880th Bombardment Squadron

The squadron was activated at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona in November 1943 as one of the original four squadrons of the 499th Bombardment Group. Ten days later, a cadre moved to Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas to begin Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber training. The 879th trained in Kansas with early model B-29s, with frequent delays in training due to modifications of the aircraft correcting production deficiencies. In May 1944, the Army Air Forces reorganized its very heavy bomber units, reducing them from four to three operational squadrons. The 880th was inactivated in this reorganization. The squadron was activated again three months later at Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, where it was assigned to the 383d Bombardment Group. The squadron returned to the United States in December and was inactivated at the port of embarkation. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as the 880th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 19 November 1943 : Activated on 20 November 1943 : Inactivated on 10 May 1944 • Activated on 28 August 1944 : Inactivated on 3 January 1946 Assignments • 499th Bombardment Group, 20 November 1943–10 May 1944 • 383d Bombardment Group, 28 August 1944 – 3 January 1946 Stations • Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, 20 November 1943 • Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 1 December 1943 • Clovis Army Air Field, New Mexico, 11 February 1944 • Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas, 8 April–10 May 1944 • Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 28 August 1944 • Walker Army Air Field, Kansas, 14 January–11 August 1945 • West Field (Tinian), Mariana Islands, 12 September–19 Dec 1945 • Camp Anza, California, 2–3 January 1946 Aircraft • Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1944 • B-29 Superfortress, 1944, 1945 Campaigns ==See also==