home,
Brindisi Airfield, Italy three days later. For the most part, the 859th operated in Yugoslavia, while the 885th operated in Italy. Most supply drops were made in the
Zagreb region, where partisans were attacking German forces withdrawing up the
Sava River valley. On 20 May 1945, thirteen days after
V-E Day, the 859th moved to
Gioia del Colle Airfield and from there to
Bari Airfield Italy in July 1945 where it remained until October 1945 when it was inactivated.
Air Force Reserves The unit was reactivated in the
Air Force reserve as the
859th Special Operations Squadron, marked by a ceremony at Duke Field, Florida, on April 1, 2016. The unit was formed from the assets of Detachment 1,
919th Special Operations Group. It is an associate of the
524th Special Operations Squadron at
Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. ==Lineage==