World War II Organization and crew training The first predecessor of the
squadron was initially activated at
Fort Douglas, Utah in January 1941 as the
60th Bombardment Squadron, one of the three original bombardment squadrons of the
39th Bombardment Group. The squadron flew
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, although as it was organizing, it also flew some
North American B-25 Mitchells. While stationed at Fort Douglas, the squadron conducted flight operations from
Salt Lake City Municipal Airport. In July 1941, the squadron moved with the 39th Group to
Geiger Field, Washington. Following the
Attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flew
antisubmarine patrols off the Pacific Coast until February 1942, when it moved to
Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona. At Davis-Monthan, it converted to
Consolidated B-24 Liberators. With its Liberators, the squadron became an
Operational Training Unit (OTU). It then assumed responsibility for their training and oversaw their expansion with graduates of
Army Air Forces Training Command schools to become effective combat units. The OTU program was patterned after the unit training system of the
Royal Air Force. Phase I training concentrated on individual training in
crewmember specialties. Phase II training emphasized the coordination for the crew to act as a team. The final phase concentrated on operation as a unit. By late 1943 most of the
Army Air Forces (AAF)'s units had been activated and almost three quarters of them had deployed overseas. With the exception of special programs, like forming
Boeing B-29 Superfortress units, training “fillers” for existing units became more important than unit training. The squadron mission changed to that of a
Replacement Training Unit (RTU). Most of the OTUs and RTUs were inactivated or disbanded and training activities given to these base units. The 39th Group and its components were inactivated, and along with supporting units at Davis-Monthan, replaced by the 233rd AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Training School, Bombardment, Heavy).
B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan The 39th Group and its squadrons, including the 60th, were activated the same day at
Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Kansas as B-29 Superfortress units. When training was completed moved to
North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to
XXI Bomber Command,
Twentieth Air Force. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on
Moen Island,
Truk, and other points in the
Carolines and
Marianas. The squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, but the first ten-day blitz resulting in the Army Air Forces running out of incendiary bombs. Until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs. The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. Also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and
Manchuria Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on
Tinian; others flown to storage depots in the United States. Inactivated as part of Army Service forces at the end of 1945.
Air Defense Command It provided early warning
radar surveillance along the
East Coast of the United States from, 1955–1969. It supported two deployed rotating aircraft with crews in
Iceland to provide early detection of
Soviet aircraft flying between Iceland and
Greenland from 1979 to 1992.
Airborne air control Operations and decorations • Combat Operations: Conducted bombardment missions against Japan, c. 6Apr-14 Aug 1945. Supported two deployed rotating aircraft with crews in Iceland to provide early detection of Soviet aircraft flying between Iceland and Greenland, 1979–1992. • Campaigns: World War II: Western Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan. • Decorations:
Distinguished Unit Citations: Japan, 10 May 1945; Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, 23–29 May 1945.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jul 1957-31 Oct 1958; [1 Sep 1979]-30 Jun 1980; 1 Jul 1982-30 Jun 1984; 1 Apr 1987-31 Mar 1989; 1 Dec 1989-1 Dec 1991. ==Lineage==